Anajak Thai

For most of its 43-year history, Anajak Thai served as a dependable, straightforward Thai restaurant serving the community of Sherman Oaks, in the San Fernando Valley. That all changed in 2019, when Justin Pichetrungsi, son of the founder-owners, took over the management of the restaurant and began to make some changes. The playlist was modernised (and turned way up), the Pichetrungsi family recipes were retooled using California’s stellar farmer’s market produce, caviar supplements were made available and, most significantly, a proper wine program was created to complement the newfound finesse of the food.

Pichetrungsi’s instincts were spot on. Since taking over, he and his team have made Anajak one of LA’s most beloved, buzzed-about dining and drinking destinations. Awards and rave reviews have piled up, too: most recently, Pichetrungsi took home the ‘Best Chef: California’ prize at the 2023 James Beard Awards. Not surprisingly, reservations are pretty tough to come by – particularly for the Thursday night omakase menu – and lines for no-reservations Thai Taco Tuesdays (TTT) often stretch down the block.

It’s very much worth the effort, though, as it’s hard to imagine a restaurant that more succinctly reflects LA’s melting-pot identity. Where else can one drink a bottle of aged German Riesling, listen to classic hip hop turned up to 11 and feast on some of the freshest, most delicious Thai cooking around?

The wine list is just a double-sided sheet of oversized paper but, boy, do they cram it in! (Warning: bring your magnifying glass as the font size lies somewhere between microscopic and the bottom line of the eye doctor’s chart.) Wine Director Ian Krupp’s program is heavy on France and Germany, and rounded out by a smattering of thoughtful choices from further afield. Pricing is a bit on the high side, but there is still plenty of reasonably-priced drinking to be had, as well as a few real bargains at the upper end of the spectrum.

Champagnes often on offer include wines from Selosse, Chavost and Amaury Beaufort, among others, backed up by a surprisingly deep well of white and red Burgundy that runs the gamut from the bleeding edge of hip (think Vincent Dancer, Chanterêves, Nicolas Faure, Les Horées, et al) to blue-chips like Roulot, Cathiard and Fourrier. You’ll also find multiple selections from some of the brightest stars in the German winescape, such as benchmarks from Klaus-Peter Keller and deeper cuts from the likes of Wasenhaus and WongAmat.