LA Weekly has been running a great food series that they themselves call organized chaos. It's all fun nonetheless.

They asked Los Angeles residents what they think of when they think of Indian or Korean or Midwestern food and then compare those answers to people with a geographical or cultural connection. Then they find out what foods are truly crossing over and which foods are not. Yesterday, they covered Thai food!

Los Angeles residents answering the "unscientific survey" covered many of the topics we've covered here, including: why not all Thai food is spicy, the confluence of cultures in Thailand, and even that Thais do not eat with chopsticks (although some said they prefer chopsticks with noodle dishes). But there were other surprises for non-Thais living in Los Angeles, including that Thai people don't order pad Thai or tom yum soup so much.

"The answers that Thais living in Los Angeles gave very much match what Thai people do in Las Vegas," said Alan Wong, general manager of Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas. "There are some noted exceptions, of course. Thai people do eat pad Thai and tom yum soup, but they don't eat it as often when they go to a restaurant. They would rather order something that they aren't going to make at home."

Still, Wong said he was happy to see plenty of shared dishes, such as pad see ew, pad eke mow, fish cakes, and papaya salads. According to Wong, the crossover shows that Los Angeles residents are slowly being introduced to a greater variety of Thai cuisine.

"Tom yum is one of our most popular dishes because we cook it like they do in Thailand," said Wong. "We take great care to make sure it is served at the right temperature and keep the soup hot for as long as possible. But Thai people are just as likely to order ten ta fo, glass noodles, or even the classic Chinese won ton soup. Instead of pad Thai, Thais are likely to order chopped chicken chilis and mint."

How Thai Food is evolving into an everyday cuisine.

While the article said that most people in the LA Weekly survey admitted to ordering familiar dishes (largely routine dishes), Wong sees the inclusion of the crossover dishes as a step in the right direction. He says that as people eat Thai food more often, especially authentic Thai food, the more they will become impressed with its complexity.

"We have some way to go, but all cuisines face similar challenges. Years ago, Italian restaurants sold more eggplant and chicken parmesan than any other dish," said Wong. "Today, diners order many more dishes from regions all over Italy. Thai cuisine is changing too. People are trying new dishes more often."

Kung Fu Plaza is the oldest and most authentic Thai restaurant in Las Vegas. It originally opened before Americans distinguished the difference between Thai cuisine and Chinese cuisine.

To appease the varied tastes of pre-Thai infusion, the Wong family integrated Thai food into a Chinese menu. The family, with both Thai and Chinese ancestors, is proud to have uncovered many recipes that date back several dozen generations. Prior to opening the restaurant, these recipes were never written down until the restaurant opened in 1973.