Les Ros Thai on Larkin

January 20, 2012 @ 1PM

Now that a sparklier Les Ros Thai has opened in the more desirable Hayes Valley neighborhood, Les Ros Thai on Larkin is now the ugly older stepsister. In reality,  there is nothing ugly about Les Ros Thai on Larkin. I do not know how old she is but her clean contemporary interior does not show her age.

The trip to Les Ros on Larkin leaves indeed leaves one's stomach in a tight knot. It is by the way located in the Tenderloin--the home of the hardened and broken spirits with no access to bathrooms.
The real challenge is not losing your appetite before you get to the restaurant.

Once you make it, it is all worth the adventure--Tenderloin-style.

DECOR/AMBIANCE:
Les Ros is modern and contemporary. The plates are geometric and sparkling clean. It is not a huge restaurant but spacious enough.

SERVICE:
The servers are efficient and polite like the kind of local service you will get in Bangkok.

FOOD:

7x7 BIG EATS 2012 #45: DUCK LARB I am no stranger to larb since my Laotian bestfriend introduced me to this dish decades ago. Les Ros Thai's Duck Larb was good. Should you eat it before you die or is it worth dying for--cholesterol and all?

Yes, it was delicious with chopped pieces of flavorful boneless duck skin and meat in citrus-lime dressing. The duck was not gamey. It was tangy and a little overly salty. I even ate grains of MSG, I think. It was mixed in with mint, red onions, whole dried pieces of chili peppers and sprinkled with rice powder.

But NO, I'd rather tempt fate with Peking Duck with super-crispy paper thin skin and moist/juicy duck meat in bun with hoisin sauce and green onions.

My verdict for this 7x7 dish is it is a delicious salad but so was almost every dish that I had at Les Ros. It is worth ordering but it did not send me to foodie heaven.
#17 YUM KOH MOO YANG (Pork Shoulder Salad with Spicy Lime Dressing) $9.95

An appetizing dish of thinly sliced pork on top of basil, side of cabbage and generously drizzled with lime, chili peppers and herbs, this dish reminds me of LECHON (Filipino roasted pig.) It was not melt in your mouth like lechon which is slowly roasted over charcoal for at least 10 hours but the pork was tender and flavorful. There were little pieces of crunchy skin here and there. A good dish for pork lovers!

2 ORDERS OF LUNCH SPECIALS ($7.75 each)
Les Ros Thai's lunch specials are one of the best deals in town if not THE best deal in town! For $7.55 you get a salad, 2 choices of entrees and white or brown rice. The portions are generous and the entrees are very good!

I ordered YELLOW CURRY WITH TOFU and STIRFRIED EGGPLANT W/ BASIL.

The birthday girl, Edelmira, ordered the RED CURRY W/ BEEF and MARINATED BBQ CHICKEN W/ SWEET & SOUR SAUCE.



The curries were of the right consistency which should not be too thick or watered down. The flavors are lovely and complex and "come alive" in the palate. The dishes are on the spicy side, though, which we both loved but a caution to those who have low spicy threshold.

VERDICT:
Thai food that would not disappoint with great service. Les Ros Thai is the place to bring Thai food novice and purists. The dishes are guaranteed delicious and the flavors bold. The portions are generous and reasonably priced. We really enjoyed our lunch.
Les Ros offers over 110 dishes to choose from so I am sure you or your picky friend will find and enjoy something.

ALLIGATORS, FROGS, BOARS, RABBITS, ANYONE?I kid you not! If you find yourself telling yourself, I want me some "alligator at around 11PM, you can find it at Les Ros which stays open until midnight.

Me, I will wait until I go back to New Orleans but for solid Thai food, Les Ros is the place for me here in the the Bay Area.

CHECK: $36 including tip, Thai Iced Tea, app and 2 lunch specials with plenty of leftovers for the birthday girl to enjoy at home.

HAYES VALLEY LOCATION:For those who do not want to go to the TL (I do not blame you), there is a second and more palatable Ler Ros Thai located in the Hayes Valley. Probably safer to go to at night but lunch time at Les Ros on Larkin only requires a dose of courage but not necessarily pepper spray.

Pancho Villa: Healthier Mexican Food

It is either Pupusa-Friday or Mexican Takeout Fridays for me and Enrique.

I can safely say that I have tried quite a few of the Mexican restaurants on 16th and Mission. If the restaurant is at least within walking distance from 16th  Street BART, I betcha I have been there.

Until I discovered Pancho Villa through Groupon. Not only I kept on returning Fridays after Fridays but at this point,  Pancho Villa is theMexican takeout place after my own heart. Here's why:

1. No lard. No MSG.
2. Very efficient food line and genuinely friendly staff.
3. The place is clean. You watch your food being prepared.
4.  Portions are humongous and everything is under $10.
5. It only takes few minutes to order and get your food even when they are packed.
6. Few yards away from BART. No need to stress over horrible parking in the Mission.
7. Plenty of places to sit and enjoy your meal.



The food is grilled and prepared right in front of you by friendly staff



Easy to read menu, extensive selection and efficient food line

Almost every Friday, as soon as I get home, after a quick shower and in my PJ's, Enrique and I devour our Mexican food. And everytime until last night, I forgot to take pictures of the food until after we licked our plates clean and rubbed our tummies.

I honestly had better Mexican food from other places in the Mission (Artery-clogging. Lard-filled. Heavy in the tummy. Delicious!) than Pancho Villa. However, aside from the reasons already mentioned above, Pancho Villa's fares are lighter and fresher tasting.  The portions are huge and we are always stuffed after each meal.

And they have the best award-winning  salsa bar. The salsa bar gained accolades and rewards from all over California.  They have the traditional roasted tomatoes, picco gallo, tomatilloes, whole roasted jalapenos, creamy pepper sauce that becomes my new favorite, etc. The salsa bar is clean, well-maintained and self-served.

Self-serve Salsa Bar

Award-Winning Salsa Bar

So far, I have ordered carne asada, flautas, enchiladas, spicy prawns, fried fish, etc. They also sell desserts like churros and alfajores cookies as well traditional drinks like horchata.  We have enjoyed  everything so far and devoured without complaints.  And last night, I finally remembered to take pictures of Enrique's chile relleno dinner plate and my chile relleno burrito:

Chile Relleno with refried beans and Mexican Rice: Gooey, roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese then fried. Delicious! $8.75

Humongous Chile Relleno Burrito ($7)

Tab: Meal for two is less than $20 including tax, tip and free chips and self-served salsa.

Foodie Girl's Ratings: 5 Highly recommended when on 16th and Mission!

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Bahn Mi Wars: Saigon vs. Wrap Delight

sThere is a war currently going on in the TL (short for Tenderloin for those of you who are not in the know.) Not the kind of war that takes place in the TL after dark. 

I am talking about Banh Mi wars between the Vietnamese Sandwich Queens. These very cheap, filling and portable lunch options can ignite some lively foodie debate on who makes the best Vietnamese sandwiches in the TL. The major contenders are Saigon, Lee and Sing-Sing. At least a handful will chime in "Wrap Delight."

At this point, I can only talk eloquently about Saigon and Wrap Delight. And without further adieu, I cast my vote for Saigon! After devouring countless banh mi's both from Saigon and Wrap Delight,  I crown the two little old ladies at Saigon as the Banh Mi Queens of the TL. (Since I already found "THE banh mi" I am not interested to venture out to try Lee's or Sing-Sing.)

Let's do a comparison:

WRAP DELIGHT

A dark storefront much bigger than Saigon.  It was rumored that the solo sweet old Asian lady who makes the banh mi  was a protege of  Saigon  until she opened her own bahn mi business. She makes your banh mi in about two minutes which you can either eat at one of the folding tables inside the store or take home with you. She also sells shrimp or tofu  fresh rice rolls (pretty good unless you are unfortunate enough to get the day-old ones.) A refrigerator holds colorful Asian drinks and desserts. The counter is also loaded with Asian treats such as shrimp chips, ginger chews, rice cakes in banana leaves, steamed pork buns, etc.

Baguette: Soft and not crusty enough with almost a stale taste to it sometimes.
Picked veggies: Not pickled enough.  The carrots are still too crunchy. More tangy than sweet.
Meat:  I only had tofu bahn mi and fish cake bahn mi at wrap delight. I do not think that the fillings are marinated at WP. They were just warmed up and served straight up without much seasonings and less sauce.




Fish Cake Banh Mi

 Wait time:  Almost no wait.  Most people are lining up at Saigon that if you are crunched for time, go to Wrap Delight for a not as great bahn mi with one, two or nobody ahead of you.
Overall: The banh mi's at Wrap Delight are just okay and lacking in flavors. There are more veggies (shredded carrots and cilantro)  than meat.   Unless you've had great banh mi's such as the ones from Saigon, you will think that WD is not so bad at all. If you hate the sweetness of the marinade at Saigon, then Wrap Delight is your place.
Price: $3.25

FOODIE GIRL'S RATINGS: 3.5 
 Not my favorite banh mi in the TL but my go-to place when I am crunched for time.




SAIGON

You will have to traverse the pee-splashed streets of the Tenderloin, and dodge mentally-ill and high-on- crack folks to get to this tiny "mom and mom" sandwich store.  (The TL street folks are mostly harmless in the day time. The key is to NOT engage unless you have the time, have extra dollars and enjoy conversing with them.) The story is pretty much a very tiny walk-in hallway with one table to eat your meal.  This is a grab and go to the Civic Center Park kind of place. The store is so small that you will find yourself elbow-to-elbow with other foodies eagerly awaiting their banh-mi.  Not for the claustrophobic.  The store is packed with Asian goodies including pork loaf, shrimp chips, candies and cold Asian desserts in the refrigerator.  Two nice old Asian ladies operate the store in almost synchonized manner. One toasts the bread and the other fills them and takes orders.

French Baguette:  Crunchy, perfectly toasted and always fresh. They say the secret to a great banh mi is the bread. I almost agree!
Picked Veggies:  Picked well. Well-balanced sweet and tangy.
Meat:  Choices of beef, jambon, pork and pate or my favorite tofu. Marinated in sweet brown sauce and full of flavors.
Wait time: 20 to 30 minutes.  The line is horrendously almost half a block long sometimes even past lunch time.  The secret is to call in your order, walk up to the counter, have exact change ready and let them know. You will be in and out in less than 5 minutes.
Overall: Vietnamese sandwiches from Saigon for me are a symphony of flavors. The fresh crusty bread, the well-pickled veggies and the marinated meat perfectly compliment each other. The real test is, "Would I brave the pee-splashed streets of the TL just to have a bite of Saigon's Sandwiches?" The answer is a resounding YES!
Price: $3.25



Xui Mai Banh Mi

 SFoodie 92 claims that Xiu Mai Banh Mi from Saigon Sandwich is one of the the favorite things to eat in the Bay Area.  http://www.blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2010/02/sfoodies_92_xiu_mai_banh_mi_fr.php

Fancy Pork Banh Mi

 I was intrigued enough that I had to try the Xiu Mai. The meatballs were smaller than I expected. No crust on the outside and soft on the inside which I thought how proper meatballs should be. They're just tender all the way through and even started falling apart as I bit into them.

Although the meatball sandwich was very good, once again, the fresh bun and picked veggies made the sandwich. The fillings were just  part of the entire banh mi experience.

Bottomline is you can't go wrong with any of Saigon's sandwiches whatever you order. Now that I no longer eat meat, it will be tofu banh mi again for me next time. No regrets!
 



Tofu Banh Mi

  
FOODIE GIRL'S RATING: 5
Most delicious banh mi in this part of SF.
 


Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)