Bargain Bite: Ran Kanom Thai Noodle, San Pablo
In 2011, Ekchit opened the first Ran Kanom, a Thai snack shop selling hard-to-find prepared dishes, in Richmond's Pacific East Mall, and two months ago followed that up with this second venture.
First-time diners tend to linger over the refrigerator case and marvel over the basil-flavored potato chips and dried fruits on the shelves.
Choose from the likes of hollow-stemmed morning glory greens stir-fried with garlic and chiles; a ground-chicken omelet whose bubbly surface is crisped in hot oil; and the blaring spice of a salted-egg salad with onions, herbs and lime.