Nestled in East Hollywood, the cozy Northern Thai Food Club serves crave-worthy, spice-packed dishes like khao soi and sai oua that keep diners coming back.
"This comically small East Hollywood spot (there are five tiny tables at most) is home to some of the most herbaceous, sinus-clearing food you'll ever have from a steam table—and despite the name, you don't even have to pay for a membership. Sure, you might have to eat your food pressed up against a window next to a stack of newspapers, but that’s just part of the fun at this Northern Thai gem. The sweet, vibrantly orange khao soi is among our favorites in LA, the chile dips with pork rinds and sticky rice are must-gets, and the spicy jackfruit salad actually makes eating a salad at lunch not feel sad. That said, no meal here is complete without at least one order of the sai oua, a spicy pork sausage that’ll stay on your mind—and lips—for the rest of the day." - brant cox, arden shore, garrett snyder, sylvio martins
"No essential Thai food list in Los Angeles could exclude critical darling Amphai Northern Thai Food Club. That crumbly sai oua (pork sausage) is hugely fragrant thanks to the addition of lemongrass, galangal, and a chiffonade of makrut lime leaf, and the khao soi is as good as one can find in the city. For those really looking to lean into the culinary world of Chiang Rai, where chef and owner Amphai Dunne is from, order the Northern-style larb moo kua, a funkier (but milder) version of larb that features minced pork skin and liver." - Kat Thompson
"Dish: Khao Soi There are a handful of LA restaurants with incredible khao soi (Spicy BBQ, Pailin, and Sri Siam, just to name a few), but for us, Northern Thai Food Club takes the top spot. This tiny spot in Thai Town only opened in 2019, but has already catapulted itself to the upper reaches of LA’s Thai restaurants–and the khao soi is a huge reason why (another is the sai oua). Rich, creamy coconut milk broth with a giant chicken leg that’s so perfectly cooked the meat falls off with one brush of your fork–assuming you aren’t already gnawing at it with your mouth, that is." - brant cox, kat hong, nikko duren, sylvio martins
"We love the creamy, sweet broth at NTFC, but what makes this tiny Thai Town shop’s khao soi one of our favorites is how they prepare the chicken. The massive drumstick sitting in the middle of the bowl is perfectly-seasoned and absorbs the rich broth around it, so you barely even have to touch the leg for the meat to fall off the bone. If the drumstick was its own entree, we’d rank it among the best chicken dishes in town." - brant cox, nikko duren
"When the tiny 12-seat Amphai Northern Thai Food Club first opened in 2019 in a plaza shared with several other Thai restaurants, it quickly stood out as a refreshing new addition to the neighborhood. Chef-owner “Nancy” Amphai Dunne whips up one of the best khao soi noodles in the city with chicken that practically melts off the bone, and a plethora of specialties like her gaeng hang lae (pork belly curry stewed in a Thai-Burmese curry and tamarind paste) and nam prik ong (fermented ground pork in spicy chile peppers and tomato sauce). A perk for spice lovers is that this restaurant doesn’t shy away from adding heat to its dishes." - Rebecca Roland, Eater Staff
