FAVORITE THAI CUISINE
Jasmine Thai
19707 Rinaldi Street, Porter Ranch, CA 91326
ph: 818.831.2100
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Years Won: 2014 (Favorite)
First-time customers at Jasmine Thai Cuisine usually do a double take at its fabulously elegant interiors. When they ask for a menu, to the customers’ delight, the prices are mostly in the range of $8.50 to $12.95. This comes as a surprise because the beautifully-appointed restaurant has the luxurious ambiance of a much more expensive place.
The secret? According to Erika Koike, who owns the restaurant with her mother Ubolsiri “Nina” Koike and partner Fueng Adisornkul, it’s her mother’s lifelong experience as a cook and restaurateur (she operated two restaurants in Thailand, including one so large it could seat 1,000 guests). “Only my mother can make the Golden Cups, tiny flour cups deep-fried thin and crispy, then filled with ground chicken, onions, corn, and spices. They take a lot of skill,” Koike says. “As for our curry, it’s a perfect example of what my mother is always telling me about Thai cooking: Everything has to be balanced. Spiciness, creaminess, sourness, sweetness, saltiness – it all has to have balance. We achieve that especially well with the yellow curry.”
Everything in Jasmine Thai Cuisine’s decor, from the chairs and artwork to the flatware and plates, was handpicked by Ubolsiri in Thailand and imported to fulfill her vision of a restaurant that serves authentic Thai food in a setting that makes the restaurant a “destination” treat for guests. “Her goal is always to make sure the customer is happy – the service, the food, the whole experience.”
“My mother worked in many different restaurants, learning the ins and outs of restaurant business in the U.S. Armed with this valuable information, and all of her personal experience, we are planning to expand our business and continue to serve authentic Thai food that you would taste if you were to dine in Bangkok,” Koike says.
Come taste some of the specialties the restaurant is celebrated for, such as the exquisitely delicate and delicious Golden Cups appetizers, Chicken Yellow Curry, Fillet mignon with Garlic sauce, and Chilean Seabass with Tamarind sauce or several impressive seafood entrees of a style rarely seen at other Thai restaurants.
Dishes are offered on a sliding scale of spiciness ranging from one (mildest) to five (hottest). But if someone requests it even spicier, the kitchen will oblige. The lunch specials are called “the best in town.” Wine and beer are available, including the popular Thai beers Singha and Chang.
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