SGV: Boat Noodles at Hoy-Ka

A couple weeks back, I checked out Hoy-Ka Thai Noodle in Monterey Park for lunch. After all the name changes and moving around, I’m not actually sure I’ve been to any of their sister location in Thai Town. From what I understand, the Pa Ord original owners sold their restaurant and then moved to the Valley. They then moved back to Thai Town and briefly went back to the Pa Ord name but it was too confusing so they changed to Hoy-Ka. If that’s the same restaurant, it was the spiciest noodles I’ve ever had from a Thai restaurant.

With that in mind, I ordered my green papaya salad not spicy.

It hit the spot as usual, the crunch of the green papaya mixed in with a little bit of spicing.

They do have boat noodles which I don’t seem to really find outside of Thai Town. At least the kind I’m craving with all the bits of offal and a soup flavored with blood. My friend got the beef and I probably should have as well considering my love of tripe.

But I love pork more. My bowl wasn’t filled with exciting bits but it had a goodly amount of noodles– you have a choice of thick or thin noodles. I had ordered the lowest level of spice to my soup and by the end of the meal, I must have had four glasses of water. Oh yes, it’s toned down but it’s still plenty spicy.

Pricing wise, they seemed just a buck more than Thai Town but they have a luxury of charging what they want in the land of Chinese and Vietnamese noodle joints. I’m glad I didn’t have to drive out to East Hollywood and fight for parking. Hoy-Ka in the SGV is very much welcome.

Hoy-Ka Thai Noodle

230 N Garfield Ave., Monterey Park, CA 91754  —  (626) 927-9629

 

© The Minty  2012