Pa-Ord Noodle

The original location.

🇹🇭 THAILAND
📍 5301 Sunset Blvd., Thai Town, Central Los Angeles
🅿️ Small plaza has limited parking
🥤 No Alcohol

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Guay tiew nam tok, "boat noodles"

Ever since the first visit to Pa-Ord Noodle, we have needed to come back for their wonderful tom yum noodles (below) and guay tiew nam tok (above). Ratchet up the spice levels and get those sinuses flowing.

Tom yum noodles

As any reputable noodle vendor should have, Pa-Ord tables are stocked with plenty of condiments to adapt your soup to your own tastes. The base is already good enough, but adding more sour tastes from pickled green peppers or fire from red peppers either dried or in a paste are all available.

In the back corner of a mini mall on Sunset Blvd, Pa-Ord makes a perfect spot to eat and sweat late into the night when most of the other Thai restaurants nearby have already closed. The owner, Lawan Bhanduram (who goes by "Pa Ord"), has photos of herself when she was a boat noodle purveyor in Thailand, so that is definitely a good place to start on the menu.

With enough visits, you can travel deep into the roster of noodles, including the wonderfully pink yen ta fo (below), rice noodles in a pork broth that travels the spectrum of sweet, spicy, and tangy.

Pa-Ord also does stir-fried Thai street vendor classics well, as observed with their very nice version pad kee mao (below), also known as "drunken noodles." This chicken version was full of flavors and can be catered to the right spice level you desire.

Ruam mit, "gathering of friends" shaved ice dessert

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