On hot summer days in LA, spicy noodle soup is rarely the first food that comes to mind when stewing over what to eat. But despite it being over 90 degrees in East Hollywood, a small crowd has already formed in front of Mae Malai Noodles — a weekends-only pop-up specializing in Thai boat noodles — half an hour before its opening. Conversational Thai and mor lam music spill out from the stand while owner Malai Data, with her signature black cap and two long braids, hustles beneath the canopy, ensuring her bubbling stocks and assortment of toppings are ready for dinner service.
Data started her streetside noodle business 10 months ago, joining the popular wok-fired noodle operation Rad Nah Silom by invitation on Hollywood Boulevard in Thai Town. The shared space includes unfussy plastic stools and tables blanketed in red-and-white checkered vinyl covers. “We both want the…
