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.

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.

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

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Tags: alex thao, dining, rama, rama restaurant, rama thai, restaurants, thai cuisine, thai food

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