Sri Siam Cafe

For nearly four decades, this North Hollywood strip mall joint has served an all-around excellent cross-regional fare that’s inspired scores of other, much younger L.A. Thai-Chinese restaurants. On our visit, we couldn’t stop eating the crispy rice salad, and one slurp of the fragrant khao soi made it clear that this is one of the best Thai restaurants in the Valley—if not all of L.A. If you’re in the mood for simpler delights like crab rangoon or wonton soup, Sri Siam does that too, but you’d miss out if you leave without ordering at least one or two of their signature dishes, particularly the deep-fried radish cakes. Served with sriracha and sweet chili, it’s one of our favorite bites in the 818.