Phaya Thai Express

"Nan Chaison (Norah, Mestizo) opened this Southeast Hawthorne fast casual restaurant as an homage to the khao gaeng shops found in Thailand, takeout-centric restaurants where visitors customize combination meals while picking from an assortment of curries, braises, and other dishes. At Phaya, diners pick dishes like wagyu beef krapao, fish sauce wings, and massaman curry from a packed deli-style counter — think Chipotle or Panda Express. The earthy and peppery pad ped, a Southern Thai curry packing plenty of heat, complements crispy and juicy fried pork belly or the whole fried eggs in a nicely balanced tamarind sauce. Don’t overlook the snacks in the warming case, particularly the moji, a glutinous fried rice ball filled with ube and coconut."