Farmhouse Kitchen – Los Angeles

Dinner at Farmhouse Kitchen's Culver City adjacent location was a decadent experience in fun, colorful Thai cuisine in Los Angeles, California

Wanting to celebrate Amanda’s powerful movement forward in her career, I wanted to pick a place to meet for dinner to celebrate. Remembering my fantastic experience at Farmhouse Kitchen in Oakland with Jessica, I quickly picked their Culver City adjacent location, in Adams.

We began the evening with toasting our wine glasses, filled with JNSQ’s Rosé Cru, a Central Coast rose wine blend. It was light, fruity and felt perfect to go with the spiciness of what was to come.

Next out was the MIENG KUM KUNG (Crispy-crusted Tiger Prawns, leafy green wrapped with a zesty mixture of lime, ginger, onion, roasted coconut & peanuts with tamarind reduction) appetizer. When it arrived, I instantly appreciated the presentation. Fat pieces of prawns sat on layered ingredients of pleasure. It was delight at first bite.

When the WAGYU BEEF JERKY (Grilled Snake River Farm wagyu beef jerky served with kaffair lime leaves, garlic, dried chili, crispy shallots and Nam Prik Noon Thai Chili Salsa) arrived, we were ready. Presentation was gorgeous. The pieces of beef jerky were wrapped in leaf, cascading out like a cornucopia of Thai delights.

I watched Amanda’s face as she took her first bite. Then, I took my own. It was incredible. Immediately, I felt transported back to London, when I had dinner at Smoking Goat in Shoreditch.

There is something deeply grounding and guttural about hot, spicy Thai peppers that perfectly seasons a dish. You literally cannot be in a bad mood while eating spicy food. It’s transformational.

For the main course of the evening, we devoured the HAT YAI FRIED CHICKEN (Southern-style fried Mary’s Organic Chicken Thigh, turmeric and herbs, crispy shallots, cucumber salad. Served with yellow curry dipping sauce, roti and blue jasmine rice) and the PAD THAI (Thin rice noodles, cage free egg, tamarind, bean sprouts, white onions, crispy shallots, chives, peanuts).

As I cut the large pieces of chicken and poured on the yellow curry, I appreciated the detail of flavors on my fork. We ordered the Pad Thai without a protein, and was better for it. It, along with the blue jasmine rice, served as perfect side pieces to the fried chicken.

As we finished our meal and to go boxes were requested, I felt so appreciative of my almost two decade friendship with Amanda. She’s always seen me as exactly who I am, an artist whose life is a creative movement in freedom.

She’s a constant reminder that some people you meet and they fade from your life. But, the ones that really make a mark and help shape who you fundamentally are?

And, you can travel the backroads of Alberta, Canada with them?

Keep them close.

They are as precious as rhodium.

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