ก๋วยเตี๋ยวคุณรัตน์ Ras Noodle

🇹🇭 THAILAND / FREE FRIDAY FAVORITES: Located near the Valley's Thai Temple, this small noodle purveyor is just as classy as it was when it opened ten years ago.

🇹🇭 THAILAND
📍 8205 Woodman Avenue,
Panorama City, San Fernando Valley
🅿️ Small plaza parking lot
🥤 No Alcohol

📸 All photos by Jared Cohee
for Eat the World Los Angeles

FREE FRIDAY FAVORITES is a series of articles that revisit choice restaurants featured on eattheworldla.com over the years. These will never be behind the paywall, but will update information as necessary and always be about meals that are worth returning for again.
📆 Original Article 20 March 2021

There is something like an outward spiral emanating from Wat Thai of Los Angeles on Coldwater Canyon Avenue. While the weekend market at LA's largest Thai temple continues to draw customers hungry after worship, an array of Valley restaurants and online vendors starting in the Panorama City and North Hollywood area make for quite a few delicious options.

One favorite of Valley-dwelling Thais but relatively unknown in wider Los Angeles food media is the ten year old Ras Noodle, which does not focus on any region in Thailand but presents some of the most delicious noodles in the city.

Their version of ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ / boat noodles ($12.50 large, above) is just about perfect. There are good cuts of pork, beef balls, liver, and tripe, and the broth is deep and dark from blood, soy sauce, and spices.

Like any good Thai noodle shop, you can come and order small bowls of each noodle offering, a way to test a lot more offerings in one sitting. Do not be afraid to order a bunch of items for eating at home over the next few days if you are coming for a takeout order, as they pack everything separately so the noodles are fine later.

Ras actually sounds more like "rad" or "rat" in Thai and is the nickname for Rattana, the common name of the proprietor. Since they get mostly Thai customers, their conversations and expectations concerning spice levels are quick and confident. These orders were made in Thai, requested for medium, and all still came packing plenty of good heat.

The ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำ / tom yum noodles ($12 large, above) are also a winner, with notes hitting every sector of your tongue on each bite. Missing of course from in-person meals is the table condiment caddy with different types of chilies, spicy sour vinegar, and sugar to add to your noodles as desired, but they pack little portions of each with every order!

Last but not least is their excellent เย็นตาโฟ / yen ta fo ($14, above), made its distinct pink by a specific bean curd paste. Try this with thin vermicelli noodles, which will have squid, fish balls, shrimp, tofu, and white mushrooms all piled on top.

While noodles dishes are the focus, other plates excel as well, like the ข้าวหน้าเป็ด / roasted duck (below), served alongside rice. Thin cuts of the delectable duck will force you to pop in one after another until the dish disappears.

Another wonderful non-noodle option is ข้าวกะเพราหมูกรอบ / basil with crispy pork over rice (below), even if the pork cubes lose their crispiness for takeout. Do be aware that those are not bell peppers accompanying the basil and string beans, that is pure fire.

Pure fire is also a good way to describe Ras Noodle, despite seeming so humble and unassuming in a quiet strip mall. Highly recommended!

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