Araya's Place

Araya's Place Restaurant Review:

Located in a crowded strip mall along busy Beverly Boulevard is where you'll find this laid-back, family-owned Thai eatery. The one-room space is small but seems to fit whatever size crowd there is with the two rows of tables and booths. There's plenty to choose from on the menu, including specials of the day, which is entirely vegan -- no meat and no animal-derived ingredients. Start with the vegetable tempura, a sizable platter of crunchy, deep-fried mushrooms, zucchini, sweet potato, onion, red pepper, eggplant and green beans, served with a bowl of sweet sauce topped with chopped peanuts. Thai classics are present, from Pad Thai to an assortment of curries, but opt for signatures such as the Drunken Mushroom, a spicy creation of wide rice noodles stir-fried in garlic and chili. There's also the popular Avocado Curry and Phad Phet Makhua, a simple yet savory explosion of eggplants and fried tofu sautéed with yellow bean sauce chili paste, carrots, onions, hot peppers, zucchini and fresh basil leaves. Cool down with a soy Thai iced tea and be sure to finish with the mango sticky rice for dessert.