1/3/2024 0 Comments New hot pot restaurant chicago![]() ![]() Many of them were on student visas that restricted their employment options and ended up finding work in restaurant kitchens and other food businesses, according to Padoongpatt. Thai people started immigrating to the US in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. “So when (Thai people) come to the United States, they then have to navigate their identity in relation to food.” “Food became the place where a lot of Americans came to understand Thai people for the first time,” Padoongpatt said. In one example detailed in his book, a White woman named Marie Wilson accompanied her husband on a stint in Thailand teaching English and published the cookbook “Siamese Cookery” upon her return. An expanded American footprint in the country meant that ordinary Americans were able to travel to Thailand and experience its food, which set the stage for the eventual interest in Thai cuisine back home, Padoongpatt said. The US established a strategic relationship with Thailand in the 1960s as it sought to prevent the spread of communism in the region. To understand how Thai restaurants became so widespread in the US, you have to go back to US intervention in southeast Asia during the Cold War, said Mark Padoongpatt, an associate 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.” It’s also, in some ways, the story of Thai food in the US. Over the last few years, he’s overhauled the menu and transformed Anajak into a culinary hotspot.Īnajak’s evolution from a hole-in-the-wall joint to foodie favorite has been a decades-long process. Still, Thai food has struggled to shed a reputation of being cheap takeout fare - something that Pichetrungsi has been trying to change since 2019, when he left his job as an art director at Disney to take over Anajak full time. Thai is now one of the nation’s most popular cuisines, with more than 10,000 restaurants in the US despite Thai people making up about 0.1% of the nation’s overall population. “Our diasporic cuisine became part of the rotation of American takeout,” Pichetrungsi said. The restaurant’s original, multi-page menu in the ‘80s listed around 60 dishes - among them pad thai, pad see-ew and panang curry - that introduced American diners to the flavors of Thailand while remaining approachable.įorty years later, Anajak - and Thai food in the US - has come a long way. The Sherman Oaks eatery, started by Pichetrungsi’s father Rick Pichetrungsi, was one of the first Thai restaurants in L.A., according to Pichetrungsi. They just thought it was spicy Chinese food, said Justin Pichetrungsi, the restaurant’s current head chef and owner. Laojiumen Hotpot Chicago has a limited capacity due to the COVID crisis, so be sure to make a reservation via their Yelp page before you visit.When Anajak Thai opened in 1981, most people who walked into the Los Angeles restaurant weren’t familiar with Thai cuisine. ![]() It’s social, relaxed, and has the exceptional food that you’ve been missing for these past few months. This kind of shared eating event is the perfect choice if you’re just getting back to in-person dining. ![]() Laojiumen Hotpot Chicago also has a great sauce station, so there’s plenty of opportunities to try new flavors and customize your hot pot meal. Once you’re safely seated, choose from plenty of broth options, plus lots of well-portioned meats, vegetarian options, and classic accompaniments. The restaurant feels comfortable yet upscale, and boasts plenty of social distancing and enhanced hygiene practices. Laojiumen Hotpot Chicago is now open on South Clark Street, and offers an all-you-can-eat hot pot experience in a classy, clean environment. The crispy, cool Chicago weather can only mean one thing: It’s soup season! There’s a new hot pot restaurant in Chinatown, and it’s a great place to warm up with a satisfying meal. ![]()
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