Jitlada - Los Angeles

Had dinner in Jitlada for the second time a few days ago. This time I was able to taste everything, as our table ordered mildly. The first time, even the “medium” put my mouth on fire. We speak of course about the southern part of the menu. Food: EXCELLENT. Everything was so incredibly good. Great flavors, well prepared. We had the mango salad, the whole roasted sea bass, shells, the J. Gold chicken shell (instead of pork; this was quite spicy, also in mild), one of the flat noodle dishes (Chow Fun), another dish, the mango with sticky rice, and the Custard. Service this time: HORRIBLE. Funded, gourmet magazine was there earlier this day, and we were a large group of 35, occupied 5 tables. But also considering, plus jazz knew we were coming, the service was cruel. Our table was completely ignored in the first 40 minutes, all the other tables in our group got food and we couldn't even place our order. We couldn't even get a glass of water for a person who never got water. We brought Prosecco and Sake, Jazz gave us all a discount on corkage, but we couldn't even drink while we were starving, waiting as we couldn't get any glasses. After we had waited forever, we only got the Papaya salad, and now we saw the fake plant on the table. I still like the food here, so I'm back.

I just waited for ONE HOUR to get food from JITLADA! I've been told 20 minutes and lasted one hour, and that's at 3:00. After a soft complaint, the owners were TOTAL unalogical and rude! Consider yourself warned when you decide to go there. Eating is good.

This place is a small hole in the wall that has gained much attention. The South Thai specialities, which differ from most Thai restaurants in the USA, serving more North Thai dishes, have a huge – almost overwhelming – menu to choose from. On Jazz's recommendation we had chicken legs with mango, a pork bell dish, the popular Coco Mango salad, a pumpkin and lamb dish, huge yarns, jungle curry with pork and sticky rice with mango for dessert. I didn’t really enjoy my dishes so much – in a large part I think because I probably would have the dishes “gringo spicy” instead of “thai spicy”. I will give the restaurant another attempt because it is such a favorite of locals, zagat, and apparently the Hollywood celebrity crowd. Just a note, the place I went was packed. Expect to wait a long time for your food. The price is good again. For 6 dishes then dessert (family style) plus a drink, I paid $25 and was really filled.

South Thai food is the specialty here, so if you go there, go directly to the last page with the “Thai Menu” and don’t order pad Thai. We had Rice Salad Songpkhla Stye, which was excellent – rice served with green mango, lemongrass, shrunk coconut etc. Deeply baked turmeric emullet was also very good. Must be back to try the other dishes.

Jitlada in Los Angeles exceeded all my expectations and delivered an authentic Thai dining experience that’s hard to find elsewhere. Their menu is extensive, with a focus on Southern Thai cuisine, which is known for its bold and complex flavors. The Crying Tiger Beef was perfection—tender, juicy, packed with a savory yet slightly smoky flavor, and the sauce in the side was absolutely amazing. But the real star of the night was the Jungle Curry. It was rich, spicy, and bursting with vibrant flavors that transported me straight to Thailand. Fair warning: if you love heat, this is the dish for you! The service was fantastic as well. The staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and happy to make recommendations based on our preferences. They even warned us about the spice level, which we appreciated! Do keep in mind, they get busy really quick and sometimes you have to give them time to get to you. The Mango Sticky Rice was the perfect sweet ending to our meal—refreshing, creamy, and absolutely delicious. Jitlada is a must-visit for anyone craving authentic Thai food in Los Angeles. Be prepared for some serious spice, but trust me, it’s worth it! I’ll definitely be back to explore more of their incredible menu.