Anajak Thai Cuisine

Of course, national fame has changed this beloved second-generation Thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks, where James Beard award-winning chef Justin Pichetrungsi holds court over Anajak’s infamously busy Thai Taco Tuesdays (where, on a good day, you’ll wait only a hour to be seated—unless you’re a celebrity, of course), plus an à la carte dinner service full of seasonality and nuanced flavor. I found the food here generally delicious and refined, from the must-order hat yai fried chicken to the enormous river prawns with nam jim sauce. The customer service and consistency of the kitchen has also improved in the last few years. Would I show up at 4pm for it, though, or resort to booking a table through Dorsia for a $95 per head minimum? Probably not, but if you do manage to get a table, you’ll have an excellent meal.