Noodle Nirvana leaves patrons on a pink cloud

By Frank Sabatini Jr. | SDUN Dining Critic

Ignore the sign for Kitima Thai Cuisine hovering above the restaurant’s new white and hot-pink awning. It will inevitably come down now that the owners have performed cosmetic surgery by giving the venue a sassy new identity and changing 50 percent of its menu.

Enter Pink Noodle, owned by Kitty Bushyakanist and business partner Adam Caughron. The duo felt it was time for a change and, with pink being Bushyakanist’s favorite color, the new concept was born.

“This was a perfect idea for the gay community of Hillcrest, and it’s been my dream to try this,” said Bushyakanist, Kitima’s founder, who also operates Kitima Extraordinary Thai in La Jolla, another establishment she’s considering converting into Pink Noodle.

On University Avenue, the space is now adorned with Bushyakanist’s hand-painted tables and a collection of framed, embellished greeting cards hanging prettily throughout the dining room. The mostly white walls are surprised by splashes of vibrant pink, also splattered on handrails leading to a refreshed second-level dining area. Compared to Kitima’s dark, earthy tones, Pink Noodle gives the impression of a light summer breeze.

Visiting with a lunch cohort, we zeroed in on some of the new dishes, beginning with “krisy crabs,” an amusing typo for “krispy,” admitted Caughron. The crab meat combines with a dash of cream cheese hidden within feather-light flutes of fried rice paper. The menu mentions corn and onions in the filling, but we couldn’t detect them. Nonetheless, we polished them off with gusto.

Another appetizer, ko ko shrimp, features the common coconut batter seen often in American-Polynesian restaurants, except this isn’t as greasy or overly cloying. Consider it a perfect primer for launching into some of the spicier dishes that rank safely as “3s” on a scale of 10.

An order of thom yum goong soup proved the mildest dish, marked by a star for “spicy.” Lemon grass plays prominently in this clean, soothing chicken broth that’s stocked with meaty shrimp and perfectly cooked vegetables. On hot days, it’s a fine alternative to the much heavier thom kha kai spiked with coconut milk.

You’ll be remiss if you ignore the new signature dish, titled Pink Lady, a rendition of the traditional Thai dish known as Mi Ga Ti. The rice noodles are as thin as angel hair, the curry sauce incorporates a silky peanut flavor, and the noodles, dyed pink from the juice of purple carrots and beets, are tossed with ultra-tender chicken, cubed tofu, scallions and crispy bean sprouts. Coconut milk adds a luxurious creamy finish and fools you into thinking that dairy is involved.

My companion opted for kra-pow, which at first bite resembled kung pao chicken. The difference,however, is the upsurge of herbs and sweet-tasting chili sauce as you fork through. The spice level is milder than the Pink Lady, just enough to tickle the nose rather than inflame the taste buds.

From the revamped cocktail list, a signature martini, blending Han Vodka with lychee and raspberry purée, strikes an elegant pink hue—thus the name “Pink Princess.” Like the French Kiss, which combines pineapple and cranberry juices, the alcohol is disguised by the fruits’ thirst-quenching flavors. Both cocktails are tailor-made for the dog days of August.

Generous meal portions made it impossible to try the FBI (fried bananas with ice cream), although we did manage to slurp down a few tablespoons of icy, homemade mango and coconut ice cream, each with judicious measures of sugar.

It was the perfect end to our visit and we left with refreshed palates, floating on a pink cloud.