Pa-Ord Noodle on Sunset Boulevard obviously specializes in noodles. And they are very good, because Pa-Ord is the new incarnation of Ord Noodle on Hollywood Boulevard, which became one of the top draws in Thai Town.
Lawan Bhanduram, who founded Ord Noodle, sold it and moved on. Now she has opened Pa-Ord, serving the same dishes. Read what I wrote about this on Squid Ink.
What I like apart from the noodles is No. 24 on Pa-Ord's menu: rice with Chinese broccoli and sliced crispy pork (khao kanah mu grob). I don't think I could go there without ordering this dish.
The small, crunchy pork chunks are irresistible. The meat is fried, then roasted and stays crisp until you finish. Soft rice and bright, fresh Chinese broccoli set it off perfectly. But watch out, devilishly hot bits of Thai chile lurk in the mix.
If you want to eat Thai style, you'll order a fried egg on top of the rice. Watching a cooking demonstration of red curry in Bangkok, I was surprised to see an omelet served on the side and to learn that this is a typical pairing.
The Thai egg and meat affinity hasn't yet arrived in Los Angeles. Order red curry in a local Thai restaurant and you may get rice, but not an omelet. And so Pa-Ord's crispy pork is eggless unless you specify otherwise.
Pa-Ord Noodle, 5301 Sunset Blvd., #8, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Tel: (323) 461-3945.
Sounds fantastic! Is the sliced pork dipped in any sort of batter first? I'm dying to stop by and try it but can't eat wheat, which is in most batters... Would love to know, thanks!
Posted by: Shauna | January 28, 2010 at 01:07 PM
Oh Barbara! The fried egg is totally calling my name! I'm tempted to change my Saturday night dinner plans to Pa-Ord just to eat this dish.
Posted by: Gastronomer | January 26, 2010 at 05:28 PM