One of the most popular Thai joints in San Francisco is Lers Ros.
Lers Ros became so popular that they even opened up two additional locations in the city. I decided to try the original location, even though it’s not in the nicest area (Tenderloin). The biggest problem I had at Lers Ros was the extensive menu, with way too many options on the menu making it extremely difficult to decide what to order.
Vegetarian Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Sauce (8/10).
We started with vegetarian spring rolls, simple but yummy.
Roasted Duck Larb (8.5-9/10).
The roasted duck larb was my favorite dish of the meal; you must try this! Larb is a traditional Thai dish consisting of some sort of minced meat seasoned with lots of aromatics such as herbs and citrus eaten as a lettuce wrap. This roasted duck larb was seasoned with rice and chili powder with fresh red onions, herbs, and a lime dressing. Super complex and delicious.
Fried Pork Spareribs with Hot Sauce (8.5/10).
The fried pork spareribs was another winner. Little nuggets of crunchy fried sweet meat with a spicy hot sauce.
Pad Kee Mow: Spicy Pan Fried Noodles with Chicken, Basil, Bean Sprouts, and Bell Peppers (7.5-8/10).
The pad kee mow, one of my favorite Thai noodle dishes, wasn’t the best I’ve had but still good. The noodles needed more Thai basil to give that aromatic flavor and the spice was just a little too much for my liking.
Garlic and Ginger Rice (8/10).
Beef with Black Pepper and Scallions (7.5/10).
The beef with black pepper was super tasty but the actual beef was a bit chewy. The seasoning however was spot on.
Red Curry with Chicken, Thai Eggplant, Bamboo Shoot, and Red Bell Peppers (6/10).
The red curry was the most disappointing dish of the night, not that it was bad but I’ve had much better curries before. The Thai eggplant was practically raw, the chicken was overcooked, and there wasn’t enough bamboo shoots (one of my favorite parts of this curry). The curry itself was tasty but could have used more rich flavor.
Since there’s so many items of the menu, it’s difficult for every dish to be outstanding. If they scaled down the number of dishes, they could really focus on the quality of every dish. Therefore, my rating is a 7.5/10.