Multi ferment veggie course. Each vegetable is fermented in a different way for different flavors. The seaweed is done in a Tom Yum ferment. Cucumbers in your classic sour asian pickle. Papaya in a peppery lacto ferment. Okra in a spicy white pepper ferment. All 3+ months.
Followed up with Pizza Wagon. Shoulda asked them for extra crispy. But true NY attitude- i said thanks guys on the way out and got a glare from one dude and totally ignored by the other there was a third guy who took my order and he was nice but he escaped to the back i guess
Finally got to try Anajak Thai tonight at an outdoor table for 4. Made my rezzies a month ago.
We had the papaya salad; Lab Tot meatballs; Southern Thai fried chicken; Massaman brisket curry; Pad Siew noodles with chicken; Panang chicken curry; and jasmine rice on the side.
Came out to $41/person after tax and 20% tip in cash.
Not the cheapest Thai, but as someone who cooks using premium meats and poultry at home, I thought the dishes were very good and worth it.
The sauces tasted fresh and made from scratch (many places in SoCal use imported curry paste from a can).
Next visit will be for the infamous TTT. Would love to try the Omakase, but it’d have to be a 2-top.
Saw Chef Justin walking around early in our meal and I waved him over and our table got to chat with him about how he got into the family food biz and I also asked him about being a former Disney imagineer. Cool guy, confident, yet down to earth.
I also dined at Anjak last night for the first time (@foodshutterbug were you inside or outside?).
I thought the food was very delicious, and it is probably the best Thai restaurant in LA that I have been to, although I simply do not agree with the LA Times’ “Restaurant of the Year” accolade. It’s good, but it’s not that good.
However…of our party of six, three of us reported abnormal stomach issues, including food poisoning symptoms, following the meal…
I have the same view, though admittedly, it’s kind of hard to assess, because LA Times’ view is based on the omakase which seems like a completely unattainable reservations.
I certainly didn’t go because of it. I don’t rely on LAT’s RotY, the 101 and other lists.
It seems like the awardees for the last 3 years received it for taking a unique approach to their situation (e.g. O&W and Covid; AT and their creative use of kitchen scraps, Omakase and guerilla marketing re TTT, etc.), but what do I know shrugs
If it were an old fashioned beauty pageant, I’d say they were switching Miss Congeniality with the beauty queen winner
When I’ve had digestive issues after good Thai food in LA I blame myself for not eating that much spicy sour funky fishy stuff with fistfuls of herbs and chiles every day.
But the symptoms are different from food poisoning.
@attran99 ditto to his dad’s curry sauce recipe and the pad thai there is tasty!!! All the wok noodles are good, and his aunt Mango sticky rice is very comforting. I would come back and eat those Thai food again if I’m out that way.