It’s a challenging feat to interrupt the already boisterous Thai food scene in Los Angeles, but chef Deau Arpapornnopparat did just that when he opened Holy Basil in early 2021. The Bangkok street food–inspired empire began as a simple Downtown Los Angeles window and has since expanded to Atwater Village and, most recently, Santa Monica, with an impending move to a larger Arts District space. The food at Holy Basil does not hold back; it is spicy, electrifyingly sour, and viscerally vibrant and memorable.
The Atwater Village location is small and casual with bar seating and a limited number of tables; still, it feels like a destination worthy for a date night.
Holy Basil Atwater shares a plaza with Wanderlust Creamery, so head over after for scoops of mango sticky rice and pandan tres leches ice cream to keep the Thai theme going through dessert.
Only on Mondays can you get the Holy burger, an if-you-know-you-know situation that features double smashed wagyu patties covered in cheese, wavy pickle chips, and fried Thai basil.
Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat and partner Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon bring unabashedly bold Thai cooking to Glendale Boulevard. The second Holy Basil location borrows culinary elements from the original Downtown restaurant, including a core menu of curries, noodles, and rice dishes, along with seafood specialties. Full service is available throughout the day, whether diners are perched along the counter, seated at one of four indoor tables, or stationed on the patio. — Cathy Chaplin, senior editor