Rodded Ham Hock with Mint Leaves

Thai Food Los Angeles

The Komenkul family has endured in Thai Town thanks to dishes like ham hock with mint leaves.

Rodded translates from Thai as “delicious food.” Jessi Komenkul’s restaurant has also been around for 40 years, which has to make Rodded one of the oldest in L.A. Both factors point toward a positive result, which is exactly what we received on March 27. Ham Hock with Mint Leaves ($7.75) may cost 75 cents more than Kaow Kaa Muu, the base version starring stewed pork leg in black soy sauce, and it’s another buck for a fried egg, and both “upgrades” are well worth it. They infused the meat with soy sauce and chiles, so the chunks became super savory, and strips of skin practically caramelized. Sliced jalapeno, seeds, stems and all, provided heat, and the mint brightened up the otherwise rich dish. The fried egg was fluffy, with puffy edges and yolk that washed over the steamed rice and meat. My only gripe is that we turned down our server’s offer for a second egg.

Dose of Vitamin P spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.

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Joshua Lurie

Joshua Lurie founded FoodGPS in 2005. Read about him here.

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