LAReview
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Anajak Thai
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Fame is a tricky beast. Just ask the person who invented Beanie Babies or anyone who's tried aging in Hollywood. The spotlight is an enviable place to be, but the brighter it gets, the harder it becomes to sustain. And the spotlight is very much on Anajak. The family-run Thai restaurant has been the subject of national awards, heady think pieces, and reservation waitlists that stretch on for months. Hell, it’s been our highest-rated restaurant on the site since 2021. And yet, with so much effort required to get a table, what most people really want to know is if eating there is worth the hassle. Our answer remains an unequivocal yes.
Because at this boundary-decimating restaurant in Sherman Oaks, dinner is not just a meal. It’s an all-sensory experience, highlighted by deep family heritage, a devout adherence to sourcing and sustainability, and some of the best damn food you’ll eat in Los Angeles.
The lore of Anajak stems from its own history—this is not a new restaurant. In fact, the same family has been operating it in the same location since the early '80s. But in 2019, Justin Pichetrungsi, the original owners’ son, started tinkering with the menu, and as the pandemic unfolded, this dependable neighborhood Thai spot transformed into what it is today: A genre-bending destination featuring weekly chef collaborations, curated wine lists, a fancy outdoor omakase, and the only alleyway in LA you want to be seen in after 10pm.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Anajak’s current iteration is broken up into three distinct experiences: Regular dinner service, Taco Tuesday, and the aforementioned outdoor omakase. Each one is equally unique and excellent, but if it’s your first time, go for regular dinner service. This is when you get access to most of the restaurant’s staple dishes, plus get a front-row view into how this place operates. Anajak’s recent ascension might be thanks to the younger generation, but its sustained success is due to the whole family’s continued involvement. The Pichetrungsi matriarch runs front-of-house and various aunts can be seen dashing in and out of the kitchen throughout the night. You’ll eat specials like fried soft shell shrimp sourced from a sustainable farm in Downey and possibly the best-grilled fish in the history of the world—plus bold curries, savory pad siew, and other passed-down family recipes.
If you’ve come looking for a party, Taco Tuesday is your night. Starting each week at 6:15pm (line up no later than 6pm to beat the rush), this is Anajak in its loosest form. There are no reservations, ordering is done at the front counter, and the only place to sit is the side alley—turning a narrow stretch of asphalt usually reserved for dumpsters into a weekly block party. White tablecloths cast dramatic shadows on a massive brick wall. R&B blasts over the speakers. In the back, grills shoot twirling embers into the air like a Fantasia Live! performance. The menu consists of regular favorites like fragrant laab tot—crunchy spiced pork meatballs—and once-a-week dishes like dry-aged fish tacos and an incredible bluefin tuna tostada topped with thick ribbons of Santa Barbara uni. Whatever time you thought you were getting home, add an extra 90 minutes—it’s always that kind of night.
photo credit: Andrea Dagosto
And then there’s the omakase, a multi-course, $195 per-person experience that happens only on Friday and Saturday nights. Getting a reservation can be next to impossible (last we checked, it’s booked out three months in advance), but keep an eye on Anajak’s Instagram stories—last-minute seats open up more frequently than you’d think. Either way, it’s an experience we highly recommend. It’s more intimate and personal than other nights at Anajak, and includes a changing lineup of mostly Thai dishes with experimental and high-end twists, and plating fit for The Broad. That might mean chilled tom kha with scallop, papaya salad topped with locally-sourced amberjack and caviar, or bright orange ikura served on a bed of sake yeast. That it all happens in a back alley on a folding table only solidifies the fun, freewheeling ethos that permeates every inch of this place.
This is a restaurant in constant motion—dishes will be swapped out, table setups will change, their weekly schedule could flip in the blink of an eye. But it’s also why eating at Anajak is so consistently exciting—and why the spotlight isn’t dimming anytime soon.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Food Rundown
photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto
Dry-Aged Grilled Fish
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
TransparentSea Shrimp With Pong Gari Curry
photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto
Bluefin And Uni Tostada
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Roti
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Pork Ribs
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Spicy Drunken Noodles
photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto