Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles

Mae Malai was absolutely fantastic. Medium spice means it's got enough of a kick but not too much. The textures and flavors were all fantastic and every bite was a delight! The pork belly was tender yet crispy and the noodles are well done. The portions are a bit small so I recommend getting the food in rounds so you can enjoy the flavors but then can make sure you don't get too much or too little. I would recommend 1.5-2 bowls per person overall if you're hungry. I think for a quick and tasty lunch 1 bowl would be great.

Their boat noodles are so flavorful and rich. A small bowl is under $9. Lots of easy free parking in this shopping complex and love that Daiso is right across and up. The service was attentive. Location is decent - bright lights make it not a good date place.

Really flavorful! We had the khao soi (off the specialty menu which was posted on the walls), original boat noodle soup, spicy wontons, and a shrimp fried rice and everything was delicious and service was friendly. The restaurant was clean and parking is free which is always a plus!I did order an original boat noodle to go which ended up being $5 more than the listed price on the menu. The person taking our orders did disclose it when I did order it (though it wasn't listed anywhere on the menu). I went ahead and ordered it and asked out of curiosity if it was bigger than the dine-in portion and she said it was a little bit bigger but also the to-go charge. It did look a tiny bit bigger but not by much, so I do think $5 is a bit excessive if they're factoring in the cost of the containers? Unsure if it's $5 for all take out orders. I would just dine in if possible.

Thai Town is still king for the best Thai food and while it is 4 stars in my book, it was pretty dang good. The shop is located in a shopping plaza so parking is pretty easy inside the lot. The restaurant is pretty small with 10 or so tables including a few seats at the bar. Waiting list at the entrance but also if the bar is open, you can grab a seat there. The noodles are small so you can order more than one and share. My friend and I each got the Boat Noodle with Beef and we shared a Chili Holy Basil over rice with chicken. The noodles were good. Felt like the noodles were a bit overcooked and the soup base needed a bit more sourness. Also wished there was more soup but solid. The rice dish was better imo. Had more of a kick with the basil. Getting medium spicy is good enough. Any more and you are warned. Overall solid spot and perfect for a cold night.

*** Michelin Bib Gourmand ***** Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants (2024): #57 **You typically can't go wrong with a restaurant featured in both the Michelin Guide and LA Times 101 Best Restaurants list. Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles was no exception. Came here tonight for dinner for my first time and was impressed by both the quality and taste. While not my favorite Thai restaurant in Los Angeles, this place definitely lived up to the enormous hype.To eat, the two of us split one order of the Original Thai Boat Noodle ($8.49), one order of the Dry Thai Boat Noodle ($8.49), and one order of the Chili Holy Basil Over Rice ($13.95). We ordered all of our dishes mild and with beef. For the Original Boat Noodle, we ordered Big Flat Noodle, and for the Dry Boat Noodle, we ordered Thin Rice Noodle.The Boat Noodle dishes, though relatively small, were definitely the highlight of our meal. The noodles, meat, and overall flavor were all top notch. That said, we probably would pass on ordering the Chili Holy Basil Over Rice again. Although we ordered it mild, it came quite spicy. Also, we weren't huge fans of the rice. If looking for a high quality Thai restaurant in Thai Town, Mae Malai is an excellent option.

I love boat noodles, but it's not a common dish to find. So when I saw a write up on it, I knew I had to give it a try. We went here for dinner after spending our day at Universal Studios.This place is located in a mini-mall, so there were no issues with finding parking. As we walked up, I noticed the Michelin Bib Gourmand signage, which was a promising. As we entered, I immediately thought this was a small place. Small enough that there were only two servers to service the entire place. Fortunately, it wasn't busy yet, so we got a seat immediately. We ended up trying the following:- Pork Jerky: Very good. I'm not sure the word "jerky" is the best description, because it implies something dried out, which it isn't. Great flavour.- Original Thai Boat Noodle: Very good. I don't have much to compare it to as I've only had Boat Noodle from one other place, but I loved it just as much. Incredible flavours. Rather small serving though, but OK given the low cost. I could easily order a 2nd bowl to eat.- Pad Thai: Very good. Authentic. Fresh and properly made. - Clear Noodle Soup: Good. Not as good as the other dishes, but still good.Service is quick, efficient and friendly enough. Overall, I was really happy with the meal. Great, authentic, no-fuss food at reasonable prices. I would happily return for more.

What We Ordered- Thai Boat Noodles Soup (Spicy)- Tom Yum Noodle Dry (Medium)- Tom Yum Noodle Soup (Medium)- Pork Jerky- Mango Sticky RiceFood was SUPER spicy I need to go back and try it in mild. Nose was running but it tasted so good!!! It kept you wanting more. Line is extremely long so try not to go during peak hours. We opted to sit at the bar and didn't have to wait long! The rice was dry/hard for the mango sticky rice. Will definitely come back to try other items!

Pros-parking-Tom yum noodle soup is solid-traditional pad thai is pretty good and not overly sweet Cons-service is averageRating 6.5/10

Everything was so delicious, especially the pork jerky! As a Thai person I approve of the authenticity of the foods here.

We went shopping at Ross at this Hollywood location and noticed this Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles and decided to give it a try. We decided to order their "authentic & famous"Original Beef Thai Boat Noodle Soup since we never encountered this particular soup before. You have a choice of noodles & the degree of spiciness. My husband and I choose the thin rice noodles & decided on "mild" like we always do when given a choice. When the lady brought our order, I was surprised at how small it was, & then I noticed, you could hardly see any broth, so I remarked: "Where's the soup?" And the lady said, that's how they cook & serve it. Then I took my first taste & it burned my mouth! I called the lady & told her, I always order "mild" and It's usually not spicy, BUT I can't handle this "mild!" My mouth continued to burn! Luckily, my husband loved the soup and the level of spiciness & told the lady to just give me a non- spicy bowl & he'll get mine. Chicken Pad Zeew was our other order and it was very tasty but it looked like they only put 1 stalk with 1 leaf of Chinese Broccoli with the stem sliced in small pieces. Like I remarked to the lady server: they could put at least a couple of stalks and not skimp on the vegetable. I know Chinese Broccoli is not that expensive! Then that dish would have been almost perfect! Service was satisfactory and my husband plans to go back. I just have to remember to specify: NOT SPICY AT ALL!