We had yet another takeout meal from the Original Sab E Lee a few weeks back and was quite disappointed. It seems some things had changed a bit. So I asked around and was told that TOSEL doesn't make several items inhouse anymore…… The Missus was really missing the "soulful" (Her quote) food from Thai Papaya especially as the weather got warmer. I had read that a couple of folks from Thai Papaya had struck out on their own, opening Sovereign Thai. Normally, I'd have been there in a minute….but the combination of the pandemic and the location (East Village), well I had put things on he back-burner. But now, with the reopening (though it sadly seems like the next wave might be hitting us), having been vaccinated for months, and the Missus missing Thai Papaya, it was time to check out Sovereign. I decided to just visit on my own initially. In fact, other than that first visit, we've been doing takeout. I'm going to do this post as more of a round-up…..of the dishes.
But first you gotta get there. I must say…..there are those known issues, parking, Padres Games, etc…. And then there's the area. The rather new condos on J street not withstanding, as you exit on Imperial and turn onto 16th Street heading North, if you're not familiar with the area, you'll go past a parade of homeless encampments…….it's grown over the last few years and is quite sad and depressing. And then you need to find parking. I usually will find something on 16th…..
The shop itself if on the first floor of the condo development….the outdoor seating has a view of Fault Line Park.
The folks here were really happy to see me; they remembered me from Thai Papaya. The restaurant was sadly quite empty on every visit; though I was told they weren't advertising because it was almost impossible to find employees……
Like I said the sister and brother team who runs the place was quite happy to see me; the menu is quite interesting with modern twists to things. And even though I didn't see….say som tom khai kem; I was fascinated by the menu. I was also told that they make everything inhouse from scratch.
Perhaps I was lucky; but I ordered items from the menu that interested me and two of them were real "winners". First off, I was told that they make their Issan style sausage inhouse, so I had to order it.
This was a pleasant surprise….a wonderful version of Issan style Thai sausage. First off, it had a pleasant "snap" to it from the casing. The filling was fairly light and satisfying and there was a bit of heat to it….which most Thai Sausages do not have. Also, as you can tell by the photo to the right….look at all the herbs….wonderful anise-citrus-herbal tones. This is by far my favorite version in San Diego to date.
In fact we always get two orders……….
I also ordered the "Lao Beef Salad"; which ended up being more like Neua Nam Tok then what I would call proper Lao style as it was missing the bitter tones of Lao cuisine usually provided by beef bile, like I learned during my cooking class in Luang Prabang. Still, this was quite interesting as I was asked how I wanted my beef done, something that is not the norm in most places where you order Nam Tok. I said "medium" and it was delivered as such.
Good lord….this was so good. While not overly spicy (I got medium), the beef was of decent quality, it was tender, beefy, the amount of lime juice was perfect, the toasted rice powder added a wonderful nuttiness, good amount of herbs….mint and cilantro…perhaps just missing enough lemongrass. Wonderful balance of fish sauce to palm sugar….I'm not ashamed to say; this was better than what I make at home. Though when I've had it as takeout; I was never asked for doneness and it was never quite as amazing as what I had dining in.
The dish that was perhaps a "bridge too far" was the Curry Noodles, Duck Confit, Fermented Mustard Greens.
The duck confit was fine, tender, decent flavor, nicely done. The yellow curry had too much bitterness for my palate; it also had a greasy "tongue feel" for me. There wasn't enough fermented mustard greens (typical Chinese market product) to help cut the bitter-greasiness. The "noodles" were mushy and overcooked.
Still, that sausage and beef salad……and so, it started. I brought some sausage home for the Missus and She enjoyed it. And we started ordering off of the ever changing menu.
Here's a rundown.
Hat Yai Fried Chicken – named after the ubiquitous southern Thai style fried chicken.
The Missus likes this as it holds up well as takeout. Nice soy flavors, we enjoy the fried shallot topping. There's a hint of sweetness but it doesn't over-power the dish.
Another favorite of the Missus is the Stir Fried Eggplant with Basil – it does look quite greasy, but is perfectly stir fried and creamy.
The Missus also always orders the Stir Fried Morning Glory….aka Ong Choi, not sure on this one at the portion is quite small for the price ($8).
But She enjoys it……
A big surprise for me was the Grilled Sirloin with Beef Tallow Fried Rice. I had ordered it medium, but it was cooked beyond that.
The beef was surprisingly tender….not what I was expecting. It was nicely seasoned with fish sauce and well browned, the crispy shallots were a nice touch. The fried rice was nicely seasoned, not overly salty, not quite sure if I could make out what "beef tallow" brought to the table here as I expected more mild beefiness, but the dish was quite nice overall.
The Missus also enjoyed the Thai Basil Beef a very standard Thai dish.
First off, the egg was still wonderfully runny even after the trip home. The beef was fairly tender and was nicely coated in a very balanced sauce as it wasn't overly salty or sweet, the anise tones of Thai Basil came across nicely as well.
The Missus enjoyed the Regal Crest Farms Chicken Larb.
I thought this to be a bit underwhelming. Not enough fish sauce, the chicken was on the mealy side in terms of texture….it was too mild in terms of spiciness; we ordered it medium thinking in terms of Sab E Lee, but this had barely any spice at all. It needed more chicken-savory tones….but hey, the Missus enjoyed it.
So there you go, an overview of dishes from Sovereign Thai. The menu is ever changing……the folks here joke that they've seen me more in 3 weeks then during their time at Thai Papaya. The food is interesting, though the Missus still longs for Her "usual" at Thai Papaya. At least that Thai sausage is to our taste. 
You know, I go way back to the "beginning" with Sab E Lee, when Koby ran the place. I remember the joy when Koby found a purveyor of beef worthy of koi soi. I've witnessed the evolution and changes after Koby left; Sab E Lee in Santee, the expansion to Rancho Penasquitos….when favorites like salted fish fried rice, som tom khai kem, and other dishes were removed from the menu to accommodate "tastes".
To me, this is just the next step in the legacy of the "true" Original Sab E Lee…….. This is not TOSEL or Thai Papaya.
Hours are evolving as the shop finds its footing. There's a skeleton staff right now. As my good friend Candice said; "it's a tough spot, I hope they do well!" Yes, they are good people, I hope they do well.
Sovereign Thai Cuisine
1460 J Street
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Tuesday 4pm – 9pm
Wed – Thurs 12pm – 230pm, 4pm – 9pm
Fri – Sun 12pm – 9pm
prices are reasonable, the woman working the counter is so nice….she even remembered my name after my second visit! And I love supporting these type of local businesses.
