Photo credit: Graysen Gregory

Jitlada Thai’s exterior is decorated with a yellow and red sign with a turquoise awning. Jitlada Thai offers an amazing selection of delicious Thai cuisine and a cozy environment.

Ever since the Palisades fire tore through the Palisades and Malibu and destroyed my favorite go-to Thai restaurant, Cholada, my family and I have been looking for a new Thai spot. We have found a couple yummy restaurants, such as Night + Market Sahm in Venice and Exotic Thai in Ojai, but neither of them compare to Jitlada Thai in East Hollywood.

The restaurant is located in a strip mall in Little Armenia and south of Thai Town. When you first see it, it looks kind of run down with its turquoise awning, coral pink walls and flyers covering the windows — but don’t be fooled because the food is next level. 

Upon walking in, I observed the restaurant is split into two rooms with an arch adjoining them. The walls were covered with everything from old newspaper articles to drawings and paintings, and there was a whole wall covered with pictures of celebrities. 

My family and I were given a menu with a wide variety of options, ranging from salads to noodles. I ordered my favorite Thai dish, Pad Thai ($19.95), and my family ordered the spring rolls ($9.95), Jitlada salad ($18.95) and vegetable fried rice ($17.95). The restaurant was fairly busy, so our waitress took a little while to serve us. However, once she did, the food came out fast.

I have had many amazing Pad Thais in my life, but this one was particularly remarkable. It was a big portion of thin rice noodles covered in a sweet, salty and nutty sauce — the perfect blend of savory and sweet. It came with a choice of protein, and I got tofu because I am vegetarian. It also had shredded carrots, lettuce and bean sprouts. Usually, I can’t finish the whole bowl of Pad Thai, but, this time, I finished all of it.

My second favorite dish was the spring rolls, which are a blend of vegetables and seasonings wrapped in a rice wrap. We ordered these for our appetizer, and it was a perfect way to start our meal. The four rolls were crispy and delicious, and they were paired with a sweet and spicy sauce that was to die for. 

Next up were the vegetable fried rice and the Jitlada salad. The fried rice was a mix of crispy rice, egg and vegetables. Although I am not a big fan of fried rice, this was pretty good because it was seasoned well and had a great selection of vegetables in it. The salad was also very tasty. It was a blend of iceberg lettuce topped with carrots, red cabbage, steamed bean sprouts, tomato, boiled egg and soft tofu served with delectable peanut dressing. Although it could have used a little more dressing, the salad was a nice, crunchy vegetable dish I highly recommend.

Earlier, I touched on how there were posters and drawings covering the walls of the restaurant, but as I observed them more carefully while waiting for my food, I saw a James Beard award for best chef in California in a picture frame. I also noticed a Michelin poster on their wall, and it turns out Jitlada Thai is in the Michelin Guide. This restaurant appears to have caught the attention of not just me, but also celebrities like Matt Groening, the creator of Simpsons.

Overall, Jitlada Thai is a restaurant with a welcoming environment and a homey feeling. You should definitely take an afternoon or evening to stop by and try their delicious food.