WAT THAI LA 'FOOD COURT' STILL CLOSED!

[sel]

After the confusion in the thread yesterday regarding the current status I drove over yesterday, about mid day, and as expected the booths were empty.

[Joe MacBu]

I read that some of the vendors are back in action.
Could you LA hounds provide some details?

[Servorg]

If you're referring to this http://www.latimes.com/features/food/... it's nothing like the Wat Thai Temple was. Haven't heard anything about the Temple food vendors actually starting up again "at" the Temple itself.

[Joe MacBu]

No, not that.

Recent reviews on Yelp indicate that there are vendors again at the actual temple, albeit at a much smaller scale. The last post was over a month ago, and indicated that while there were only 2 vendors, many more were to follow. I'm wondering whether this has actually happened. Elsewhere, I read that the vendors might only be there on Saturdays.

[HotfudgeSundae]

There were 3 or maybe 4 vendors there Sunday. Look in the downstairs on the south side of the temple (not visible from the street).

[sel]

I read that this is for the worshipers at the wat, not the general public. Anyone know if this is true or not?

[HotfudgeSundae]

My wife went to worship and I went to eat. No problem for me and no problem for the others who were just there to eat. We all were very welcome.

[vinocurious]

On Sunday, March 1, 2009 Wat Thai temple was not serving food.
For several years I lived bi-coastally between Mid-coast Maine and OC. Wat Thai Temple became my favorite place in the world to eat. I enjoyed it for 7 years and introduced many friends to it. It was amazing, delicious and delightful.
I now live in Maine full time and am visiting OC. I spent some time yesterday here on Chowhound and on YELP trying to figure out if Wat Thai had actually re-opened. Reports seemed conflicting. We decided to give it a try and drove there this morning arriving about 11 am. All the food area was empty. There were a few people sitting at some picnic tables eating snacks they had brought.
Darn!

[BearCity]

I hope Wat Thai returns someday. Until then, two of my favorite vendors--the place with the amazing Mango & Sticky Rice, and the place with the great bbq chicken skewers--now operate out of King Seafood, 12811 Sherman Way, Wednesday-Sunday. They have two little booths at the front of the store.

[alkylyou]

yeah that mango sticky rice was brilliant.
i've never had a mango that perfectly ripe before!
thanks for the tip.

[alkylyou]

yeah, the last time i went was the week before the last official week (last summer).
i had heard from several vendors that they were looking for another space somewhere down the street or somewhere in thai town, but i guess that never panned out, which is SUPER disappointing, considering the fact that there's nowhere else to get kanam krok... unless someone knows a place??!?!?!? i would totally appreciate it. i've been considering buying one of those cast iron things so i can make my own, but i know it wouldn't be the same molten coconut goodness that i had at wat thai.

[Mr Taster]

You can get khanom krok at the BKT dessert shop in the Ruen Pair plaza in Thai Town. The problem is, they don't usually make them fresh, and if you show up in the evening (as I often do) they're frequently out of them.

Also, you may want to check LAX-C in the fringes of LA Chinatown. They have vendors there that sell satay and, I believe, fresh khanom krok.

Last one is the Thai food vendor at the Hollywood farmers market on Sunday morning at Selma and Ivar. They make them fresh, and they're delicious. They don't make them with the green onions, though :)

Mr Taster

[Local]

bottom line is they don't appear to have received their conditional use permits, so they are not compliant with City requirements to allow any food beyond that available immediate to the temple members.

[wilafur]

my friends' parents went to wat thai a few weekends ago (3-4wks?) and supposedly it was open.

has anyone been recently?

[sel]

I'll check again on Saturday but as far as I know they only have some food for temple members, no public food court.

[Jolly]

Thanks, I was wondering about that. I hope they reopen.

[ahuacatl]

: (

[Professor Salt]

Thanks for the considerable legwork.

[gachimai]

I too was curious since I've been wanting to go, so I called and the lady I spoke to said they had a few booths. I couldn't understand her well, so if someone that speaks Thai could call to verify. She said something about 3 booths inside, but I had no idea what she meant.

[condiment]

At one time, the food court was in the basement of the temple. I'm hoping that's what she meant.

[Servorg]

Thanks for the "verified" update, Sel. I hate it when newb's do a "post by" and then never return to update or verify their claims.