Renu Nakorn

Went to Renu Nakorn the other day....had a great meal. Odd thing was I was looking for some descriptions on line (which I used here) and found Lotus of Siam's menu from Vegas...it has the EXACT same wording on the menu as Renu Nakorns....I knew at one time they were connected somehow....

Nuo Sao Renu: Sliced charbroiled beef served on bed of sliced cabbage, topped with our own tamarind sauce and fried dry chili.
*Very good, the tamarind sauce has a creamishy consistency to it and adds some nice kick to the dish.

Koong Teng: Grilled shrimp served on sliced cabbage, and spicy sauce.
*Shrimp was very fresh, butterfiled and dipping it in the spicy sauce was very good.

Sai Oua (Northern Style Sausage): If you like Louisiana style hot sausage you have got to try this one. Stuffed with ground pork, fresh and dried herb and spice, this mild0medium spicy sausage is indeed very tasty.
*This was good too...fairly spicy, you could definitely taste the different herbs in the sausage. I wish I had gotten a dipping sauce or vinegar though...or those chilis...

Pad Thai Noodles. Good rendition of the dish, I really enjoyed it.

Green Papaya Salad. Relatives I went with didn't want this spicy.... :(

Chicken Satay. Very good....curry-ish flavoring on the chicken, went great with the peanut dipping sauce.

Link: http://www.saipinchutima.com/

Renu is my favorite restaurant in southern california. I've taken parties from 2 to 12 there, and I would always say the more people the better.
Some great items others haven't mentioned: the mussel omelette, the red fish curry and the best dish i'v ever been served: green chili curry dip. This thing is served with fresh pork skins and cold cabbage and the dip is chunky. It is superhot and full of millions of flavors. The heat is not burning, it is lingering and tingling.
I had a discussion about this place last night actually, and I will definitely be stopping in within 72 hours...
Always get the sticky rice too, served in personal baskets for each person.
And all the charbroiled beef dishes are great (though I'm just not a fine of the rice powder addition so I usually avoid that)

[carlheinz]

I have never been more impressed with the taste of ANY food as I have been with Renu.
Delicious jewels for your taste buds.

[jblee]

The best Thai in southern Cal IMHO.
I'd like to mention one of my favorites, Drunken Noodle w/seafood.
Great!

The owners of Lotus of Siam used to own Renu Nakorn until they moved out to Vegas sometime in the late 1990s. I think some of the current cooking staff were trained by them, so it's not a surprise that some of the food may taste the same.

I hope to try out Renu Nakorn sometime soon, and will definitely try Lotus of Siam during my next Vegas trip. I'm no expert on Thai food, and have only begun to explore the lesser-known dishes on the menu.

Ooops...

Renu Nakorn Restaurant
Address:
13041 Rosecrans Ave, Norwalk, CA 90650
Phone: [phone]

Image: http://photos31.flickr.com/37726812_a...

Hey Xericx! Thanks for the report! I've been meaning to go to Renu for the longest time, but somehow I always get sidetracked...it's good to know that the same food at Lotus of Siam is available here in good ol' Norwalk.

The Koong Tenn looks almost the same as the one I had a LoS.

Link: http://elmomonster.blogspot.com/2005/...

They had some raw dishes I wanted to try too.....too bad the rest of the party wasn't as advernterous......

KOONG CHAR NUM PLAR: Prawns marinated in seasoned fish sauce, served raw with spicy fish sauce, fresh garlic and roasted chili paste.

and

KOI SOY (Steak Tartare - Issan Style): Minced beef with fresh herb, fresh and dry chili rice powder, seasoned sauce, lime juice, served raw.

anyone try this?

Havent tried it--YET. You're description of me made me want to run out of the office and head over there. I am definately going to check this out in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for reporting.

I've had the prawns, thought they were wonderful: fresh, plump and juicy. Too spicy for my Japanese sister-in-law, though, if that's an issue with your co-eaters.

I've had both of these dishes at LOS. They aren't always available if Bill isn't happy with the raw ingredients -- I don't know if the Renu folks are similarly inclined.

Does Renu offer the entire Northern menu?

I believe they do have the entire Northern Menu (at least what was on that website in the initial post) with the same wording on the menu as well! About 10-14 items...I'm going to go back one of these days and try some different items....the raw items sound interesting.

Try the beef jerky appetizer, too. Best I've had outside of Thailand.

This summer, Bill said that they are going to update the menu at LOS in the not-too-distant future. I wonder if Renu Nakorn will follow suit.

I've been to both Renu Nakorn and LOS and Renu Nakorn is no LOS. I wish it were because it's so much closer. Maybe I had an off day at Renu Nakorn. I've only been there once with LA Chowhounds but am disinclined to make the effort to go again. I've been to LOS numerous times and most dishes are far superior to Renu Nakorn. I've had a few misses at LOS, but for the most part it really is superb.