There are countless fantastic Thai restaurants across greater Los Angeles, but Valley diners know to trust Bua Siam for its spicy take on, well, just about everything. That includes the rockin’ papaya salad, served simply and with lots of zing.

With nine locations throughout Los Angeles, California Chicken Cafe is a convenient stop for salad that truly feels like a full meal. The order here is the California chicken, a hearty, protein-packed behemoth of rotisserie white meat, avocado, feta cheese, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce, croutons, and even fusilli pasta, all topped with a choice of dressing.

For a salad that satisfies like few can, look no further than the sautéed salad at Paper Rice. Heaps of romaine hearts come topped with shrimp, beef, hard boiled eggs, and sweet onion. And best of all, the salad’s tangy, savory, and Vietnamese-inspired dressing is laced with beef and shrimp drippings.

It’s can be challenging to get excited about cauliflower, but chef Raphael Francois utilizes his wood-burning stove to lightly char the main ingredient, then he carefully adds harissa, cucumber, almonds, and pomegranate for a beautiful and delicious salad.

This dish encapsulates everything that’s so great about Thai cuisine: the perfect balance of sweet, spice, salt, and funk. Loaded with Thai fermented sausage, plenty of chile jam, and crunchy fried rice, it’s a good way to start the meal at this Silver Lake spot.

Croft Alley’s burrata salad exemplifies the restaurant’s style — simple, comforting, and elegant — with baby kale, tomato jam, olive oil, and a mustard vinaigrette, served with a Bub & Grandma’s baguette.

Everything about Dan Tana’s screams old-school, from the red checkered tablecloths to those massive plates of chicken Parmesan. As one would expect of such an establishment, the Caesar is a must-order with its crisp romaine and garlicky dressing. It is the ideal complement for a red sauce kind of meal.

The Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Lounge is synonymous for people-watching and its McCarthy Salad. Named after polo player Neil McCarthy, a frequent hotel guest in the 1960s, the remixed classic Cobb winds up on nearly every table, with nearly 600 salads sold in the hotel each week.

The Hatfields’ Sycamore Kitchen somehow managed to create salads that diners regularly choose over the pastries. The go-to is the Mediterranean gem, a bountiful blend of gem lettuce, chicken, dates, hazelnut, radicchio, grapes, bleu cheese, and red wine vinaigrette.

Vegan spot Âu Lạc takes its salads seriously. The lacinato kale and sea vegetable salad is full of flavor with spiced almonds, cucumber, kimchi, a macadamia “cheese” kale crisp, and a teriyaki dressing.

Shrimp and strawberries go together like peas and carrots at Girl and the Goat. This seasonal salad also includes avocado, pickled vegetables, and pepitas — all coated in a lime and herb dressing that brings all the ingredients together.

South Bay Italian powerhouse Jame Enoteca constructs one of the meanest kale salads in town. Every sweet and spicy serving includes plenty of fresh herbs, Parmesan, avocado, cilantro, scallions, and an almond vinaigrette.

Salads 2000 is the spot for powerful, do-it-yourself salads and pre-picked options like the taco salad, which naturally comes with cheese, chips, avocado, sour cream, black olives, and more.