Finally, after many larb-less months of anticipation, Renu Nakorn, the restaurant that inspired the first wave of regional Thai restaurants almost 20 years ago, has returned to its home at a Rosecrans Avenue strip mall. The new Renu Nakorn is modern and spacious, accented by a big flagstone wall that wouldn’t look out of place in Sahara-vintage Vegas.
It was very pleasant and clean-looking. Spacious booths, granite booth-tops. Hey, I like Sanamluang and their decor is Hollywood Blvd. Good service- about an 8. In the back, you can almost sorta see the kitchen.
If you ever went to the original Renu Nakorn, you probably know the tripartite nature of the menu, the roster of the usual Thai specialties supplemented by the barbecue and spicy grilled-meat salads of the Isaan region — the transcendent papaya salad with dried shrimp, the pork salad nam sod, charbroiled-catfish salad, the tamarind beef salad called nua sao renu and the fiery beef salad nua nam tok. It’s all back, along with the almost-hidden list of specialties from the Chiang Mai area, which may be the kitchen’s real strength, and which include pounded roast-chile dips to scoop up with freshly fried pork rinds,
Okay, 'bout that pounded chili dip- JG has described it as a force of nature that knocks you flat and scorches your balls.
I tried it with sticky rice and cucumber slices, a few pork rinds...I've eaten hotter stuff at TexMex places. I'm not saying it was cool. It wasn't the tour de force I had heard about.
I also ordered the Thai sausage, another hit with JG.
No.
Sorry. Mealy and kind of plain. Texture wasn't anything special as claimed.
So, I dunno.
He's JG. I'm JP. He knows what he's tasting. Me? I like Cafe Sanamluang's Pad Kee Mao and Tom Kah Kai. Have I become inured to mediocre Thai food?
sweet pork curries influenced by Burma and coconut-enhanced khao soi noodles that in these early days of the reopening were a little clumpy and overthick. Have an extra helping of papaya salad instead. Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 12-8 p.m. Beer/Wine. Takeout. Lot parking. AE, MC, V. Thai.
E had the curry. His response was literally 'meh'. He wouldn't go back. I will, just to see if 'm totally off.
I'll go bacl
