Let's talk Thai food. If an overdose of traditional Christmas feasting has you craving something different, there are two fantastic Thai restaurants in North Hollywood that won't break the bank. Both are cleverly disguised as hole-in-the-wall restaurants (ya know, Thai-ninja-style), but both serve great food at a very reasonable price.
First up is Sanam Luang Cafe on Sherman Way. There are a pair of Sanam Luangs in Southern California, but the one on Sherman is the better of the two. Both Big Spoon and Little Spoon can find something to eat here.
Big Spoon usually orders Pad Thai (in his standard redneck accent), sometimes accompanied by fried wontons. He's pretty content, but the Pad Thai varies, and Little Spoon doesn't recommend it on a weekend, when the second tier chefs seem to be working the kitchen. Pad Thai is typically difficult to make well, but when Sanam is on, it is most excellent. Little Spoon loves to order the spicy Pad Kaprow. If you want to try it authentic, ask for a fried egg on top--the servers will know exactly what you're talking about and will respect you more for it. In general, though, everything there is delicious, and dishes will run you between $7 and $10. There's also a delightful server there on most weeknights who serves up the good food with plenty of culinary knowledge and just enough crude jokes to make it interesting! You'll find her easily, as she's the loudest one of the bunch.
Inside tips: If you go on a Sunday, the restaurant serves up a specialty called pork ribs that the natives love. Get there early because they don't make much of it, and it usually goes fast. You can also try asking for Pad Thai "Thai-style" which isn't so sweet and has some other flavors thrown in, a much closer version to what you'd find in Thailand.
Just down the street from Sanam is a smaller place called Bua Siam.
The prices here will be a bit higher, but not by much. What's great about Bua is that you'll find authentic Thai dishes that usually aren't available anywhere else. In fact, if you order the more "traditional" food here, it's usually only average. (For that, go over to Sanam.) But, if you're in the mood for something more exotic, try the crispy catfish over papaya salad. The fish is shaved and fried, so you probably wouldn't even recognize it as fish. When it's brought sizzling to the table, you should break it up and combine it with the papaya underneath so that all the flavors mix. Eat it quickly before the fish loses it's crispiness. This isn't something you'll want to take home as leftovers. The catfish over papaya salad was quite the treat when I was actually in Thailand a few years ago, and Bua has been the only place in Los Angeles that I've found who makes it...and makes it well. You can order half dishes of many of the selections, so try something new! This is a Little Spoon recommendation only, because the flavors are a bit too exotic for Big Spoon.
Inside tip: A lot of the dishes at Bua are meant to be eaten with a sticky rice rather than the more traditional jasmine rice. If you order it, it will be served in warm bamboo baskets. In Thailand, this rice is eaten with your hands rather than with a spoon and fork. You take the rice and ball it up tight between your fingers before eating it with the various dishes. I've seen Thai people doing this at the restaurant and no one bats an eye.
