ORIGINAL HOY KA HOLLYWOOD

The Original Hoy-Ka Hollywood has been a favorite of LA's Thai food fans for years. After a brief closure earlier this year, it's reopened half a mile up the road at 5908 West Sunset Boulevard. It may have been hard to manage a couple of weeks without their amazing Pad See Ew, but the new location was worth the wait. It's the same great food, but the new location is bigger and better, with nicer decor. If fighting LA traffic is your thing, you'll be glad to know that the new location features parking. But if you'd rather the food came to you, they offer delivery with only a $20 minimum order. The new location came with another upgrade-- they're now accepting credit cards instead of operating cash-only.

Hoy-Ka offers a wide selection of Thai salads to start your meal. You can dive off the deep end with the spicy pork liver salad, or stick with the larb. The papaya salad is especially popular.

They offer curry, rice dishes, and soups. But we're really here for the noodles. Hoy-Ka offers all the Thai standbys, and they're expert at all of them. It's what they do. The signature Hoy-Ka noodles are something special. Order them with pork for an intense flavor experience. The boat noodles are also superb. Actually, you can't go wrong with any of their noodles. Order anything they have for a five-star experience.

Speaking of star ratings, Hoy-Ka makes their food on the spicy side, so unless you know what you're getting into, don't order your dinner at the highest heat. And just in case you go too far, order the coconut palm juice to take the edge off in the most refreshing way possible.

The Original Hoy-Ka is an LA staple for a very good reason. Visit them at their new location. If it's your first time, be prepared: it won't be your last.