The golden, gentle one — where the Indian spice road meets Thai coconut cream.
$15
Where it comes from
Kaeng kari is what centuries of Indian Ocean trade left in the Thai pot: turmeric, cumin and coriander seed carried on monsoon winds, folded into coconut milk by Thai-Muslim kitchens until they turned round and comforting. Slow-cooked chicken, soft potato, sweet onion. It is the curry Thai parents order for their children — and the one homesick Thais order for themselves.
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.