Seeking bliss? There are several options available to you. There’s a nice Cistercian monastery I can recommend, and I know of a really good ashram. Or, then again, if neither is your cup of tea, there’s always meditation. But if you’re in a hurry — if, in other words, you want to get from here to serenity as quickly as possible, your best bet is the always reliable Golden Room (1209 Montrose, 524-9614). It’s a pleasure just stepping into this place. But what really sends me into raptures is the ka prao moo ($9.95 at dinner) — stir-fried pork served with onions and a mound of nicely gummy rice shaped to look like Texas, of all things. It’s incongruous, yes, but believe me, you’ll be so blissed out, it’s unlikely that you’ll notice.
This article appears in Sep 10-16, 1998.