Restaurant: Holy Basil
Location: 2828 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Date: December 12, 2025
Cuisine: Thai
Rating: A Fun Birthday Buyout (Watch the Salt!)
Jeff wanted to do something special for his birthday, so he bought out Holy Basil for a private dinner. This intimate Thai spot in mid-town Santa Monica, not far from 26th Street, has been generating buzz since it opened. A private buyout means you get the chef’s full attention, a custom menu, and the whole space to yourself—perfect for celebrating with friends.
Holy Basil is helmed by Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu and honed his craft in top kitchens across Asia and North America. His philosophy centers on authentic Thai flavors with a modern sensibility—using locally sourced ingredients alongside imported Thai specialties. The result is food that’s vibrant, bold, and uncompromising in its spice levels.
The open kitchen setting, with our group gathered around ready for the evening’s adventure.
Holy Basil has a cute but small space in mid-town Santa Monica—intimate and perfect for a private buyout.
Jeff’s special birthday menu, crafted just for tonight.
Lhon – Crab meat and uni with lemongrass coconut cream on puri. Delicious. This was a gorgeous opening—the sweet crab and briny uni playing against the aromatic coconut cream, all scooped up on those crispy puri. A perfect way to start.
Maing Khum – Betel leaf wrap with coconut flakes, nuts, and shrimp. Delicious little puff. These one-bite wonders are classic Thai—the interplay of textures and flavors all wrapped up in a leaf is endlessly satisfying.
Salted egg brown butter local calamari – Yummy, a touch sweet. The salted egg adds that characteristic savory-sweet richness that makes everything it touches irresistible. The calamari was tender and nicely fried.
Gog chaa nam pla – Aguachile with raw Caledonian blue shrimp. Woah were these spicy! Good though, very bright. If you’re sensitive to heat, be warned—this dish doesn’t hold back. But the shrimp were pristine, the citrus notes cutting through beautifully.
Cabbage salad – Toasted almond with sukiyaki sauce. Pretty spicy too. The cabbage provided nice crunch, but this was another dish that brought the heat. Noticing a theme here…
Bangkok fried rice – Crab and jasberry rice. Subtle and delicious. Finally, some restraint! The jasberry rice had a gorgeous purple-black color and slightly nutty flavor, and the crab was generous. One of my favorites of the night.
Giant tiger prawn kaeng kari – A gorgeous presentation, that massive prawn nestled in yellow curry. Rich and aromatic with all those warm curry spices.
Pla tod – Santa Barbara fried vermillion rockfish. The whole fried fish was beautifully crispy, that local rockfish yielding sweet, flaky flesh under a shatteringly crisp exterior.
Another angle on that stunning fried fish collar—the glazed, bronzed skin and tender flesh underneath.
Chili chicken – Schezwan sauce. Super intense and salty. Look, I appreciate bold flavors, but this one tipped over into too much territory. The seasoning was aggressive enough that it overwhelmed the chicken.
Tom yum risotto – With uni, crab, and caviar. So decadent and delicious. Now THIS is how you do fusion. The tangy, aromatic tom yum broth infused into creamy risotto, topped with those luxurious additions. Dish of the night, easily.
A4 New York strip – Thai basil chimichurri. Salty! Unfortunately, the salt issues returned here. A4 wagyu deserves to shine on its own, and the over-seasoning detracted from what should have been a highlight.
Key lime pie – Or something similar. A refreshing citrus dessert to cut through all those bold flavors from dinner.
Lemongrass rice pudding brûlée – Super sweet but delicious. The lemongrass perfumed this creamy dessert beautifully, and that caramelized top provided nice textural contrast. Maybe dial back the sugar a touch, but I still cleaned my plate.
Jeff with Chef Deau at the end of the night.
This was a really fun night and some great eats. The private buyout format worked beautifully for Jeff’s birthday celebration—the intimate space felt like our own little party, and the custom menu showed off Chef Deau’s range. That said, a few dishes ran too salty (looking at you, chili chicken and that A4 steak), and the spice levels throughout were aggressive even by my standards.
The standouts were clear: that incredible tom yum risotto with its luxury toppings was worth the visit alone, and the Bangkok fried rice with its subtle, nuanced flavors showed what the kitchen can do when restraint is applied. The opening bites—the lhon and maing khum—were also spot-on.
Would I return? Yes, but probably à la carte so I can cherry-pick the dishes that work best. And I’d specify “mild on the salt” if that’s even an option.
