It can be hard to find good Thai food in Orange County if you don’t leave the beaten path. Sure, you can find some great stuff in culturally-diverse Irvine, but would you expect really good
food in a little place situated at the bottom of a large banking building? The
area calls to mind images of people in suits with Bluetooth headsets
power-walking to their next meeting, briefcase and latte in hand. The buildings
are imposing and impressive by Orange County standards, and give no hint to the
cuisine hidden within.

Enter Kitima; a small but smartly-appointed joint that’s practically hidden in this banker’s district of Irvine, and serves eats that are hot and flavorful. We had kind of a hard time
finding it, but once we did, things went well. Very well.

The place is typically filled to the brim for lunch, and usually busy for dinner too, but since we were there on the night of a Laker game, it was practically all ours.

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with a smile by our attentive waiter. He ushered us to a table, and promptly returned with cold Thai beer and helpful menu recommendations. We were
interested in the restaurant’s best dishes, and when we told him we love spicy
stuff, he smiled and unhesitatingly suggested the drunken noodles and firecracker
beef. We happily agreed, and added some crab wontons to our order just for good
measure.

This is awesome Thai food. Our wontons came with a sweet and tangy, typically Asian dipping sauce, but my favorite part of the meal is always the garnishes that seem to always feature
the same four condiments at every Thai place. The colorful green onions, and
the crimson chili poweder and paste, you know the ones. My mouth is watering
just writing about this. Having created our own sauces to taste, we dug into
the light and crispy wontons. The contrast between the crispy outside and the
warm soft inside is always satisfying.

Our main dishes came out promptly, and were eye-catchingly beautiful, with all the colors and contrasts associated with Thai cuisine. The drunken noodles were tasty and burning hot! With lots of
great vegetables and thin, sauce-grabbing noodles, this dish really showcased
the spices and seasonings that went into the cooking. Great stuff. The
firecracker beef was one of those dishes that you can’t bear to just sit and
look at. You had to have a bite! As soon as our waiter set the dish down I just
had to snatch a little morsel with my chopsticks before Dave could even get a
shot off with the camera. Discipline, Miles! Patience! The beef was tender and
tasty, again flavored perfectly with the delicious sauces and fresh veggies,
which were pleasantly crispy even after cooking.

The portions of the noodle and stir-fry dishes were notably large, feeding two big guys (we were bursting at the seams toward the end) and leaving leftovers for Dave to take home to the
family.

I didn’t think I had room left, but how can you turn down fried bananas? Vivid colors popped right off the plate, and the fried crunch of the bananas married with the cool creaminess of ice
cream made for an unforgettable end to a great meal.

One last important note about the experience is that the service here was exemplary. Very brisk and polite, they serve you like your time is valuable. Beers were replenished instantly, and
menu recommendations were given with care and a smile!