On our last road trip to Los Angeles, our friends took us to Sapp Coffee Shop, which is supposed to have the best Thai boat noodles in Los Angeles, even earning a visit from Anthony Bourdain.
The small, no-frills shop, has a handful of tables, with a long menu of dishes ranging between $5-7.
Jade Noodles
We started with an order of the jade noodles, which is almost as famous as the boat noodles. I loved the colors of the dish, from the green noodles to the bright red pieces of bbq pork. I was a little dubious when I saw chunks of melted granulated sugar on top, but it actually worked. T dish really hit on all the taste profiles: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, but in a very balanced way.
Boat Noodles
I had boat noodles once in San Diego, but they tasted nothing like this. This was a hearty bowl and not one for the unadventurous. The noodle soup has broth thickened with blood, bits of offal, beef balls and beef slices. It’s topped with some fried pork rinds. It’s spicy, with strong vinegary notes. I enjoyed it, though my favorite was the jade noodles.
Crispy Pork over Rice
We finished with a rice dish consisted of crispy pork, stir fried Chinese broccoli and topped with a fried egg.
Overall, we had a great meal here. The staff was friendly, the prices very reasonable. I wish we had something like this in San Diego.
Sapp Coffee House
5183 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Haha, I totally, totally thought this would be a coffee post. Silly me. I would eat here, too. Looks like a nice little hole in the wall shop. Those jade noodles look really tasty!
yeah I would have never known if my friends didn’t take me here. i love hole-in-the-wall finds!
I would totally try those Jade Noodles! If the sign didn’t have Thai writing, you wouldn’t know this place serves Thai food. Something new to try the next time we are up in LA.
I thought of you! I think you’ll like this place. I didn’t know about it but I’m really glad my friends took me