Eat Drink Style Pa Ord Noodle, East Hollywood - The Return of the Noodle Mademoiselle

You know that cliche scene of a small-town white man and his baseball-cap wearing son practicing a curveball through a hanging tire in the front yard? That was what it was like when my dad took me under his wing and showed me the ropes – of noodles. When my father first introduced me to Thai Town, it was really a cuisine I really didn't know much about. He knew that I enjoyed noodles like him and really got me to open my eyes.

After eating at places like Sapp, Sanamluang, Ruen Pair, Rodded, Torung and Thaitown Noodles, we found we liked Ord's bloody, but balanced beef noodle soup and sweet & sour tom yum noodles (hoy kha). But soon after, I went back with Jeni and although it was good, there was a slight change in the recipe as well as the disappearance of Ord's original chef/owner Lawan Bhanduram, also known simply as Ord. The photos of Bhanduram and Thai street food still adorn the mustard yellow walls but there was just something missing. Regardless, we never stopped going to Ord for delicious bowls of noodles served by smiley staff. Then Jeni sent me a link from LA Weekly about Bhanduram's third project, Pa Ord. "Pa" in Thai and Lao means "Auntie". Apparently after she sold Ord on Hollywood Blvd, she opened up Ord 2 in North Hollywood. She's one busy woman. Anyway, Jeni meeting one of her readers today and we decided this would be our rendezvous point.

Pa Ord is located in a predominantly Armenian-owned strip mall, which means one thing, you'll be honing your parking skills. Again, we are graced with the same themes that make Ord what it is. Buddhist statues, gigantic photos of Bhanduram and Thai street food, Thai entertainment posters and miscellaneous trinkets – all enclosed in mustard yellow walls. But if you look right through the kitchen, you'll know you're in a good place once you see Bhanduram hard at work. With freshly-dyed hair, glasses and make-up, she always makes sure that she's looking good while she works. Like Marcel Vigneron and his mane.

Looking at the menu, it was exactly the same. Same food, same prices but we had to order the same exact things so that we could compare it to her past project, Ord on Hollywood Blvd.

Thai Boat Noodle Soup

This used to be a favorite of mine before I found the hoy kha noodle soup (tom yum noodle soup). One look at this and I already knew something was different. I'm back on this dish again now. The broth had a slight purple tint which meant it was heavy on the blood portion and the main aroma was that of five-spice, like Chinese beef noodle soup. The soup was sweet and balanced, unlike Sapp's which can be a bit salty and acerbic. It felt more like a gravy than a soup actually but not heavy at all. Beef balls had great bite and didn't taste like the freezer. The addition of mini wonton crisps replaced chicharrones and added a nice texture.

There was also a new addition to the Thai boat noodle soup. A particular type of meat I'm very fond of. I'd like to say it's stomach meat but it's really the meat that is coated with honeycomb tripe, not the standard velcro-like tripe you usually see. This wasn't braised too well but I like it still. If you eat dim sum frequently, this dish is usually served with daikon and it's bright orange. Great stuff.

Tom Yum Noodle Soup

This is what Jeni and I usually get at Ord on Hollywood because it has a nice balance of sweet and sour soup along with a whole yard sale of edible goodies. Again, there was something different. The soup was almost clear versus Ord Hollywood's slightly cloudy broth. It had a really clean taste that was both flavorful and refined. I ordered mild which had the perfect amount of ass-kicking spice on the palate. This is good but I think the Thai boat noodles are the shining star.

Crispy Pork Rice with Fried Egg

This is the last dish we ordered and also our favorite at most Thai restaurants. Crispy pork. Yes. Spicy green beans. Yesss. Fried eggs. Yesssss. And Bhanduram's version was really really nice - more like a stir fry than a drier fried pork belly. It tasted more like chicharrones. The green beans and chiles were real nice in this dish. Quite spicy for a mild order. I can't choose between this and Ord Hollywood's version – both are solid in my opinion. This one has more complexity to it though. Try it.

Sweet Yams in Coconut Milk

This is given to you at the end of the meal and if you've been rocking the medium or even mildly-spiced food, this is a blessing in disguise. Sweet boiled yams in a soup that has a nice dosage of condensed milk.

I am not ready to write a Dear Jane letter to Ord Hollywood just yet. I'm gonna go with the Mormon polygamy approach and keep both of them. Both are still solid places but if you want to see what the original Ord was about, come say hello to Lawan Bhanduram. Because you'll never know when she's going to pack up her bags, sell the restaurant and recipes and open up her fourth, fifth and sixth project. She is a smart and talented businesswoman after all. Thanks for reading.

If you want noodles in the Silver Lake area, give Wat Dong Moon Lek a shot.

Pa Ord

5301 Sunset Blvd. (c/o Hobart)

Los Angeles, CA 90027

(323) 461-3945

Everyday 9:30 am - 9 pm