Ruen Pair

"This long-running Thai Town haunt no longer stays open until 4am (they close at 11pm), but we still highly recommend coming here during non-witching hours when you’ve got one friend in the mood for drunken noodles, and another in the mood for a salted turnip omelet. Ruen Pair's menu spans from takeout classics to more obscure Thai-Chinese dishes and there's rarely a miss among them. The smell of wok-sizzled herbs and spices hits you as soon as you step inside—always a good sign—so it's not surprising our favorite dishes here tend to be stir-fried and/or deep-fried. Get the sauteed morning glory stems, the crispy catfish with basil, and an order of their sweet-spicy fried egg salad." - brant cox, arden shore, garrett snyder, sylvio martins

"Ruen Pair has been a stalwart in Thai Town for more than a quarter century for good reason. It’s long been a delightful late-night hangout, with dishes inspired by the central and northeast regions of Thailand. Some standouts include the papaya salad with raw crab, shrimp dressed in spicy Thai seafood sauce, and fried egg with salted turnip, all best paired with a glass of frosty beer. The stewed pork leg over rice is another menu highlight for those in the know." - Kat Thompson

"No matter where you fall on the Thai-expertise spectrum (is there a Buzzfeed quiz for this yet?), with its menu of over 115 items, there’s something for everyone at Ruen Pair. Due to their late hours (they’re open until 11pm during COVID), they’re one of the most essential restaurants in East Hollywood, and while we’ll happily eat their pad thai and papaya salad any day of the “week,” it’s their salty egg and turnip omelette that’s saved us from countless hangovers over the years. Plus everything here costs around $13 - very fiscally responsible. Available for takeout, call (323) 466-0153 to order." - kat hong

"With long tables and open seating, Ruen Pair serves solid and reasonably priced Thai Chinese fare in the heart of Thai Town. The big valet lot helps folks find parking, while the easy-going menu of wok-fried dishes should cater to a varied group. Just be sure to be patient during peak hours and bring cash." - Mona Holmes, Eater Staff

"With a neighborhood that has as many great bars as East Hollywood does, you’d expect there’d be some good late-night spots, too. But you wouldn’t expect them to be as good as Ruen Pair, the Thai joint on Hollywood that’s open until 3am on weekends. They serve killer turnip and salty egg omelets, papaya salad with black crab, and great pork larb. They’ve also got some great pan-fried noodles (our favorite is the pad kee mao), for when you’re heading out of Jumbo’s and need something to soak up the vodka sodas you just drank." - brant cox, nikko duren