Tuk Tuk - What's GOOD?

[jeffro]

Office Luncheon Spectacular on Monday @ Tuk Tuk on Pico.

What's Good?

Link: http://www.jeffmauro.com

[Mike Z.]

Seafood dumplings, papaya salad, pear salad, pad thai, pad see yoo - actually most things are usually good, ranging to a few great things. That being said, I don't particularly like the drunken noodles, the crab noodles, or the noodles in brown sauce, whose name eludes me. Spring rolls were pedestrian the one time I had them. The curries are generally fresh tasting, as are soups.

It is not so much an "authentic" Thai place as you may find up in Hollywood, but home cooking with a very strong Thai base. Order what sounds good!

-Mike Z.

[Chowpatty]

yeah, noodles are not their strong suit, same as at Rambutan. But second the beef salad and mango and sticky rice.

[Debra]

I liked their duck curry and spicy beef salad the time I went. (I haven't been back due to location, I'm in Hollywood.) We liked the mango sticky rice for dessert.

[eezerik]

Ah, I missed this thread.
There were quite a few threads tauting Tuk Tuk but unfortunately after reading the recommendations on this board, and trying it last night, I cannot give it my full approval. I went at six o clock on Sunday when they were just opening and setting up the candles. The ambience was nice, very dim in a small place no wider than 20 feet and uses mirrors on the right hand side to increase depth perception. There is a bar at the front and the black tables are counterpointed by orange lights. Artifacts adorn the walls and there is an individual tealight on each table. It reminds me of Hurry Curry as far as ambience but a sexier vibe with...RAP MUSIC???!!

Through my hour dinner, only three or four tables were filled (out of 20?). I think there is a reason. Prices are decent, but I can't believe people posted that they "need" to eat at this place everytime they are in LA.
Shared three things: got two orders of noodles: Pad Thai and Gaikan w/hofun noodles and red curry w/ rice.

Instead of white meat they use Dark in their gaikan w/ the pad thai not having enough peanut crunch or fresh green onions. Lay off the sweet/sour..overdone!! The thai iced coffee had too much sugar but it was quite potent nicely offset by the half and half...I would get it again.

The noodles were very mediocre and the curry beef was overcooked and low quality. For the same red curry I liked Emporium Thai's better. More basil, more coconut milk flavor and better beef. But their(ET)'s Pad Thai is nothing to write home about, either. Hrm..in SD/OC/LA, Gaslamp still has the best of the three cities.

[omotosando]

I have lived in the vicinity for a number of years, but had never tried this place.

Based on a few Chowhound recommendations, I decided to give it a try. A mistake. It is cheap, but it is bad. And even if it were good - which it was not - I wouldn't go back because the bench seating is the most uncomfortable I have encountered in a restaurant ever.

I had chicken with mint leaves. Instead of actual honest to goodness pieces of chicken like in every other Thai restaurant that I have ever been to, the dish consisted of two scoops of mushy minced chicken. You couldn't even taste the chicken. Imagine that you take a few scraps of minced chicken and throw it in a wok with lots of oil, some mint and some chili and there you have it. I would say this was close to the worst Thai food I have ever had.