Sampling: Rama Thai

(Credit: Shane Redsar)

Photos:

Poke around the many nooks and crannies of Downtown L.A. long enough, and you might just find a culinary diamond in the most unexpected places. For instance, it’s a given that the Jewelry District has kebabs and shawarma tucked amid all that bling. But wander down the back hallway of one galleria, take an elevator down to the basement and head past the unlit neon sign—behold Rama Thai.

This tiny cafeteria is literally underground and off the cultural radar; most Downtown enthusiasts are likely unaware of Rama’s existence. Of course, lunchtime gets extremely busy with the usual workday crowd of gem dealers and the occasional foodie on an adventurous date. Rama seems almost unwelcoming at first, but rest assured the employees are just shouting love: They’ll shout if you try to pay with a card, they’ll shout if you order to-go and then eat in. These ladies just want to keep everyone moving, that's all.

A small menu is posted on the wall. Items listed there, which include a handful of noodle dishes, are always available. Then there’s a steam table with the daily specials, which usually include at least one variety of Thai sausage and a curry or two, as well as some snacky fried stuff. If you’re really, really lucky and happen to be there when it’s not busy, the cooks might be inclined to whip up a special request. In the mood for massaman curry? Go at 3:30 p.m. and smile sweetly. But if a strict, high-noon lunch hour is all you’ve got, the following dishes will do nicely.

Pad thai: In this town the competition is pretty stiff; no self-respecting Thai restaurant is going to serve up a bad platter of pad thai. Rama’s is definitely competitive, with a good ratio of tamarind to fish sauce and lime to sugar. It’s everything a hungry person wants in a heaping pile of noodles.

Rad nah: Wide noodles fried in a wok and served in (a lot of) gravy with meat and greens. It’s essentially comfort food, so the ingredients don’t include many strong flavors. But the char on the pan-fried noodles elevates the dish, introducing a chewy, savory element that makes rad nah so craveable.

Crispy chicken with plum sauce: These deep-fried bits of savory fun are small but quite meaty. You won’t chomp into a blob of fat—a common and unhappy likelihood when it comes to fried meat dishes. The plum sauce is mildly sweet, and when the sauce and chicken are mixed together with carrots and lettuce, you can almost possible call it healthy.

Yellow curry: For a place this egalitarian, the cooks aren't afraid to sear some taste buds with spice. Can’t handle the heat? Too bad, sucka! The yellow curry is the most consistently good; we could actually detect something other than spicy-hot across our palate. Be forewarned: Any curry will bring a little bit of pain. Order rice. 

Katherine Spiers is a contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.

Add a comment