You have through Monday to taste really good spicy chicken at Esaan, a Taste of Thai.
Minced chicken with Japanese eggplant, basil and slivers of red and green sweet peppers is a February special at this downtown restaurant. Slightly sweet and definitely spicy, it's a great buy for $8, which includes rice, either white or brown.
And if you miss the chicken, don't worry. March brings another special, pork panang.
Open for a couple of months, Esaan has expanded its original menu with the new specials and a dessert, taro bread pudding with coconut sauce (at right).
The pudding uses up extra baguettes purchased for sandwiches. And those aren't ordinary sandwiches. One is a Thai version of Vietnamese banh mi. Another contains Thai satay.
For a small takeout place, Esaan puts out serious food. Owner Nattha Quan (bottom, center) was born in Laos and lived in northeastern Thailand (the area known as Esaan) as a child, so this is her native cuisine.
Some of her dishes are fusion, like pad Thai salad with spaghetti (at right).
And then there are classics such as tom yum soup, green papaya salad and yellow curry with chicken, sweet and regular potatoes, onions and carrots.
If you're in a hurry, spring rolls are packaged and ready to go, but there's only a short wait for any dish.
Esaan faces the Central Library and caters to the downtown working crowd, so it is closed on weekends. That's why only two days are left to get the February special.
Esaan, a Taste of Thai, 601 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071. Tel: (213) 488-9995. Open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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