Jitlada Menu & Prices 2026: Southern Thai in Los Angeles

Kua kling is a dry Southern Thai curry -- meat (typically beef, pork, or chicken) cooked down with turmeric, dried chilies, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and shrimp paste until nearly all the liquid is gone. The result is intensely aromatic, deeply spiced, and searing hot. At Jitlada, kua kling appears in multiple forms: as a standalone dish, as a roll filling, and as the inspiration behind the pork rib version (Kua Kling Sikrong Moo, $15.95). Food critics including Jonathan Gold have cited it as one of the best dishes in Los Angeles. Price is around $15.95 for the standard preparation.

Jitlada spans a wide price range for a full-service restaurant. The cheapest item is white rice at $1.00; a fountain soda is also $1.00. Most appetizers run $9.95-$19.95. Main courses, curries and stir-fries typically cost $11.95-$22.95. Seafood specialties go higher: tiger prawn dishes run $27-$29.95, halibut and seabass steaks are $39-$45.95, and the Seafood Platter reaches $119.95. For most diners ordering curry + rice + a drink, expect to spend roughly $25-$45 per person before tax and tip. Prices are from the March 2026 menu update.

No. Jitlada is walk-ins only -- no reservations. The restaurant is located in a Sunset Boulevard strip mall at 5233 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027, in the heart of LA's Thai Town neighborhood. Arrive early or expect a wait, especially on weekends and for dinner service. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, roughly 11 AM-3 PM (lunch) and 4:30 PM-10 PM (dinner). Closed Mondays.

Jitlada holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation -- not a full Michelin star, but the Michelin Guide's recognition for restaurants delivering exceptional quality at a moderate price. Jitlada has received the Bib Gourmand in multiple consecutive years (including 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025). Owner and chef Jazz Singsanong was also a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: California in both 2022 and 2023.

Most Thai food served in the U.S. is Central Thai -- the cuisine of Bangkok, featuring milder curries and familiar dishes like pad thai and green curry. Southern Thai cuisine (from the peninsula stretching toward Malaysia) is a distinct regional tradition characterized by: much higher heat levels (more fresh and dried chilies); heavy use of turmeric; fermented and dried seafood (including shrimp paste, dried fish, fermented fish stomach -- tai plaa); stink beans (sator); and dry curries like kua kling. The flavor profile is bolder, more pungent, and more complex than Central Thai. Jitlada specializes in food from Nakhon Si Thammarat province, where chef Jazz Singsanong grew up.

Based on critic reviews, Yelp volume, and media coverage, Jitlada's most-ordered and most-celebrated dishes include: the Crispy Catfish Salad ($14.95) -- fried catfish with green papaya, a refreshing contrast to the heavy curries; Taepo Chicken Curry ($14.55) -- coconut milk curry with morning glory stems and warm spices; Coco Tai Plaa ($18.95) -- fermented fish stomach curry, deeply authentic and not for the timid; Tom Kha ($11.95) -- Jitlada's version of the classic coconut soup is richer than most; Mango Sticky Rice ($6.00) for dessert; and the Thai Iced Tea ($4.00). The restaurant also has a legendary off-menu Jazz Burger that the owner serves only when she feels like making one.

Jitlada is genuinely, famously spicy -- the menu description 'the majority of their 400-item menu packs a fiery vengeance' is not a marketing exaggeration. Southern Thai cuisine uses chilies more liberally than Central Thai, and Jitlada does not significantly tone down heat for American palates. Reviewers frequently note that even dishes ordered at 'medium' spice can be intense. That said, many dishes are available at lower heat levels on request. Milder options include Massaman Curry ($12.95), Panang Curry ($12.95), Tom Kha ($11.95), Pineapple Fried Rice ($15.95), and most desserts and beverages. First-time visitors who are heat-sensitive should communicate clearly with their server.

Sarintip 'Jazz' Singsanong is the chef and owner of Jitlada. She and her brother Suthiporn 'Tui' Sungkamee acquired Jitlada in 2007; both were raised in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Southern Thailand. Tui passed away in 2017 at age 67, and Jazz has run the restaurant solo since. She is known for her encyclopedic knowledge of Southern Thai cuisine, her personal relationships with celebrity regulars (the restaurant's walls feature artwork by Simpsons creator Matt Groening, a noted fan), and her James Beard Award semifinalist nominations in 2022 and 2023. She has appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives multiple times.

Yes, though Southern Thai cuisine is not a particularly vegetarian-friendly tradition -- most dishes use fish sauce, shrimp paste, or seafood. Clearly vegetarian items include the full Jitlada Vegetables section ($12.95-$14.95), Vegetable Fried Rice ($13.95), White Rice ($1.00), and all desserts. Many curries and stir-fries can be made with tofu instead of meat -- the Tom Kha ($11.95) is explicitly offered with veggies or tofu. True vegans should ask specifically about fish sauce and shrimp paste, as these appear in most savory preparations. The restaurant is accommodating to dietary requests -- communicate clearly when ordering.