The Gold Standard: Jitlada

Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and LA Weekly columnist Jonathan Gold discovers, Jitlada, the spiciest Thai restaurant this year. Jitlada has been around for ages and was known as the first "nice" Thai restaurant in Hollywood. A year ago, it was bought by a Southern Thailand family, now the menu reflects this type of cuisine. Southern Thai cooking is the hottest (spiciest) cooking in all of Thailand. Curry is made with incredibly hot chiles. If you aren't afraid of spice, make sure to ask for it "Thai style." The curries are "dry" meaning not quite as soupy as regular Thai curries. A cool dish comes along with the curry that is iced cucumbers and cabbage. Wild tea leaf curry, tastes like spinach times ten and has bits of catfish and coconut too. They do a great Southern Thai rice salad -- fried rice with coconut, vegetables - sweet and mild. Don't miss the mussels steamed in a hot broth with lemon grass. Very spicy. Made with plump, fresh New Zealand green mussels.

Music break: Tickle It by Mocean Worker