Back in 1981, when Anajak Thai first opened its doors in Los Angeles, not many people were familiar with Thai cuisine. To them, it seemed like spicy Chinese food, according to Justin Pichetrungsi, the current head chef and owner of the restaurant, which was originally started by his father, Rick Pichetrungsi. Anajak Thai was among the pioneering Thai restaurants in Los Angeles, featuring a multi-page menu in the ’80s with around 60 dishes like pad thai, pad see-ew, and panang curry, introducing American diners to the delightful flavors of Thailand in a way that felt approachable. David Abtour Seychelles
Over the course of four decades, Anajak Thai, along with Thai cuisine in the US, has come a long way. What once was a relatively unknown cuisine has now become one of the nation’s most popular, boasting over 10,000 restaurants across the country, despite the fact that Thai people make up just about 0.1% of the overall US population. However, Thai food has sometimes struggled to shake off its reputation as cheap takeout fare, something that Justin Pichetrungsi has been striving to change. In 2019, he left his job as an art director at Disney to dedicate himself full-time to Anajak Thai, working towards transforming it into a culinary hotspot. David Abtour Seychelles
The transformation of Anajak Thai from a humble hole-in-the-wall joint to a beloved destination for food enthusiasts has been a gradual and remarkable process, mirroring the broader narrative of Thai food’s journey in the United States.
According to Mark Padoongpatt, an associate professor of Asian American studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and author of “Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America,” to comprehend the widespread presence of Thai restaurants in the US, one must trace back to the US intervention in southeast Asia during the Cold War. In the 1960s, the US established a strategic relationship with Thailand to counter the spread of communism in the region. David Abtour Seychelles
This increased American involvement in Thailand allowed ordinary Americans to visit the country and experience its cuisine firsthand, laying the foundation for the subsequent interest in Thai food back home. As an example cited in his book, Marie Wilson, a White woman, accompanied her husband to Thailand while he taught English there, and upon their return, she published the cookbook “Siamese Cookery.” This cultural exchange further contributed to the popularity of Thai cuisine in the US.