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When my girlfriend first mentioned Palms Thai Restaurant, she told me that there was an Elvis crooning out tunes during her previous meal. Now usually I can’t take any restaurant with an Elvis impersonator seriously. However, for her recent birthday, I was obligated to try the restaurant and I must admit that I was glad to have gone.

The first sign I got that it was going to be a good dining experience was the fact that even though we were an hour late for our reservation, we still had to wait for our table. This was because the sheer amount of business forced the staff to delay sitting us. But of course, if we had arrived on time, I’m sure that would have soured our meal, so one should take this into account when deciding whether to go here.

What first struck me about the restaurant had to be the long rows of tables arrayed on the floor. Rather than provide separate tables for each party, there are merely rows of tables and people are seated based on the space that opens up. It made for a very intimate meal. You can sit right next to someone you don’t know and not feel intrusive. In fact, I found myself taking overt looks at what others had ordered.

When first glancing at the menu, I was amazed by how much they had to offer. They had the typical Thai dishes such as Pad Thai, Pad See Yow, etc. But what caught my attention was the offerings of boar, frog, and quail. I’m always partial to the more exotic dishes and so I ordered the Wild Boar with Curry Sauce and specified medium spice. I also had an order of Angel Wings, which are basically chicken wings stuffed with vegetables then subsequently deep-fried.

The party ordered a set of appetizers, which were pretty generic, i.e. fried wontons, springs rolls, etc. When my dishes came out, however, I was immediately impressed. First, each dish came out lightning quick so I was a little hesistant at first about how well the food would taste. But each dish exceeded my expectations. In my boar curry, the taste of basil, peppercorn, and coconut milk were each distinct and yet served to complement each other very well. The angel wings were perfectly fried. They weren’t too crunchy and the chicken meat was full of juice and the vegetables were piping hot. Too often I find that angel wings tend to be overcooked and the insides get dried up and stale.

But of course, the reason one should come to Palms Thai (besides the food) is the live singing that occurs. There is a hulking statue of Elvis right next to the stage that creates a somewhat comic atmosphere when the impersonator comes out. Thankfully, the music isn’t so loud as to overpower any table-side conversation. There’s something about Elvis singing as well as the general atmosphere of the restaurant that makes it a very unique dining experience in Los Angeles.

Palms offers beer and wine at the very reasonable price of around $3. There is a giant valet parking lot right behind the restaurant for $2.50 and it may be best to pay the fee since parking in that area will be difficult. The service, though a little hectic, is efficient and you can’t really beat the speed at which your meal is prepared as well as the price of each dish. Amazingly, it’s open until 2am so it would be the perfect place to end your night. So, if you’re in the mood for a unique atmosphere coupled with good food, definitely give Palms a try.

Palms Thai Restaurant
5900 Hollywood Blvd.
Suite B
Los Angeles, CA 90028
11am - 2am

By Jeff (see more of his posts).