Week in Reviews: Talesai Redux, Provecho, Riva, More

For her first review of the new year, Miss Irene checks out the newly renovated Talesai Thai restaurant, which has held its own on the western side of the Sunset Strip for the last 25 years. Kris Yenbamroong took over ownership (and chef duties) from his grandmother, and the decor and menu have been spruced up a bit.

His new menu is shorter and more focused, and he's introduced some of the rustic regional dishes he came to love when he was living in Thailand. He's also putting a new emphasis on the quality of the ingredients. But like his grandmother's, his cooking is refined and much more subtle than the typical Los Angeles Thai restaurant's. If you're looking for nothing more than a mouth-numbing chile burn, this may not be your place.

That's for you Jitlada fans. SIV gives a slew of recommendations, light on any real criticism, and adds: "The reincarnated Talesai is barely 2 months old, but it feels as if Kris Yenbamroong is headed in the right direction." The restaurant gets one-and-half stars. Today the "S." stands for "sawatdee." [LAT]

ELSEWHERE: Eating L.A. found Provecho perfectly fine for the office crowd; Caroline on Crack enjoyed Riva in Santa Monica, and breakfast with a side of drama at 101 Coffee Shop; Monster Munching munches through the new Samuelsson/Cora offerings at Macy's Signature Kitchen in Costa Mesa; the LAT finds East LA mole at Moles la Tia; Pasadena Weekly revisits our secret favorite spot for cheap martinis and lounge music, Colombo's in Eagle Rock; Exilekiss heads to Bamboodles for bamboo noodles in SGV.