SOI 56 Bangkok - Hollywood, CA

This was one of those adventures that I embark on when I am able to on my trips that result in an amazing restaurant without knowing about it in advance. I had been driving on Sunset from the ocean side all the way past Mulholland Drive and into West Hollywood. Passing the Ivy, the Chateau Marmont, Avenue of Stars when I noticed a place called SOI56 close to the new W Residential building.

It was only about 5:30 so the place was quite empty but who cared, you should have seen the menu. It was Thai but a lot more traditional Bangkok street food and therefore a lot different than the average Thai restaurant you are used too. Highly recommended to go and visit their site and menu.

I ordered some green tea and some Fish Sauce Wings; marinated in fish sauce and garlic, deep fried served w/ plum chili sauce. These wings were juicy, spicy and crisp; a true treat. For the main course I ordered the Muslim Style Curry w/ stewed beef braised all day in a spicy peanut curry sauce served w/ rice and Thai roti. This curry reminded me of Massaman curry but different, a bit spicier and darker in flavors. Nonetheless it was also a bite of heaven.

I know that I say this for almost every restaurant I visit, perhaps I have been lucky in my pickings, but this place is a must visit spot with great food at affordable prices.

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $$

1556 N. CAHUENGA BLVD
HOLLYWOOD 90028
http://soi56.com/

Chy Thai Cuisine - Boulder, CO

As I was driving up to Boulder from Denver with the beautiful rolling hills and the snowcapped Rockies in the background I started thinking about Thai food. Don’t ask me why but the scenery made me crave Thai and it made me wonder if I could ever find a Thai restaurant in Boulder. Frustrating…..but to my surprise Boulder is quite the food Mecca with any type of food experience you could think of and there was no shortage on Asian restaurants. Driving towards the office building where I had a meeting planned I saw this Thai place nestled in what looked like a strip mall with a big banner screamin’ lunch special for $7.95. At first thoughts you know this may not be the quality of food you would look for but with a lack of time to continue the search I elected to stop.

Upon entering the restaurant you immediately feel like you walked into a Chipotles but instead of Burrito rolling staff you had wok searing staff. The place was quite modern in décor and felt really clean in style. The waiter was very friendly as she was already catering to the local lunch crowd and started me off with a glass of tap water which by the way was excellent. Maybe it has to do with the location in the Rockies but the water had a very crisp clean taste to it. I immediately proceeded to ask for the lunch special. There were two options available; Jungle Curry and Drunken Noodles. As I am a big fan of spice I opted for the Jungle Curry which is very similar to a classic Red Curry but no coconut milk is used for the broth increasing its kick a bit. About 5 minutes into waiting I was served a nice broth and an egg roll with a side of sweet chili dipping sauce. What a pleasant surprise because normally this is always something you pay extra for. Following the appetizer my Jungle Curry was served. It was a healthy serving with my choice of meat which in this case was pork. The options were beef, chicken, pork or tofu. Another great option that normally you would have to pay extra for was the availability of either white rice or brown rice and since I am trying to be healthier I chose brown rice.

All in all this was a great quick lunch place at a great price with friendly staff and high quality food. It was the perfect healthy and tasty fast food alternative to the Burger King down the road. I would highly recommend it if you are looking to spend less then $10 for a great lunch.

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $

2720 Canyon Blvd
Boulder Colorado 80302
http://www.chythaicuisine.com/