Sala Bua: Thai-natown

Sala Bua, the new "true Bangkok style Thai cuisine" restaurant in Chinatown, seems to occupy part of the footprint Tao Ran Ju used to have. I really liked and miss Tao Ran Ju, but I didn't let that work against the meal. The pretty room is warmer and less broad than the inside-an-iPhone-commercial experience of the erstwhile, with wood and floral accents.



Nam Tok was well-seasoned and very spicy as promised. The portion was quite small compared to Andy's and Sticky Rice where I enjoy it regularly. If the beef was grilled from raw just for this salad, it was quite firm and overdone without picking up much char. The ground rice melted without any crunch, which I suppose could be good or bad. Mint was curling and spare. Somehow, it was still better than the sum of its parts.



The Kai-Tawt / Gai Tod comprised six wings which were moist and crisp, but otherwise unremarkable. No funk or burnished caramelization like at Aroy or Spoon. Fairly basic neighborhood Thai / Chinese fried wings.



Thai iced tea was very standard, missing some of the smokiness and balance I enjoy at Snail, Sticky Rice, and others.

This nice shop (the front of house and at least one proprietor) is just getting going, and I picked up that some additional kitchen support may be on the way. I admire the upfront listing of many less usual Thai dishes, and will have to return for the Kao Mun Kai, Kao Soy, and raw shrimp salad, which look promising. I'm in more of a hurry to get back to Ahjoomah's Apron next time the hankering beyond Chinese in that vicinity hits.

Sala Bua
2002 S Wentworth Ave Unit 103 (Chinatown)
(312) 808-1770
https://www.grubhub.com/chicago/sala-bua-thai-cusine/

The khao man gai (chicken rice) is alone worth the visit.

The Thai take on Hainan chicken and rice? Been looking for a good one for a while. Do you get the sense that the rice is actually cooked in the chicken fat/broth for the dish, as opposed to the common shortcut of ladling soup broth onto a side of rice at the last moment? For all the great Thai (and Chinese) in Chicago these days, this "specialist" dish is lacking (albeit definitely not missing- it's hidden in plain sight on several menus).

I'm fairly sure the rice was cooked in the fattened chicken stock. The only other Thai rendition of this dish I've had is Nong's Khao Man Gai in Portland, and I thought this compared very favorably. Maybe just a tad greasier, but still very good, and a huge portion for $7.00. I recommend the garlicky Isaan sausage too. I'll be ordering both when I go back tonight.

If it stacks up to the place in Portland (almost legendary but I have never tried it), that's good. And greasy sounds good too (at least a better indication than Swanson's-y). Thanks.

I would go to Saala Bua for the best Som Tum this side of New York's Zabb Elee... I tried the regular Thai style, and the one with the Blue Crab.

But then I already knew that because I have been following the chef from the time she was at Dharma Garden to her time running her own place on Devon... another Zabb, that one! She makes the best Som Tum in town... and she makes a few other equally good larbs.

The Nam Tuk is decidedly pedestrian. But I would chalk it to the low quality steak in use (necessary, when you are trying to meet a price point).

wahpahh wrote:The khao man gai (chicken rice) is alone worth the visit.

jatbeni wrote:I would go to Saala Bua for the best Som Tum this side of New York's Zabb Elee...

Unqualified seconds on both recommendations. Got anything else? These were magic.

The som tum was the best I've had. Just ripe enough, lobes of tiny limes incorporated in the salad, a kiss of garlic, salty shrimp jerky, peak-crisp beans, fresh and coarsely chopped peanuts, and a slow burn that kept you eating to savor the simultaneous quench and sear of the dish. They have renditions with cooked and raw crab as well.

The rice in the khao man gai was miraculous, tiny grains perfectly cooked in rich stock with a floral perfume. The steamed chicken didn't transcend in simplicity like it sometimes can, but the sauce was positively symphonic.

Isaan sausage with a direct assault of black pepper and garlic - straightforward, bracing, perfectly grilled. Less funky than others but still sings to me.



Chicken larb with a hidden pepper of unholy fire (or five), one of the spiciest things I've been served in Chicago. Loved it.



Between Spicy Thai Lao and Sala Bua I've added in the past month the first and second best eggrolls I've ever had. You wrap these crispy bites in a whole basil leaf - sensational.

This is another special Thai place in a city of wonderful offerings. No secret menu required. Join me for lunch there later this week if you like! (link in that last phrase, or see the Events Board).

I love this place, I work in the loop and they deliver all the way from Chinatown. We probably order from them at least twice a month, sometimes once a week.

ThaiBasil wrote:I love this place, I work in the loop and they deliver all the way from Chinatown. We probably order from them at least twice a month, sometimes once a week.

good to know

Santander wrote:...a slow burn that kept you eating to savor the simultaneous quench and sear of the dish.

I love when that happens.
There needs to be a word for that.

Last month, a few of us had lunch at Sala Bua. I'm sorry to have not posted before now, but I am finally able to get caught up on some old posts that I have been too busy to make. This is one of them. My memory might have dimmed since our lunch, so if I get any of these dishes wrong, please let me know and I'll correct them.

First of all, it is a little odd going to Chinatown for Thai food, but you shouldn't let that stop you. Sala Bua brings good, fresh flavors and plenty of heat to their dishes. We started out with the house special egg rolls.

Sala's Egg Rolls


These were very good, and completely unlike Chinese egg rolls or even the great ones served at Spicy Thai Lao.

Next was the much discussed chicken rice (khao man gai). This dish packs some interesting flavors, despite its appearance as a study in beige.

Sala Bua's Khao Man Gai


We also had a spicy dish of ground catfish, chiles, peanuts, onion and apple called Yum Pla Dook Foo Salad. This dish didn't do it for me as much as the exploded catfish salad at TAC or ATK, though it wasn't bad by any means.

Sala Bua's Yum Pla Dook Foo Salad


We rounded out the lunch with an order of Thai Basil Ground Chicken and a bowl of Kao Tom Pla, a strangely flavored soup featuring seafood and typical aromatics.

Sala Bua's Thai Basil Ground Chicken


Sala Bua's Kao Tom Pla


The Basil Chicken really delivered on the heat. I liked it a lot. The soup, not so much. I much prefer the Tom Yum Beef Ball soup at Aroy for this type of soup.

All in all, I really liked Sala Bua. Living on the northwest side in close proximity to several GNR winning Thai places, it's going to be tough for me to plan a trip to Chinatown for Thai, but I wouldn't say no if someone else suggested going to Sala Bua.

Sala Bua
2002 S Wentworth Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 808-1770

Thanks for the pics and company, Steve. What you have labeled as larb is I believe their Thai basil ground chicken; they have a version with runny fried egg as well.

I've been more recently exploring the late night menu. Anyone want to run the gamut on August 29 or 30? (eventual Events Board post).

Santander wrote:Thanks for the pics and company, Steve. What you have labeled as larb is I believe their Thai basil ground chicken; they have a version with runny fried egg as well.

It was really nice getting together! I've changed the name of the dish to Thai Basil Ground Chicken. Thanks for the reminder. That runny egg version sounds like it would be a real winner.

Since the closing of Lao Hunan, I'm at a loss for spicy and cheap stuff in Chinatown. The Sichuan spots veer pricy and my go-to cheapo joint, Xi'an does not bring the heat. And why not try a more strike-able (from where I'm at) Thai spot?

My first crack at Sala Bua did not wow, it was not TTT: Top Tier Thai. But on the other hand, the Ameri-Thai that I can't stand, it was not.

The major bummer was no Sai Krok E San that night. Is this an issue others have come across here?

Otherwise, the food was pretty good/ not bad.
The Sala's Eggrolls which there seems to be a positive consensus about around here, were good and unique. I'm a fan of wrapping fried stuff in shrubbage– all of which was very fresh.

Tod Mun Pla certainly looked like industro- M©Nugget action in their uniform discs, though had a not-at-all rubbery texture and hints of aromatics. In every version I've had, I've wished for more heat to that cucumber chunky vinegar dip.

Som Tum Thai was bright, crunchy, and fresh. Skewing sweet but plenty citrusy. And we should have ordered all the way spicy. A pretty good one though, the not-grown-here tomatoes were ripe and sweet (though the green beans were woody). And the dried shrimp seemed kinda too dried out and crunchy (and reappeared in our fried rice).

Kao Soy had a very rich and creamy broth with heavy curry, good stuff. The typical chow mein-y noodles garnished, though in the soup were those wanton noodles you can buy fresh at most Asian groceries (not exactly artisanal, but I kind of like them, especially when they're not served overcooked). Juicy chunks of dark meat chicken were a nice surprise. The major let down here was a lack of garnishes beyond the crispy noodle. Pickled cabbage is essential to this dish for me.

Dreaming about In-On's Spicy BBQ Pork Fried Rice which has seemed to have captured the local imagination around here, we went for the Kapi Fried Rice. I rarely meet a fried rice that I don't like and this one was decent. Definitely light on the wok breath and a little clumpy. It was served composed for the diner to customize and had a lot of the fresh garnishes that I was hoping for with my Kao soy (fortunately they played nice). And the pork was fresh and like the chicken, kinda juicy.

It seems relatively popular. I think I'll probably go back. They better have my Isaan sausage next time though, dammit.

I was not a fan of Sala Bua the one time I went. However, my understanding of khao kluk kapi is that it barely qualifies as fried rice. You are mostly just warming the rice and folding in the shrimp paste. It is then compacted and usually not served piping hot either.

botd wrote:I was not a fan of Sala Bua the one time I went. However, my understanding of khao kluk kapi is that it barely qualifies as fried rice. You are mostly just warming the rice and folding in the shrimp paste. It is then compacted and usually not served piping hot either.

Correct - Spoon Thai continues to make a solid version of this dish. I appreciate its combination of flavors -- the intense shrimp paste (muted of course when mixed into the rice and eaten with the accompaniments), the sweet pork and the sour mango (often sour apple).