When you think Thai food, certain dishes come to mind like Pad See Ew or Pad Thai. At Rama, the newest addition to the L.A. food scene, you get that and much, much more.
As you approach the restaurant located on the popular Third Street Restaurant Row district, you’ll hear the soothing sounds of trickling water coming from a small waterfall wall. As you are about to enter, the host greets you before you have a chance to step foot into the restaurant. In all corners of the dining room are Buddha statues. Off to the right is what appears to be an ordinary shelf of candles, but it is actually a secret entrance to the lounge.
Rama, the latest Thai cuisine offering on Third Street's Restaurant Row, Los Angeles.
The entrance to Rama's secret lounge.
The Zen-like lounge is a part of Rama’s goal to offer authentic Thai food in an intimate, upscale atmosphere. The lounge and bar is expected to open soon, as well as a conference room with a flat screen TV, making it the perfect venue for a business meeting over lunch. It’s all the vision of Alex Thao, managing partner and director of operations for all three of Rama’s locations, which include San Diego and Cabo San Lucas. At just 29, Thao was named in “40 Under 40″ by the San Diego, Chicago and New York Business Journals. Rama is included in Zagat’s top 100 restaurants in the U.S.
Alex Thao of Rama.
But of course, as with any restaurant, it’s all about the food. Chef Pannuwat Soukjai utilizes French preparation techniques to offer both traditional and modern Thai dishes. For Rama’s lunch menu, every entrée comes with an appetizer, soup, or salad. If you enjoy a tartness in your food, definitely try their Papaya Salad. Rama uses the green papaya, not the orange one, which has more of a crisp cucumber texture, served with a tart dressing.
For appetizers, two words: Kratong Tong. The dish comes with pastry cups made out of rice paper that adds a nice crunch and subtle flavor to go along with the curry. The curry consists of chicken, potatoes, carrots and green peas. Kratong Tong stands out because it has a more subtle, light taste with no extra sweetness (especially if coconut isn’t your cup of tea).
One of Rama’s most popular dishes is the Garlic and Pepper (Crusted) offered with chicken, beef, pork, vegetables or tofu. If none of those suit your palate, the dish is also offered with shrimp, sea bass, seafood or roast duck. Rama clearly has all your meats, veggies and seafood covered. In fact, everything at Rama can be prepared gluten-free or vegetarian.
From dining to lounge, tart to sweet, Rama offers enough to appeal to everyone.
DETAILS
RAMA
7910 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(on the corner of 3rd and Fairfax)
(323) 592-3035
Liu Xiaobo has been awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize “for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.” He is the first Chinese citizen to be awarded a Nobel Prize of any kind. Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while in prison, and is the fourth one to have received one while being in prison or detention.
Liu has been President of the Independent Chinese PEN Center since 2003. He was a part of the Tianamen Square protest in 1989, and was detained and convicted on charges of “counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement.” Liu played a large role in the writing of Charter 08. It was a manifesto that was released on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since the release, over 10,000 people all over have signed the charter. The charter itself were demands for human rights in China, the importance of freedom, and equality. After being released on the internet, Liu was arrested and sentenced to 11-years in jail.
There has been a lot of controversy with Liu winning the Nobel Peace Prize. China had warned the Norwegian Nobel Committee to not honor Liu with the Nobel Peace Prize, but they didn’t listen and wanted to bring awareness to what was occurring in China. At the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, an empty chair represented Liu because Beijing would not allow for him or his wife to attend. According to Yang Jianli, a prominent Chinese democracy activist, “An empty seat for the laureate would serve as a reminder to the world that Liu Xiaobo is himself languishing in prison and, more broadly, that the human rights situation in China should be a concern to the international community.” China cancelled meetings with the Norwegian officials and denounced the award “as an affront to the Chinese people and a ploy to try to change the country’s political system,” according to The New York Times. Liu Xia, Liu’s wife, is a photographer who doesn’t get involved in politics, is under house arrest at the couple’s apartment and was not able to attend the ceremony and accept the award for her husband.
Through his actions, Liu has become a representative and symbol for the struggle for human rights in China. In a letter to The Los Angeles Times, Teresa C. Yu wrote “I find that the empty chair for Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo at the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo speaks volumes. Like the picture of a lone man standing in front of a row of tanks in Beijing in 1989, this image will also be forever ingrained in people’s minds. China’s leaders may think they are strong enough now to flex their sizable economic muscles without having to answer to anyone. But in so doing, they have lost face, big time. If China wants to be a global leader, it must exhibit worthy leadership traits. Jailing Liu for simply voicing his yearning for democracy is definitely not one of them.”
Its that time again … TGIF! No, not our giveaway, but thank goodness it’s Friday because now it means it’s time for the weekend. Here, some things to do this weekend.
The filmmaker, reunited with his friend, and preparing a traditional song for TIBET IN SONG, a film by Ngawang Choephel. Guge Productions. Photo: David Huang.
Filmmaker Ngawang Choephel with some Tibetans who recently escaped from Tibet. Photo: David Huang.
What: Tibet in Song is a film that celebrates traditional Tibetan folk music while providing an eye-opening journey into the past 50 years of cultural repression inside Chinese-controlled Tibet. Director and former Tibetan political prisoner Ngawang Choephel weaves a story of beauty, pain, brutality and resilience, juxtaposing rarely seen performances with startling footage of the early days of the Chinese invasion.
When: Now playing
Where: Varsity Theatre, 4329 University Way NE, Seattle, WA, (206) 781-5755, landmarktheatres.com
Tulle Sample Sale
What: Who doesn’t want to save money? All of Tulle’s popular coats, separates and accessories are going to be just under $20! All sales are final.
When: December 11, 2010 @10am-3pm
Where: 350 W. Apra St., Compton, CA 90220
Abra Cadabra!
What: Some of the Magic Castle’s best talent comes together for a three-night run at the Theatre West. Witness card tricks, mind games, levitation, and a little of comedy. Tickets are $15-20 call (323) 851-7977 or visit theatrewest.com
When: December 10-12; Friday & Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 2pm
Where: 3333 Cahuenga Blvd., West Hollywood, CA (323)851-4839
What: The chef of Montlake’s 20-year-old Italian restaurant, Cafe Lago, breaks down some of his favorite entrees through the end of Jan 31. Who would refuse free cooking lessons?? Just remember to RSVP.
When: Mondays, now through January 31, 2011.
Where: 2305 24th Ave E., Seattle, WA
How: R.S.V.P. to 206-329-8005
Exhibition: Felice Beato: A Photographer on the Eastern Road
Koboto Santaro, Felice Beato, negative, 1863; print, 1868. Partial gift from the Wilson Centre for Photography.
What: In his career as a photographer, Felice Beato covered areas of the Middle East to Southeast Asia. His works include topographical images and architectural views, and portraits. Beato was able to document and photograph the Crimean War in 1856, the aftermath of the Indian Mutiny in 1858, the Second Opium War in China, and the American forces in Korea in 1871.
When: December 7, 2010-April 24, 2011
Where: J. Paul Getty Museum, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Taza Chocolate Factory Store Grand Opening
What: Somerville’s confectioners will unveil their new retail outlet with special chocolate based gift ideas, along with raffle items. There will be a preview and sample of forthcoming flavors.
When: December 11 & 12 @ 11am-5pm
Where: 561 Windsor St., Boston, MA (617) 284-2232
Any die-hard fans of Harry Potter out there? Well, here is our weekly giveaway that is just for you HP fans out there.
A must-have for Harry fans -- a horcrux necklace with USB drive.
“These are DARK TIMES,” is what it says on the T-shirt that Audrey is giving away this week along with a USB drive in the shape of the first horcrux discovered by Dumbledore and Harry. The necklace doubles as a USB drive with a serpent on the front. Both perfect for an everyday item as well as a perfectly planned outfit for the opening weekend of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I just recently came out in theaters as a box office hit. This isn’t just in the United States, but all over the world. A cumulative amount of $330.1 million dollars was earned in the global box office in its opening weekend. Not really surprising when its based off of the best selling novels by J.K. Rowling.
Many of you guys are probably asking, “Why would they make us wait for part II?” or “Why is there even a part II?” Well maybe the answer from Daniel Radcliffe will quench your curiosity. “I think it’s the only way you can do it, without cutting out a huge portion of the book. There have been compartmentalized subplots in the other books that have made them easier to cut, but the seventh book doesn’t really have any subplots. It’s one driving, pounding story from the word go.”
To win this better-than-Black Fridaygiveaway, all you have to do it post comments to three of Audrey‘s other blog posts and leave a comment after this post telling us which posts you commented on. A tweet = an extra chance to win. (Just tag @audreymagazine so we’ll be able to see it.) The giveaway ends Wednesday, December 1 @ 11:59pm. No international friends, sorry. Good luck!
For more information about the movie, visit www.harrypotter.com
The girls of f(x).
K-Pop fans, where you at?? Check out MTV-K for its SM Town 2010 exclusive backstage interview with f(x). If that’ s not enough for you, go to the MTV-K Facebook page to watch an exclusive interview with SHINee from SM Town LA 2010. If you Like their Facebook page, you’ ll get to see what the boys talked about and get access to more about these K-Pop stars.
There is even a chance to win the SM Town sweepstakes at www.mtvk.com/smtownsweeps/ for an autographed copy of Girls Generation, Run Devil Run; BoA, Hurricane Venus; Super Junior, Bonamana; SHINee, Lucifer; and f(x), Nu Abo.
Batteries don’t last forever; they especially seem to die out right when you need it the most. When you’re at the gym ready to get a good workout in, turn on the iPod and minutes later, complete silence. Or even when you’re about to meet up with friends and running a little late and your phone starts flashing “low battery.”
The Technocel Universal Powerpak portable battery charger is perfect for on the go or even when you’re just at home. It can recharge any USB device anywhere. It is a combination of a wall charger and a portable battery. The charger refuels the battery and can provide an extra three hours of talk time. The charger comes with interchangeable tips that are compatible with 95 percent of handheld devices, so it’s perfect for all the different phones and technology in the family.
Technocel recently received honoree status in the highly acclaimed award Best of Innovations 2010 for its most recent product, according to Rami Rostami, Technocel CEO and founder. And you too can win this all-in-one charging device if you’re the lucky TGIFree Friday giveaway winner this week.
Just comment below and we’ll pick one lucky winner. You have until Wednesday, October 27, 11:59 pm to comment, and you must have a U.S. mailing address to win. Good luck!
