Emporium Thai Cuisine in Westwood

By Erin

One of my favorite kinds of  foods to eat is Thai Food. When I received the invite for a media dinner here, I couldn’t resist as I am always on the lookout for great places to have Thai food at. If you also have a love for Thai food or are an adventurous foodie wanting to try something new, then you have to check out Emporium Thai Cuisine in Westwood.

Emporium Thai Cuisine has been serving families and the surrounding community for 14 years and they specialize in Southern Thai food with a very large menu that is sure to have something to please everyone in your party. One unique aspect on their menu is the “spicy scale” which allows you to choose how hot or mild you want your food on a scale of 1-10.  I don’t like my food terribly spicy, the majority of our dishes were at a “3” on the spicy scale. This worked well for me. It wasn’t too hot or spicy for me at this level.

Another quality that I love about this place is that it is family owned and run. Dining here truly is a family affair and I love being able to help out and eat at a family run restaurant. While you are here, you will be treated like one of the family.

Now onto the food! Here is what was on the menu for us for the night. 🙂

Coco Mango Salad with Fried Tofu (Southern Thai Specialty dish) and Thai Iced Tea

Shredded raw mango mixed with dried coconut fresh chili, lime juice and fried tofu. A  Southern Thai Specialty dish, it was really light and refreshing. Perfect for these hot summer days. A great way to start out any meal.

Crying Tiger Beef (Southern Thai Specialty dish)

Thai-style marinated beef, served with their homemade chili sauce. I really enjoyed this one as the meat was very tender and flavorful.

Southern Curry with Chicken and Fish Balls (Southern Thai Specialty dish)

Originally from the family’s 30-year-old recipe in Pakpanang, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Thailand. Jicama, basil, bell pepper, and Thai Southern Curry. You won’t find this dish anywhere else! You may be asking Fish Balls? What in the world? Don’t let the name scare you. The balls are just fish-shaped into a ball. I love curry, and this curry did not disappoint. I could not get enough of it! I even poured as much of the curry as I could onto my rice! This was a favorite of the night at our table.

Seafood Hor Mok

Another favorite were these delicious little pots of happiness that are called Seafood Hor Mok. Filled with shrimp, crab meat, and scallops; baked with chili, coconut and Thai basil. Look how cute this is! It’s just as delicious as it is cute! 😉

Khao Yum (Southern Thai Speciality dish)

A Southern Thai rice salad. Khao yam is a very fragrant rice salad. Grated coconut, dry shredded shrimp, and a variety of herbs dominate this dish. Micro- sliced kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, pennywort and turmeric leaves are among the blend of herbs that complete Khao yam. The rice salad is mixed together and dressed with a slightly sweet fish sauce.

Pad Prik King with Crispy Pork (Thai Street Food)

A dry red curry stir fried with long string beans and their house made crispy pork. This dish is known to be a favorite of spicy food lovers all over the wold. Our dish was not prepared very spicy though. It wasn’t too much spice for me. This dish can also be prepared with tofu instead of crispy pork for any vegetarians out there. (Vegetarian version of this dish is on the left, Crispy Pork is on the right)

Dessert

My favorite Thai dessert ever!!! Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice! It was sweet, juicy and oh so delicious. I can never get enough of the juicy, succulent mangos, paired with the tasty and sweet sticky rice! A great combination to end a wonderful, authentic Thai meal!

If you are ever in the Los Angeles area and craving some awesome Thai Food, then I highly recommend giving Emporium Thai Cuisine in Westwood  a shot! Located at: 1272 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA.

What’s your favorite Thai dish? 🙂