thai restaurants serving raw blue crab

[1newyorkguy]

I wouldn't dare eat it..have you? How was it?

[ipsedixit]

Just about every other Thai place in town has a raw blue salad or dish on the menu, including the aforementioned by the above posters.

Also, many Korean joints also serve raw blue crab, including Ondal 2, So Kong Dong, Soot Bul Gui Rim 2, etc.

[taiwanesesmalleats]

Red Corner Asia serves a fresh Papaya Salad with Raw Blue Crab. I tried it with my friends and it wasn't bad. Definitely want to eat it as soon as it comes out, otherwise it starts to taste old and not very fresh...

[tooth]

Raw blue crab is also found in Korean food and is one of my favorite things to eat. It is a little difficult to eat but when prepared well it is a textural and flavorful delight. The marination is what "cooks"the crab, similar to ceviche. If you are squeamish or don't like to get "involved" with your food then this is not for you. If you would like to try the Thai version I really enjoyed the version at Nad Pob Thai in Silverake on Sunset and Fountain.

[buttermarblepopcorn]

Funny you mention this; I had a salad of some kind at Soho Thai Fusion Bar & Grill (on PCH in Lomita) last December, and it included raw blue crab -- which was totally spoiled. I couldn't tell until I started nibbling on a small piece and got the most horrendous, disgusting, putrid taste. Of course I stopped immediately, and we told the waitress, and that was that. We didn't expect anything, but she didn't even give us any response or reaction.

So after that, I will certainly never order anything with raw blue crab again. And like other people said before, it's a pain to eat, too, even if it's not spoiled.

[troublemaker]

Ruen Pair and Jitlada both serve versions of it. I believe Jitlada has 2 types of dishes involving raw blue crab and prefer it over there.

I enjoy the dish but there's a high-level of difficulty involved eating this dish, especially if you've never had a raw crab preparation like it before. The pieces are small and the shell is still fairly hard, so you have to kind of do a chew + sucking technique on the crab to get what small bits of meat is there.

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Jitlada
5233 1/2 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Ruen Pair Restaurant
5257 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

[Bjartmarr]

I tried the som tam with blue crab at Ruen Pair. Easily the sweetest crab I've ever eaten.

[Das Ubergeek]

Krua does it in som tum (papaya salad). It lends a fresh-sea taste that I love. And I've never once had a problem eating it.

[sel]

I've had it at Krua Thai and Wat Thai L.A. many times. Almost as good as the recipe that I make at home! Pays to watch the women who make the best versions at the wat!

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Wat Thai of Los Angeles
8225 Coldwater Canyon Ave, Los Angeles, CA 91605

Krua Thai Restaurant
13130 Sherman Way, North Hollywood, CA 91605

Krua Thai Cuisine
935 S Glendora Ave, West Covina, CA 91790

[Das Ubergeek]

The Wat no longer does the food booths... It's been two years or so.

[sel]

Not exactly DU. While it's true that Wat Thai L.A. does not have the weekly food extravaganza, they do have an even larger event for Songkran, annually in mid-April, an event I regrete missing once in '08 but had a grate time at this year as well as in years past!

[Das Ubergeek]

Right, but unless you happen to be around for Songkran...

[Steve]

I am not from Los Angeles, but I have eaten this off of a Thai-only menu in Arlington,VA.

Why wouldn't you dare? Wouldn't it be the same as sushi? They certainly make sushi with raw crab, depending on what you order. Please somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

I wouldn't order this dish again. It is expensive, and the crab doesn't really have any flavor. it is served with the crab broken into pieces but still in the shell. This makes eating the crab as much sport as it is food, which I don't mind if there's a significant payoff. The waitress told me the trick to eating it is to make sure you get enough sauce/herbs/etc into every bite, not just eat the crab 'separate' from the rest of the salad. Still, I was unimpressed and would skip that in favor of any number of salads. From the same menu the restaurant I went to offered fish maw which has a ridiculously wonderful texture when fried.

Our waitress recommended against ordering the dish because she did not like it very much. Now I see why.