I was born in Bangkok and raised in Los Angeles, spending almost every weekend of my childhood at Thai temples in both North Hollywood and La Puente. I performed Thai classical dance at restaurant openings in our community and practically every Songkran festival in the city ; these gigs were always followed by extravagant meals of curries, sticky rice, and foil-wrapped jerky at whichever local Thai spot we happened to be near. All of this is to say that in my 31 years as a Thai Angeleno, I intimately know and love the Thai food scene here.
Los Angeles is home to the only Thai Town in the United States, which also, in my opinion, makes it the best place to eat Thai food in the country. Across the county, you can find rare dried cotton flower noodle soup, scoops of pandan-scented ice cream , platters of fried fish, and yes, endless plates of pad Thai . Here are my favorite places to go that transport me back to Thailand.
For this update, we removed Miya, which has been temporarily closed due to its proximity to the Eaton Fire in Altadena; Sri Siam in North Hollywood; Panvimarn in Long Beach; Rad Na Silom, which looks temporarily closed; and Tasty Food in Long Beach. New additions include Hollywood Thai, Kanomwaan, Mix Bowl Cafe, Luv2eat Thai Bistro, and Chiang Rai. Anajak Thai Cuisine Four-decade-old Anajak Thai is more than just a James Beard award-winning family restaurant.
During the pandemic, the Valley staple became a dining destination for second-generation owner Justin P.