Jitlada Restaurant

Jitlada. It was tough writing this review. I thoroughly enjoyed the food here, but to echo the issues that many other reviewers noted, the parking is atrocious, the place is cramped, the wait is unwarranted, and it requires way too much effort to flag someone down for an order (or to ask for the check). The service - some portion of which is out of control of the staff - is why this place earned 4 stars. We ordered: -Bangkok Duck - excellent taste, but at $24 I expected more duck to share with the group. -Crying Tiger Beef - tasty, fried, can't go wrong at $20 but wouldn't order again. -Thai Chili Soft-Shell Crab - tasty, fried, but not much crab at $26. -White rice - $2, good for 2 rice-eaters. We left semi-full. I think there are better Thai restaurants nearby that are less famous but provide a bit more value.

I think social media has ruined restaurants and this place is proof of it. I understand Selena and Bennie Blanco had their first date here, but that’s no reason why you should too. I went on the notion that it was fantastic as it was getting a lot of attention on TikTok, only to leave with the impression that this might be the most average, or less than average Thai restaurant I’ve ever been to. Due to its popularity the parking was awful, the wait time after signing up on its clipboard sheet outside the restaurant was over 45 minutes, and the restaurant itself is very small and cramped. I ordered the Crying tiger beef, crispy catfish flake salad, tom Kah soup, and ox tail noodles. The only thing worth eating in those four dishes was the crying tiger beef, and the crispy catfish flake salad (which had very unripe mangoes). The soup you can find at any Thai restaurant, and the oxtail noodles were incredibly bland, my date was wondering if they may have forgot to season the oxtail. I considered sending them back, but didn’t want to deal with the service and honestly just leave as I was disappointed already. I also had a Thai iced tea and a Thai coffee, both had too much milk and barely any tea/coffee. I asked for napkins for my table, and the waiter must have literally counted two napkins instead of just grabbing a decent amount for the table. The restaurant is quite proud with itself, with who I assume are the owners, going around and asking if it’s delicious, and then stepping outside to see the horde of people waiting and overheard her say “ohhh a long wait, must mean the food is good!!” to which I rolled my eyes as I sat there disappointed. I attached pictures of all the dishes but if you can, find any other hole in the wall Thai restaurant (there’s thousands in LA) and avoid this mess.

I came to check this place out because I heard it had really good reviews. It does get busy and there is a wait-list. Walking in the atmosphere was cool. Stuff on walls and it felt cozy. The service was great and the staff was friendly. The food itself was good but a bit on the pricey side and the portions were average. Did it taste good? Yes. Could I have gotten thai food that tastes like this for a lower price around the same area. Yes. This place does have a big menu though and alot of traditional Thai dishes that most places don't have so there's that. If you're adventurous with food this place is for you.

Jitlada is a small gem on restaurant in Thai Town, LA which has few authentic Thai dishes. Their Pamelo salad is definitely a must try. Nice an cozy little place you don’t want to miss. I was there will my family and we all enjoyed all the dishes ordered and the server are very helpful.

Food was decent and portion sizes were large, the waitress was helpful. I think it’s a personal preference but southern Thai curry is not to my taste, it’s also pretty spicy. The duck summer rolls were good and so were the vegetables. Pad see ew was decent as well (a little too salty). The pumpkin curry was the southern Thai curry dish that I didn’t really love. It had little flavor and it was just spicy (we got medium).