Anajak Thai

Rick Pichetrungsi opened Anajak Thai on Ventura Boulevard in 1981, when Sherman Oaks had almost no Thai restaurants and diners still asked for wonton soup. Son Justin Pichetrungsi, after years in entertainment design, returned to the kitchen around 2019 and rebuilt the room around his father’s Thai and Cantonese-leaning recipes plus a serious natural-wine list, seasonal specials, and formats the Valley did not expect from a neighborhood Thai shop. Expect wok-fired plates, Southern Thai-style fried chicken, laab tot, whole grilled fish, curries, and Thai Taco Tuesday (a pandemic-era taco and tostada night that now takes reservations). A periodic Thai omakase remains one of the city’s hardest bookings. The Los Angeles Times named Anajak Restaurant of the Year in 2022; Justin won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California in 2023. Michelin lists the restaurant with a Plate (not a Bib Gourmand or star). À la carte hours often run evenings Wednesday through Sunday; confirm live service and Thai Taco Tuesday rules on anajakthai.com. Reservations help weeks ahead.

Public reviews praise the fried chicken, spice and wok heat, wine guidance, and a buzzy Valley room that still feels like a neighborhood hang. Recurring friction includes reservation scarcity, Ventura Boulevard traffic, a check that climbs with wine, and formats (TTT, omakase) that sell out fast. Diners who like it usually book à la carte or Taco Tuesday for a special Thai night, not a quick takeout pad Thai stop.