Update Reviews, May 2020 (Takeout)
If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you may know how often I lament the options for good Thai food in San Francisco. I was beyond spoiled by my time living in Sydney, and, well, nothing here compares. At some level, it just simply *can't*, as we don't have access to the same locally grown ingredients, and the competition is far greater given the Thai population there. But it has resulted in me always being sad when I get Thai food in San Francisco, although, I do just keep trying.
But I finally found a fantastic place. Ok, actually, I found it a few months ago, but I had only ordered an appetizer and dessert (for delivery), for a very specific purpose: fulfilling both a taro craving (the app) and durian (dessert), and, although I really was impressed with those dishes, they weren't exactly normal Thai cuisine, and I didn't realize just how good Lapats really is.
Thai cuisine has some really critical elements that you have to get right for it to be truly, truly good. And Lapats nailed all the essential elements of *great* Thai cuisine. I once heard someone describe it as "all bites of Thai food should be exciting!" I didn't understand it quite at that time, but, I do now. It is exactly that balance of spice level, sour notes, acidity, sweetness, freshness, textures, etc that make you notice the elements, appreciate them, but still feel it is all in balance. So hard to achieve. But they did. For more about the restaurant, the background, etc, go start with my original review, this will focus only on my recent visit.
The first time I visited in May, I walked away thinking, quite clearly, "Now THAT is what proper Thai food is supposed to be!" The second time, I went for some fairly random selections (Thai dim sum?), and it was less successful, although the quality was still high.
I ordered one dish, catfish larb, and, well, it was perfect. The balance of spice level, sour notes, acidity, freshness, and slightly sweet, was spot on. A true delight. I highly, highly recommend.
I did delivery via Doordash the first time I ordered, did pickup from Caviar the other times (Caviar prices were better). Ordering was simple all times. Lapats is on most delivery services, and if you haven't used them before, I have free credits to share for first time purchasers!
Like all businesses that were open, signage was quite clear about being togo only, the protocols in place, and the numerous delivery options you have to order as well.
The seating area is smaller than I expected actually, and was obviously closed off. A bit hard to tell what the restaurant interior normally is like ... do they always have tik tok on a big screen?
Pickup was very easy, a table blocking the way once inside, and bags marked clearly. Since I ordered only a few blocks away, my order wasn't ready, and I waited outside on the sunny sidewalk.
Catfish larb is a Thai classic, but not one that many places offer, as catfish is just less common in the US, and often has a bad reputation as a bottom dweller, having a murky taste, etc. But it is often offered at more authentic places, either in a grilled or deep fried variety, always minced. I was pleased to see they offered a grilled version, unlike the deep fried one I had from House of Thai a few weeks earlier.
Ordering from Lapats, in the instructions, I asked "Spicy please!", as I know they offer customization on spice level, but the ordering app did not have an area for this. They delivered on this request, but more on that soon.
I opened my box and could tell the difference, immediately, between this and the House of Thai one. Look at the fresh herbs! This just screamed freshness and quality, even at a first glance. I was excited.
The Thai basil on top was indeed likely harvested right as the dish was plated, and it was a lovely herb to mix into my bites as I pleased. It was served with a hunk of iceberg rather than cabbage, which I do prefer slightly, but it worked better for making wraps as it is more pliable. The lettuce too was quite fresh and crisp. I appreciated that it was served on top of green curly lettuce, how it would be plated in the restaurant, and that they used a different lettuce there. It soaked up all the delicious sauces, and was a prize at the bottom of the container.
Although it is hard to see given the herb and greens on top, the portion was decent, slightly bigger than House of Thai, although not a huge dish by any means. The price ($13.95 on Caviar, but $1 more on Doordash - even though other dishes weren't) is about in line with similar offerings.
Now, let's get into that larb.
It had legit spice, plenty of whole red chilis (watch out!), and lots of red chili flakes. But it also was wonderfully balanced. Yes, it had heat, but it never became too much. But yes, it was spicy.
There was plenty of onion, both raw red onion slices and chopped green onion that brought in sharpness and crunch.
But it was all balanced out by plentiful lime juice for tartness, brightness, and acidity. It made it vibrant, really.
The catfish was wonderful - it was juicy, it was crispy, and since it was grilled, it was beautifully smokey too. Again, more flavors added to that overall balance. I think it may have been cornmeal crusted (and fried?) originally, as it definitely had some kind of batter, but perhaps that was rice crusting? I'm not sure. The texture was great.
Pair all that with the fresh herbs, and, well, it was just fabulous. All the flavors in balance, and yes, every bite *was* exciting.
I didn't order it (although I almost did actually, because I had a mango ripe and ready to use at home, and I thought I might want something to combat heat in the larb if it was actually too spicy for me), but the person working at the restaurant who was handing over orders and prepping sticky rice asked if I'd like any. I said yes! It came in a standard little Asian takeout box.
The sticky rice was wrapped in plastic, and was, well, sticky rice. It was hot and fresh (she was portioning it right while I was waiting), sticky, and nicely prepared.
I had a little with my meal, but mostly saved it to use to make my own mango sticky rice.
"Steamed sauteed chives served with sweet chili black soy sauce."
I started with the dumplings, 4 HUGE dumplings to an order.
They were ... ok. Different. So interesting to see at Thai restaurant.
Each dumpling really was massive, easily 2-3 regular dumplings you'd see at dim sum (in fact, they reminded me of the Yank Sing pea shoot dumplings a lot). Seriously, soooo much chive in here.
The chive filling was soft, good, uh, strong chive flavor, but not particularly exciting. Seasoned, but since it was just chive, nothing else, fairly one-note, and I couldn't help but wish there was some minced shrimp or something in there.
The wrappers were soft, and broke apart very, very easily, as they couldn't really hold the ridiculous amount of filling - you definitely could *not* pick these up with chopsticks to eat. The wrapper was nice though. They did sadly completely stick together in the takeout container, which caused them all to tear apart, no matter how careful I was.
I'll admit I was a bit disappointed as I saw them put them in the microwave, rather than steam fresh, but I guess I couldn't tell when eating them? It didn't make them tough or gummy.
Overall, they were fine, but ... boring I guess?
The sauce is sweet chili black soy sauce - very thick, very sweet. It was good, but, too sweet overall! I wanted more balance to it, some acid or spice. And it was thick, so you couldn't really dunk, I'd prefer thinner. But maybe this is a style thing? I liked the taste, but, just felt like it was missing something.
The dumplings certainly needed the sauce though, as the chive only flavor got to be a bit much.
Overall, again, they were fine, well made, but, I didn't love them. $12.95 for 4 seems expensive though for just chives ...
So what did I do with the second half of the order that I didn't eat originally? Of course I had fun with leftovers. I knew they had great flavor, but, were already broken, so why not play?
"Deep fried stuffed wonton with ground pork served with sweet and sour sauce."
Next up, a totally random selection: fried wontons. I was craving fried food! I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but they were basically a wonton wrapper, filled with a *tiny* dollop of pork filling, folded over and fried.
They were ... ok? Nothing special. Incredibly crispy, but *very* oily, which I hope means they were freshly fried? They weren't hot though. I did notice that the container had holes cut in the top, just like my first order of the fried taro, so it is clear they care about their packaging, so as not to get soggy. I appreciated this.
I did like the crispy wonton wrapper of course, and used it with the chives that came pouring out of dumplings. Topping a wonton with tons of chive mix, and a touch of the chive sauce, was a pretty nice bite, but I again wanted some soy or spice.
The sweet chili sauce on the side was *way* too sweet, and I made the mistake of dipping one in fully to start, not realizing it. It was really not tasty that way. It was good sauce, just, too sweet to use in quantity, and the only sauce they gave. I later mixed in some soy and vinegar and that made it much better with the wontons - I think it would go well with other things too.
10 to an order, so $1 each, which ... yeah, a pricey given the very little filling.
Here is a glimpse of the filling. As you can see, really not much at all. And equally hard to taste with so much wrapper and dominant sauce.
But I finally found a fantastic place. Ok, actually, I found it a few months ago, but I had only ordered an appetizer and dessert (for delivery), for a very specific purpose: fulfilling both a taro craving (the app) and durian (dessert), and, although I really was impressed with those dishes, they weren't exactly normal Thai cuisine, and I didn't realize just how good Lapats really is.
Thai cuisine has some really critical elements that you have to get right for it to be truly, truly good. And Lapats nailed all the essential elements of *great* Thai cuisine. I once heard someone describe it as "all bites of Thai food should be exciting!" I didn't understand it quite at that time, but, I do now. It is exactly that balance of spice level, sour notes, acidity, sweetness, freshness, textures, etc that make you notice the elements, appreciate them, but still feel it is all in balance. So hard to achieve. But they did. For more about the restaurant, the background, etc, go start with my original review, this will focus only on my recent visit.
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| Fantastic, fantastic find! Catfish Larb. |
I ordered one dish, catfish larb, and, well, it was perfect. The balance of spice level, sour notes, acidity, freshness, and slightly sweet, was spot on. A true delight. I highly, highly recommend.
I did delivery via Doordash the first time I ordered, did pickup from Caviar the other times (Caviar prices were better). Ordering was simple all times. Lapats is on most delivery services, and if you haven't used them before, I have free credits to share for first time purchasers!
- Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
- Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
- Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
- Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
Setting
My previous experience of Lapats food was delivery, so this was my first time visiting the restaurant myself. It ... is not in a pleasant place, right in the heart of the Tenderloin, and the streets of the Tenderloin were particularly bad at this point in the COVID-19 crisis.
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| Takeout Only, of course. |
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| No Seating. |
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| Pick Up Table. |
Early May 2020 Visit
I ordered from the "House Salads" section, as I was looking for a lighter meal. This is a complete contrast to my last order, which was just appetizers and desserts, heh. The entire menu really does sound fabulous, and I am eager to continue to work my way through it. Some of the appetizers sound so unique, and many are pretty heavy, fried items (they have fried pig ears!). The "Green Dumplings" look fascinating too, Thai style chive dumplings? I can't want to try those sometime. And the Thai fried wontons. And, well, like I said, the entire menu.
But I ordered only a salad this visit, although I was given a bonus side dish as well (thank you!)
But I ordered only a salad this visit, although I was given a bonus side dish as well (thank you!)
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| Larb Pla Yang ลาบปลาย่่าง. $13.95. |
"Minced grilled catfish mixed with rice powder, chili powder, lime juice, onion, and basil."
It was larb I sought out, craving it so badly after my last larb experience at House of Thai a few weeks prior, where it was everything I *didn't* want - no balance, cloyingly sweet, no spice (even though I ordered spicy).
Lapats offers a full larb lineup: the more mundane pork/chicken/beef options, a signature duck offal version, and, why I was there: catfish.It was larb I sought out, craving it so badly after my last larb experience at House of Thai a few weeks prior, where it was everything I *didn't* want - no balance, cloyingly sweet, no spice (even though I ordered spicy).
Catfish larb is a Thai classic, but not one that many places offer, as catfish is just less common in the US, and often has a bad reputation as a bottom dweller, having a murky taste, etc. But it is often offered at more authentic places, either in a grilled or deep fried variety, always minced. I was pleased to see they offered a grilled version, unlike the deep fried one I had from House of Thai a few weeks earlier.
Ordering from Lapats, in the instructions, I asked "Spicy please!", as I know they offer customization on spice level, but the ordering app did not have an area for this. They delivered on this request, but more on that soon.
I opened my box and could tell the difference, immediately, between this and the House of Thai one. Look at the fresh herbs! This just screamed freshness and quality, even at a first glance. I was excited.
The Thai basil on top was indeed likely harvested right as the dish was plated, and it was a lovely herb to mix into my bites as I pleased. It was served with a hunk of iceberg rather than cabbage, which I do prefer slightly, but it worked better for making wraps as it is more pliable. The lettuce too was quite fresh and crisp. I appreciated that it was served on top of green curly lettuce, how it would be plated in the restaurant, and that they used a different lettuce there. It soaked up all the delicious sauces, and was a prize at the bottom of the container.
Although it is hard to see given the herb and greens on top, the portion was decent, slightly bigger than House of Thai, although not a huge dish by any means. The price ($13.95 on Caviar, but $1 more on Doordash - even though other dishes weren't) is about in line with similar offerings.
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| Larb Pla Yang: Closeup. |
It had legit spice, plenty of whole red chilis (watch out!), and lots of red chili flakes. But it also was wonderfully balanced. Yes, it had heat, but it never became too much. But yes, it was spicy.
There was plenty of onion, both raw red onion slices and chopped green onion that brought in sharpness and crunch.
But it was all balanced out by plentiful lime juice for tartness, brightness, and acidity. It made it vibrant, really.
The catfish was wonderful - it was juicy, it was crispy, and since it was grilled, it was beautifully smokey too. Again, more flavors added to that overall balance. I think it may have been cornmeal crusted (and fried?) originally, as it definitely had some kind of batter, but perhaps that was rice crusting? I'm not sure. The texture was great.
Pair all that with the fresh herbs, and, well, it was just fabulous. All the flavors in balance, and yes, every bite *was* exciting.
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| Bonus Side: Sticky Rice. $2.50. |
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| Sticky Rice. |
I had a little with my meal, but mostly saved it to use to make my own mango sticky rice.
Late May 2020 Visit
I returned a few weeks later, but I wasn't actually craving thai food. I had been eating a lot of thai food, and curries, noodles, etc just weren't appealing. The reason I visited? To check out some of their unique appetizers: dumplings and wontons! Yes, at a Thai restaurant.
I am glad I tried them I guess, and they were well made, but, I see no reason to stray from the Thai classics that they clearly excel in.
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| Green Dumplings กุยช่าย. $12.95. |
I started with the dumplings, 4 HUGE dumplings to an order.
They were ... ok. Different. So interesting to see at Thai restaurant.
Each dumpling really was massive, easily 2-3 regular dumplings you'd see at dim sum (in fact, they reminded me of the Yank Sing pea shoot dumplings a lot). Seriously, soooo much chive in here.
The chive filling was soft, good, uh, strong chive flavor, but not particularly exciting. Seasoned, but since it was just chive, nothing else, fairly one-note, and I couldn't help but wish there was some minced shrimp or something in there.
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| Stuck Together, Broken Apart: Chive Filling. |
I'll admit I was a bit disappointed as I saw them put them in the microwave, rather than steam fresh, but I guess I couldn't tell when eating them? It didn't make them tough or gummy.
Overall, they were fine, but ... boring I guess?
The sauce is sweet chili black soy sauce - very thick, very sweet. It was good, but, too sweet overall! I wanted more balance to it, some acid or spice. And it was thick, so you couldn't really dunk, I'd prefer thinner. But maybe this is a style thing? I liked the taste, but, just felt like it was missing something.
The dumplings certainly needed the sauce though, as the chive only flavor got to be a bit much.
Overall, again, they were fine, well made, but, I didn't love them. $12.95 for 4 seems expensive though for just chives ...
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| Leftover Green Dumplings: Transformed! |
What I made wasn't *pretty*, but it was delicious. And so simple.
I simmered diakon, two types of kale, and green cabbage, threw in the dumplings, and added some imitation crab. I added their sweet soy sauce, but balanced it out with seasoned oil, ume vinaigrette for acid, a touch of sambal and some thai chili powder for heat.
It turned out absolutely fantastic. Yes, the dumpling broke apart, and I did just mix it all up into rest of my greens. The result was super flavorful chives incorporated with a lovely mix of greens, juicy daikon, krab for protein, and really pleasant little bites of chewy glutinous chunks of the dumpling wrapper as I found bits. With the balanced sauce I created, it was spicy as I wanted, and I threw some crispy fried shrimp rolls on top too for crunch, and, well, it was great. I could imagine using sausage or something like that too.
I actually really enjoyed my creation, so, I guess, no harm done, Lapats?
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| Thai Fried Wonton เกี๊ยวหมูทอด $9.95. |
Next up, a totally random selection: fried wontons. I was craving fried food! I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but they were basically a wonton wrapper, filled with a *tiny* dollop of pork filling, folded over and fried.
They were ... ok? Nothing special. Incredibly crispy, but *very* oily, which I hope means they were freshly fried? They weren't hot though. I did notice that the container had holes cut in the top, just like my first order of the fried taro, so it is clear they care about their packaging, so as not to get soggy. I appreciated this.
I did like the crispy wonton wrapper of course, and used it with the chives that came pouring out of dumplings. Topping a wonton with tons of chive mix, and a touch of the chive sauce, was a pretty nice bite, but I again wanted some soy or spice.
The sweet chili sauce on the side was *way* too sweet, and I made the mistake of dipping one in fully to start, not realizing it. It was really not tasty that way. It was good sauce, just, too sweet to use in quantity, and the only sauce they gave. I later mixed in some soy and vinegar and that made it much better with the wontons - I think it would go well with other things too.
10 to an order, so $1 each, which ... yeah, a pricey given the very little filling.
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| Thai Fried Wontons: Inside. |
It seemed juicy and well seasoned though.
Original Review, May 2019 (Delivery)
Lapats is a fairly new Thai restaurant in San Francisco, in the Tenderloin, open daily for lunch and dinner.
The menu is extensive, with a full range of appetizers, salads, soups, noodles, curries, entrees ... and of course, desserts. They have all the classics, plus many more unique items. It gets great reviews (4 stars on Yelp), which sounded promising in general for Thai cuisine in SF, which I've always found a bit disappointing after spending time in Sydney where it is amazing. But none of that alone was enough to draw me in. Nope, there was one thing that brought me to seek out Lapats. Durian.
Yes, durian. I had durian my first time in Sydney years ago, durian sticky rice, at Chat Thai. I ... was not a fan, and said I'd never seek it out again. I had it a year later, in martabak form, also in Sydney, at Martabak cafe, and ... disliked it then too. But somewhere along the way something changed, and I decided I liked durian. I just needed to acquire the taste?
Sadly, durian is still fairly rare to find in San Francisco. I've had it when visiting the south bay (an awesome durian shake from Bambu, review coming soon!), and then recently in an epically good durian cream bun from an Austrian bakery, Guschlbauer, in Toronto, and let's just say I've been craving it ever since.
So one day, I pulled up every delivery app available, Door Dash, Caviar, Uber Eats, Postmates, GrubHub ... and I searched for durian. I was shocked at how limited my options were, but pleased to discover Lapats offered a durian sticky rice, and people seemed to like it.
I was further pleased when I saw they had really unique appetizers, including one with taro, another love of mine.
I was sold. Delivery order placed (via Door Dash), right around lunchtime but the delivery was fairly fast, no issues.
I was really pleased when I opened my delivery bag to find that the taro fries were packed in a container, with an intentional hole in the lid, for venting the steam! I already had my toaster oven ready to warm and toast up the taro fries as necessary, but I was pleased that they had done this to try to maintain the crispy nature of the fries.
"Deep Fried Fresh, Served With Sweet Chili Sauce And Peanut."
I was only somewhat aware of what to expect with these. I *love* taro, and I had seen some photos that looked sorta like tempura battered taro, which seemed pretty awesome to me. What I got wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but, was certainly delicious.
The taro was cut into french fry like strips, battered in a sesame seed filled batter, that coated, but didn't fully cover, the taro. The result was crunchy and crispy, but not as heavy as something fully battered, and still really allowed the flavor and texture of the taro to shine through. The taro inside was really just that, taro, nicely cooked, not too soft, not too firm, and if you like to taste taro, this delivered. They were clearly deep fried, but not too greasy, and I liked the pairing of sesame and taro flavors (and it made me definitely think about doing a taro-sesame bubble tea sometime ...).
The sauce however just totally completed the dish. I wasn't expecting to be too excited by sweet chili sauce, I mean, I love sweet chili sauce, but I thought it would be generic sweet chili sauce, and I had other, creamy sauces, ready to go. But this sauce was awesome - a thiner style than a standard sweet chili, sweet but not too sweet, with vinegar and acid to balance. And ... bits of peanut! If I thought the taro + sesame combo was a winner, the taro + sesame + peanut combo was even better. I loved it.
I'd gladly get these again, and really enjoyed a new preparation of an ingredient I already always love.
The careful packaging continued with the durian sticky rice. This time, it came wrapped in plastic wrap, no spilling at all. And ... it did help mask a little of the durian .. aroma.
The menu is extensive, with a full range of appetizers, salads, soups, noodles, curries, entrees ... and of course, desserts. They have all the classics, plus many more unique items. It gets great reviews (4 stars on Yelp), which sounded promising in general for Thai cuisine in SF, which I've always found a bit disappointing after spending time in Sydney where it is amazing. But none of that alone was enough to draw me in. Nope, there was one thing that brought me to seek out Lapats. Durian.
Yes, durian. I had durian my first time in Sydney years ago, durian sticky rice, at Chat Thai. I ... was not a fan, and said I'd never seek it out again. I had it a year later, in martabak form, also in Sydney, at Martabak cafe, and ... disliked it then too. But somewhere along the way something changed, and I decided I liked durian. I just needed to acquire the taste?
Sadly, durian is still fairly rare to find in San Francisco. I've had it when visiting the south bay (an awesome durian shake from Bambu, review coming soon!), and then recently in an epically good durian cream bun from an Austrian bakery, Guschlbauer, in Toronto, and let's just say I've been craving it ever since.
So one day, I pulled up every delivery app available, Door Dash, Caviar, Uber Eats, Postmates, GrubHub ... and I searched for durian. I was shocked at how limited my options were, but pleased to discover Lapats offered a durian sticky rice, and people seemed to like it.
I was further pleased when I saw they had really unique appetizers, including one with taro, another love of mine.
I was sold. Delivery order placed (via Door Dash), right around lunchtime but the delivery was fairly fast, no issues.
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| Thoughtful Packaging: Vent! |
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| Taro Fried. $10.95. |
I was only somewhat aware of what to expect with these. I *love* taro, and I had seen some photos that looked sorta like tempura battered taro, which seemed pretty awesome to me. What I got wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but, was certainly delicious.
The taro was cut into french fry like strips, battered in a sesame seed filled batter, that coated, but didn't fully cover, the taro. The result was crunchy and crispy, but not as heavy as something fully battered, and still really allowed the flavor and texture of the taro to shine through. The taro inside was really just that, taro, nicely cooked, not too soft, not too firm, and if you like to taste taro, this delivered. They were clearly deep fried, but not too greasy, and I liked the pairing of sesame and taro flavors (and it made me definitely think about doing a taro-sesame bubble tea sometime ...).
The sauce however just totally completed the dish. I wasn't expecting to be too excited by sweet chili sauce, I mean, I love sweet chili sauce, but I thought it would be generic sweet chili sauce, and I had other, creamy sauces, ready to go. But this sauce was awesome - a thiner style than a standard sweet chili, sweet but not too sweet, with vinegar and acid to balance. And ... bits of peanut! If I thought the taro + sesame combo was a winner, the taro + sesame + peanut combo was even better. I loved it.
I'd gladly get these again, and really enjoyed a new preparation of an ingredient I already always love.
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| Thoughtful Packaging: Sealed Up! |
I was again impressed with the thoughtful touch and care of packaging for delivery.
Once I unwrapped it though, the smell of the durian was unmistakable. Yup, hello durian!
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| Sweet Sticky Rice With Durian. $6.95. |
At first glance, I was surprised by how much coconut sauce there was, I could barely see any sticky rice. I was expecting sticky rice with some fresh durian and a drizzle, maybe a small side container of coconut milk based sweet sauce. This was ... swimming in it.
As a result, sadly, it was way, way, way too sweet. Even when I just tried to get some sticky rice, it was impossible. So sweet. Cloying.
But, the durian was lovely. Soft, fresh tasting (as much as durian ever tastes "fresh"). It had a funk, a good funk. Good texture, good durian flavor, and I really enjoyed it. It needed a little coconut milk but not nearly this much.
The sticky rice was very good, just the right level of sticky and glutenous. I loved the sticky rice, but it is what made me sad, as it was totally drenched in the sauce. So hard to enjoy it when so very sweet.
Hence, my early comment that this was not a total winner. The sticky rice, totally a hit. The durian, great. But the sauce made it hard to enjoy. I made some good bites, limiting the sauce, and adding whipped cream to cut the sweetness, and that was good, but it certainly would be far better with less sauce.
I'd still get this again, but be sure to request less. And I do wonder if they just got the portions odd when doing delivery?
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