Inside Jitlada
Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong prepares a table setting at her Hollywood restaurant, Jitlada, which packs ‘em in with its huge selection of southern Thai specialties. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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Any Thai meal has to include a salad or two. Coco mango salad is among the options at Jitlada. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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Steamed mussels arrive in broth. The lengthy list of southern Thai dishes makes it a mecca for many; for others, its their go-to restaurant for comfort food. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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The jungle curry, a melange of pork, tiny green eggplants, sataw beans and green peppercorns on the stem, is hot enough to send you racing out to the parking lot for a gulp of air. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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The raw blue crab salad comes with green papaya and lime, cooling and smacking hot at the same time, with that sea funk coming through the chile and lime. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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A whole sea bass is rubbed in fresh turmeric and deep-fried to crunchiness, then buried under a blanket of julienned mango and fried garlic. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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Chef Suthiporn Tui Sungkamee prepares to cook some glass noodles at Jitlada, a restaurant popular with Thais, Hollywood hipsters, ardent foodies and tourists. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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The sign beckons Thai food fans inside the Hollywood restaurant, where southern-style dishes soothe the soul. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)