Post #53646 by Formikahini on Fri, Oct 3, 2003 9:52 AM

Oh! Oh! Hit the Thai Palm (or Palms) on Hollywood Blvd, right in the middle of Little Thailand (in a strip mall). Here's a write-up I did of an earlier trip there:

Partook in the MOTHER of all Elvis evenings here in LA. Robert Lopez, aka El Vez, took me to this amazing Thai restaurant (Thai Palm or Palms, on Hollywood between Western and Normandy) where they had an Elvis impersonator. But that's not all - before the Thai impersonator (Kevin Phuongsong, I think), Ghassan, the Lebanese Elvis impersonator, went on. Kevin was red jumpsuit, HEINous glasses, big platform shoes, great voice - WITH Thai accent.

Ghassan opted for the casual look: no costume, save flipping up the collar, but he did MOVE, and I mean including every great clichéd Elvis hand movement, even when he did Tom Jones or Neil Diamond songs. His singing was impeccable. Both posed like pros when I whipped out the camera, which I did with squealing delight every few minutes. Ghassan gave me several "knowing" looks. It was surreal: sitting with the Mexican Elvis, watching a Lebanese Elvis/Tom Jones and a Thai Elvis, all while eating the best Thai food I've ever had. We had wild boar, morning glory stems in garlic, some kinda Thai beef tartar – you name it, it was cheap and delicious. (We ordered anything and everything we wanted, but no cocktails, and spent $20 a piece!). We were almost the only Anglos in there, too. Apparently, Thai people go see Elvis impersonators on their own time, too. Robert whispered insightful running commentary, e.g., "Oh! Moment of tension - he had to choose between posing for your camera and looking at the words that he couldn't remember." I was in pain stifling my laughter the entire meal, which I had to, as we were THE front row center table.

We decided that Ghassan probably ought to mine the unexplored field of Tom Jones impersonators. Needs: poodle-permed dark hair, tight tight pants, bulge, open shirt, chains. Simple! For the do-it-yourselfer like these guys (karaoke machine) a pop-up panty projectile device would be great.