Hom Mali by The NoodBar

While the wood-fired Neapolitan spots on 30th Street spend their energy perfecting one thing, Hom Mali sprawls across Southeast Asia with the confidence of a neighborhood kitchen that knows its regulars want options. You're ordering laksa curry noodle soup one week, Hong Kong fried rice the next, and nobody's questioning the logic because the menu is built for people who eat here twice a week and don't want the same thing every time.

The remodel traded whatever came before for grounding neutrals and clean lines—white seats, minimal decor, the kind of reset that signals new ownership with something to prove. The laksa gets consistent praise for depth and spice calibration; it's the dish that turns first-timers into repeat visitors. The mi goreng and fried rice hold their own as carb-forward comfort plays. Drunken noodles land inconsistently—some plates come with wok char and heat, others read dry and under-seasoned. It's the risk you run with a menu this wide.

This is a casual weeknight spot, the kind of place you hit when you want something warm and filling without the ceremony of a longer dinner. Reservations are available but rarely necessary. Outdoor seating works for groups. The beer and wine list is functional, not showy—grab a Singha if you're leaning into the Thai side of the menu.

Come for the laksa, stay because you live six blocks away and sometimes you just need noodles without crossing the 805. It's not trying to be the best at any one thing, and in a neighborhood full of specialists, that's exactly the niche it fills.