My mom felt like Thai food the other night, so I suggested we try out Jitlada (website hasn't been updated for a long time, but most of the info seems to be accurate). It's a tiny restaurant on the edge of Japantown - I'd been once a long time ago and had a nice meal. The main room is cozy and intimate, with the setting sun shining in. The last time I went, it seemed like a pretty hidden neighborhood spot, but this time around it seemed like there were at least a few tables of tourists who had wandered in. The restaurant seems to be doing alright.
shrimp in sleeping bags - shrimp marinated with Thai seasoning and wrapped with rice paper, served with sweet & spicy sauce - $7.25
The menu has a few cutely-named dishes like this one. As you can see, they're sort of like rolls, but wrapped around the shrimp themselves. The shrimp were fresh, bright, and meaty. A good app that I'd order again, although it was hard to finish on my own!
papaya wedges - green papaya mixed with rice flour and shredded coconut batter and sesame seeds, deep fried and served with sweet & sour sauce - $6.5
Another interesting dish - it's hard to see much in the picture, but these were quite unlike most fried things I've tasted. The texture varies throughout as you bite through coconut, papaya and batter. Quite good, but a little bit greasy and heavy with the batter and frying. Again, this should be shared by more than 2 - I think I ate too many...
jungle curry with tofu - Thai "country-style" curry with eggplant, long green beans, bamboo, karchai and fresh Thai white basil - $10.95
Best dish of the night. You can choose between chicken, pork, beef and tofu - we went with tofu so my mom could eat. The curry is thin, almost soupy, but bursting with flavor and a nice bit of kick. I'd love to try this again with meat.
Jitlada nuer yang (steak) - grilled NY steak marinated with Thai herbs, garlic, cilantro and lemongrass, served with spicy chili sauce - $13.95
This dish was pretty blah, but I guess that's what I get for going with a more boring dish. I was tempted by the garlic/cilantro/lemongrass, three things that I love, but this was basically just an average steak. It was more medium than medium rare. For $14 though you can't expect the best.
I'm sure I'll go back to Jitlada at some point to try more of the curries. I can't remember what I ate on my first trip - it must have been curry as well, but it was a long time ago. I'm also curious about their soup - if the jungle curry is any sign, they probably make a pretty good tom yum.