Three skewers of bouncy Thai pork meatballs, charred over the grill and painted with sweet chili sauce.
$12
Where it comes from
Look chin ping is the sound of every Thai night market — meatballs threaded on bamboo, turning over charcoal, the vendor fanning the coals with a scrap of cardboard. Thai meatballs are made bouncy on purpose: the pork is worked until it springs back, so each one bites back before it gives. The grill blisters the outside; the sweet chili sauce is not optional. Eat them straight off the stick.
Not sure how to judge a plate like this? Read our field guide to the best Thai food in Orange County — five signs of a real Thai kitchen, and what to order once you’re in one.