Jade Noodles Make Us Loco
This spot is truly a hidden gem to be found in Thai Town. It’s one of those restaurants in a small strip mall that you would otherwise just drive right on by without glancing twice. This is not your typical Thai restaurant where you just order your pad thai and pad see ew. Though Sapp does serve these dishes, and we’re sure they’re delicious, you would be missing out on the true authentic Thai gems that Sapp offers. The experience and food at Sapp feels so reminiscent of street food and restaurants in Thailand. It always takes me back to grabbing a quick bite in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.
The restaurant itself is super unassuming and unpretentious. It’s a relatively small family-owned restaurant with a laid-back vibe. Older Thai women (the cooks) can sometimes be found hanging out at the tables in front if it’s not too busy shooting the shit with the rest of the servers.
First move: order a Thai iced tea. They serve their Thai iced tea with shaved ice so it almost resembles a blended Thai tea and the best part… free refills. We usually order the same thing: jade noodles and crispy pork with rice and a fried egg. Today we ordered the usual and also decided to try the fried catfish with red curry sauce. Everything was delicious, as usual; however, the catfish didn’t quite have the same “fuck, that’s delicious” factor that the other two dishes have. Also, though we haven’t had it together, they do a great version of boat noodles that is definitely worth trying if you’re in the mood for noodle soup.
The jade noodles are to die for. They have so much depth and flavor and every single ingredient (crab, BBQ pork, roasted duck, peanuts, cilantro, lime, green onion, chicharron, Chinese broccoli) comes together to blow your damn mind. If you’re going to get one thing from here, get this. I don’t know how they do it, but they pack so much flavor into that bowl of noodles, and not to mention, it’s a beautiful array of colors that is always photo-worthy.
Onto the next dish: crispy pork with rice and a fried egg. This dish is definitely a lot heavier than the noodles but so damn tasty. The pork is fried to perfection and stays nice and crispy despite being tossed in a delectable, salty, pungent sauce along with some thai basil and bell pepper. The intense flavor of the pork and vegetables is elevated with the addition of the side of fish sauce and chili to accompany it. Pair this with some plain steamed rice and you’ve got a perfect balance of umami.
Lastly, the fried catfish we ordered today was tasty, but not quite up there with the other two dishes. The curry sauce was tasty and kind of reminiscent of the flavors of tom yum, very lemongrass-y, salty and sour. It was tasty but I think we’ll be opening this 3rd spot in our order to explore the menu some more next time.
Sapp Coffee Shop
5183 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
