30 Years of Terrific Thai in LA - Ruen Pair Restaurant Review

Ruen Pair opened in 1996 and quickly became an LA institution. Thai restaurants are ubiquitous across Los Angeles, especially in Thai Town, off Hollywood Boulevard, but very few have celebrated a 30th anniversary, as Ruen Pair did this year. It’s a family-run establishment, well into the second generation of ownership. In 2020, the original owners of the family restaurant, Pensri and Somchai Jansaeng, gave the reins son Champ, who now runs it full time with his wife Chanita. The combination of Isan (northeastern) and Teochew (central) influenced Thai cuisines is Ruen Pair’s greatest strength. Isan’s cuisine focuses on sour and heat, exemplified in Ruen Pair’s Papaya Salad with Raw Crab, with sticky rice and fermented fish rounding out this region’s staples. Teochew's heavy Chinese influence brings a salty-sweet depth with dark soy, preserved vegetables, and “the breath of the wok” with signatures like the Salted Turnip Fried Egg or the Stewed Pork Leg. In 2023, Ruen Pair opened Kanomwaan Thai Gelato and Dessert Cafe right next door in their slow but steady expansion through the strip mall at Harvard and Hollywood. The menu features gelatos, milk teas, and shaved ice with unique and delicious Thai-inspired flavor combinations. If you do go to Ruen Pair, we recommend not skipping dessert. ruenpairthai.com @ruenpairla 0:00 – Intro 4:37 – Menu Breakdown 6:39 – Thai Iced Tea 8:42 – Ruen Pair Beer 10:54 – Papaya Salad with Raw Crab 13:07 – Thai Style BBQ Pork 16:07 – Fried Egg & Salty Turnip 20:00 – Stir Fried Crispy Catfish 22:19 – Tom Kha Gai 24:20 – Sauteed Morning Glory 26:55 – Stewed Pork Leg Over Rice 31:01 – Kanomwaan Thai Gelato & Dessert Cafe 38:25– Ambiance 40:20 – Service 45:58 – Verdict https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-ice-cream-los-angeles 🎧 Listen to the Podcast: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZUVt7hAf8JvrA4NvHRd7Z Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aftertaste-la/id1840083535 Amazon → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b94749de-3c4c-40a2-b549-f80ac2725a58/aftertaste-la RSS Feed → https://feeds.captivate.fm/aftertaste-la/ 📱 Connect with us here: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/aftertastela Threads → https://www.threads.com/@aftertastela TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@aftertastela 🍴 About Aftertaste LA: Join Chef Vlad and Nicole on their journey through the Los Angeles dining scene. Each episode focuses on a different restaurant, analyzing strengths and weaknesses from service to flavor, to creativity, and everything else Nicole and Chef Vlad are the friends you trust to give a thorough review of the many restaurants of the diverse and vast Los Angeles dining landscape. They’ll break down the hits, the misses, and the avoid-at-all-costs so you can target your experiences to what fits you best. Whether you’re a local, just visiting, or dreaming of an LA vacation, they’re your source for tasty information about the restaurant experiences that make Los Angeles special. ⭐ Our Rating System (1–4 Tastebuds): 1️⃣ Tastebud = Skip it 2️⃣ Tastebuds = If you’re in the neighborhood 3️⃣ Tastebuds = Worth a trek 4️⃣ Tastebuds = Can’t miss #ThaiTown #ThaiFood #LAFood