The Spicy Evolution of Thai Food in the USA: Beyond Pad Thai

 INTRO:

               When Anajak Thai first opened its doors in 1981, the Los Angeles food scene was in for a spicy surprise. Back then, most patrons strolling into the restaurant had little clue about Thai cuisine. They often mistook it for fiery Chinese fare, according to the anecdotes of Justin Pichetrungsi, the current culinary captain and proprietor of this establishment. Anajak Thai, founded by Justin's father, Rick Pichetrungsi, stood as one of the pioneering Thai restaurants in the City of Angels. In those early days, their multi-page menu, adorned with around 60 delectable dishes, including the familiar pad thai, pad see-ew, and panang curry, introduced American diners to the tantalizing flavors of Thailand while keeping things approachable. Fast forward four decades, and Anajak, alongside Thai cuisine in the US, has embarked on an impressive culinary journey, transforming from a humble hole-in-the-wall joint to a sought-after foodie destination. But this transformation isn't unique; it mirrors the broader story of Thai cuisine's rise in the United States.

Outlines:

• A Spicy Start: How Thai Food Landed in the USA
• Beyond Pad Thai: Thai Cuisine's Delicious Diversification
• Thai Cuisine Today: A Flavorful Renaissance

A Spicy Start: How Thai Food Landed in the USA:

                   To trace the roots of Thai cuisine's popularity in the US( i use to  have this thought in my head before now ), we must hop on a time machine back to the era of US intervention in Southeast Asia during the Cold War. As Mark Padoongpatt, an erudite professor of Asian American studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the author of "Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America," points out, this is where the spice trail begins. In the 1960s, the US established a strategic partnership with Thailand in its bid to thwart the spread of communism in the region. This newfound alliance meant that everyday Americans could now travel to Thailand and savor its exotic cuisine, laying the groundwork for a burgeoning interest in Thai flavors back home. As a case in point, there's the story of Marie Wilson, a White woman who accompanied her husband during his teaching stint in Thailand and, upon returning to the US, published the cookbook "Siamese Cookery." This culinary adventure ignited the American fascination with Thai cuisine. As Padoongpatt aptly puts it, "Food became the place where a lot of Americans came to understand Thai people for the first time." The Thai migration to the US began in the late '60s and '70s, with many immigrants initially holding student visas. These visas restricted their employment options, nudging them toward restaurant kitchens and other food-related endeavors. Rick Pichetrungsi, Justin's father, was among these brave immigrants, embarking on his American journey at the tender age of 18. After more than a decade of toiling in various Los Angeles restaurants, he took the bold step of opening Anajak Thai. Anajak Thai and its contemporaries predominantly served Central Thai stir-fries, curries, and a sprinkle of Chinese dishes like wonton soup, all designed to entice less adventurous palates. However, creating authentic Thai flavors back then posed quite the challenge. Many quintessential Thai ingredients were scarce in the US, forcing chefs to make creative substitutions. Rick Pichetrungsi, for instance, ingeniously used jalapenos instead of Thai chilis and white sugar as a substitute for palm sugar in the northeastern Thai dipping sauce nam jim. "These were assimilated flavors," Justin Pichetrungsi explains. "It was his way of finding the American counterpart to create that Thai flavor."

Beyond Pad Thai: Thai Cuisine's Delicious Diversification:

                      As time meandered forward, Anajak Thai gradually became a beloved neighborhood haunt with a devoted following. Simultaneously, Thai immigrants across the nation opened similar restaurants, cementing Thai cuisine's foothold in the American culinary landscape. So popular did Thai cuisine become that even the Thai government took note. In the early 2000s, they initiated a program to train Thai chefs and dispatch them worldwide to open Thai restaurants. The goal? Encourage tourism to Thailand by making Thai dishes like pad thai as synonymous with Thai culture as the Big Mac is with McDonald's. Despite these efforts to standardize Thai restaurant offerings, some Thai restaurateurs began venturing beyond the well-trodden path. Take, for instance, the illustrious chef Saipin Chutima and her husband Bill, who unveiled Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas in 1999. Here, diners were introduced to the northern Thai recipes passed down through generations in Saipin's family. Another visionary on the Thai culinary scene was Andy Ricker, founder and chef behind the renowned Pok Pok restaurant group. Ricker, a White American with a deep affection for Thailand, opened Pok Pok in Portland, Oregon, in 2005, spurred by his frustration at not finding authentic Chiang Mai and Bangkok fare in US establishments. His venture rose to prominence, serving regional staples like kai yaang and khao soi before eventually expanding to other cities. Padoongpatt, who counts Ricker as a friend, credits him with pushing the boundaries of regional Thai cuisine and Thai street food in the US. However, it's worth noting that Thai immigrants were not devoid of culinary creativity; they merely weighed the risks of introducing unfamiliar dishes to their American patrons. "It tells you something about race and food in America—that it took someone like Andy Ricker to break that door open," Padoongpatt muses. Yet, it's essential to remember that numerous Thai chefs were already tiptoeing along this culinary tightrope. In 2011, Hong Thaimee, a Chiang Mai native, opened Ngam (later renamed Thaimee Table) in New York's East Village, heralding "modern Thai comfort food." Rather than serving her customers an exact replica of her childhood Thai cuisine, she honored classic Thai flavor combinations while adapting dishes to suit a Western palate. For instance, she reimagined northern Thai sausage as a Thai burger, a move that proved to be a resounding success. In those years, Chicago Thai restaurants even boasted secret menus that catered to Thai customers and adventurous American food enthusiasts. These clandestine menus featured daring, lesser-known dishes favored by kitchen staff. Gradually, as Americans' culinary horizons expanded, they started clamoring for these off-menu delights. Consequently, Thai chefs felt emboldened to serve the kind of food they truly relished. "Fast forward 20 some years, the secret menus are the regular menus now," observes Leela Punyaratabandhu, a prolific food writer and cookbook author.

Thai Cuisine Today: A Flavorful Renaissance:

                    Today, Thai cuisine in the US stands at the zenith of its culinary journey. An increasing number of restaurants now specialize in specific regional Thai cuisines, whether it's the fiery, pungent flavors of Isan in the northeast or the Malaysian- and Indonesian-influenced curries of the south. Thai American chefs, such as Justin Pichetrungsi, continue to defy stereotypes and misconceptions about what defines Thai food. Anajak's menu, for instance, showcases southern Thai fried chicken and haw mok, a steamed fish curry custard. "We've transcended the common staples within our cuisine, like pad thai and pad see ew," Pichetrungsi proudly proclaims. "People are delving much deeper." In addition to their ever-evolving, seasonal dinner menu, Anajak, under Pichetrungsi's expert guidance, now offers Thai Taco Tuesdays and monthly Thai omakase meals, earning them critical acclaim. The Los Angeles Times crowned Anajak as the restaurant of the year in 2022, and Pichetrungsi himself clinched a prestigious James Beard Award for the best chef in California. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a long shadow over the restaurant industry, causing Pichetrungsi to walk a culinary tightrope. He yearns to showcase the innovation inherent in Thai cuisine but remains wary of removing familiar comforts like pad thai from the menu. As he humorously quips, "Pad thai pays for the party." While diners may not yet be ready to bid adieu to pad thai, Pichetrungsi hopes that establishments like Anajak will encourage them to rediscover Thai food with fresh eyes—and perhaps even embark on a flavorful adventure. "I hope that people realize that Thai food is just as worthy, eventful, and night-out-worthy as any other cuisine," Pichetrungsi muses.