Inside Anajak, chef Justin Pichetrungsi blends Thai tradition, Los Angeles culture, and creative experimentation to create one of the city’s most exciting dining destinations.
This article is presented in partnership with Chase.
Tucked along a stretch of Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, Anajak Thai has quietly become one of Los Angeles’ most compelling dining rooms, not by clinging to tradition or abandoning it, but by embracing the tension between both. For chef and owner Justin Pichetrungsi, the restaurant represents something deeper than a menu or a space. It’s a reflection of identity, one that’s constantly evolving.
“Our restaurant is equally Thai and equally not Thai,” Pichetrungsi says. “It’s equally Los Angeles and equally American. It’s immigrant cuisine, but it’s also none of those things at the same time.”
That philosophy has become the defining spirit of Anajak, which tops Infatuation LA’s list of highest-rated restaurants. What began as a modest neighborhood Thai restaurant run by Pichetrungsi’s family has transformed into a destination that captures the complexity of modern Los Angeles dining. The food pulls from generations of Thai cooking while weaving in global influences, local ingredients, and a dose of the chef’s own curiosity.
For Pichetrungsi, that balance is exactly the point: “Being a chef is expressing yourself, your background, the ideas of the world in different dishes.”
But Anajak’s evolution hasn’t just happened on the plate. The restaurant itself has grown into something of a cultural hub, where food, wine, music, and community intersect. On any given night, the dining room hums with energy — longtime regulars sharing space with visiting chefs, food obsessives, and first-timers who’ve traveled across the city after hearing whispers about the place. Meanwhile, collaborations, pop-ups, and special events have helped transform Anajak into a gathering point for the broader Los Angeles food scene.
Partners have also played a role in helping the restaurant expand its reach beyond the dining room by supporting events and chef collaborations throughout the city, such as the Chase x Boardroom Power Players Dinner hosted by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman during NBA All-Star Weekend. That support has allowed Pichetrungsi and his team to push the restaurant forward while remaining grounded in the spirit that first made it special.
At its core, Anajak is still about creating moments.
“I love restaurants because in a really great one, you can see all aspects of life happen,” Pichetrungsi says. “You can see all the hopes and dreams of people. And if it’s really well done, you just forget everything and enjoy. That’s what Anajack is to me.”
At Anajak, that sense of escape — equal parts intimate, chaotic, creative, and comforting — might be the most memorable dish of all.
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