Breakfast of Champions

Fifteen years ago, live rock ‘n’ roll exploded again in Hollywood, filling nightclubs that had been dormant since the ‘60s and creating what seemed like an entire class of underemployed bohemians. At the same time, the first wave of Thai places hit Hollywood Boulevard, and the cheap prices, interesting food and late hours--open till 4 a.m.!--made musicians natural customers. And so was born the natural confluence of Thai food and rock ‘n’ roll. At Aradar, at Chao Praya, at Torung, the leather-jacket set slouched toward dawn over prik king , lardnah and the inevitable flaming cauldrons of chicken-coconut soup.