Thai Restaurant Near Me in Sherman Oaks: Alleyway Feast at Anajak Thai

Anajak Thai Cuisine occupies a welcoming storefront along the bustling Ventura Boulevard corridor at 14704 Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, standing as a generational beacon for anyone seeking a pioneering Thai restaurant near me in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Founded in 1981 by Bangkok-born Rick Pichetrungsi, the restaurant spent nearly forty years as an intimate neighborhood haven serving beloved pad thais, rich curries, and comforting soups to valley families. In 2019, Rick's son, Chef Justin Pichetrungsi, stepped away from a successful commercial art career to take over the family woks, revitalizing the historic space with world-class natural wines, alleyway taco pop-ups, and contemporary culinary brilliance. Operating Wednesday through Sunday from 4 pm to 9 pm for regular à la carte dinner service, alongside their legendary walk-in Thai Taco Tuesday from 4 pm to 9 pm, Anajak Thai has captured national acclaim including the Los Angeles Times Restaurant of the Year and the James Beard Award for Best Chef California.

The story of Anajak Thai represents one of the most heartwarming evolutions in modern American dining. When Rick Pichetrungsi suffered a stroke in 2019, Justin stepped into the kitchen to preserve his parents' life work, working shoulder-to-shoulder with his mother, Ratana, who still anchors the front dining room with gracious warmth. Rather than discarding the classic menu that sustained generations of local regulars, Justin embraced the dual identity of the restaurant: honoring his father's foundational recipes while introducing seasonal farmers market specials and high-acidity European wines that transform how guests pair beverages with Thai herbs.

During the early pandemic restrictions, Justin pushed dining tables into the narrow brick alleyway alongside the kitchen, firing up outdoor tabletop grills to launch Thai Taco Tuesday, affectionately known as TTT. What began as a spontaneous neighborhood experiment quickly blossomed into a weekly cultural event, drawing Angelenos from across the city to sit beneath string lights on folding chairs while savoring grilled skewers, market fish tostadas, and natural wines poured from magnums. Today, the alleyway remains a cherished component of the dining experience, contrasting the polished wooden booths of the indoor dining room with the casual vibrancy of outdoor street dining.

Dining à la carte at Anajak Thai centers on deep wok heat and exceptional California farm purveyors. The uncontested crown jewel of the savory menu is the Southern-Thai Fried Chicken for $39, featuring a half bird marinated in fish sauce, coriander root, and white pepper, coated in a shatteringly crisp rice-flour crust, and crowned with a fragrant mountain of golden fried shallots alongside a sweet-sour chili dip. Pasta and noodle purists consistently rave over the Pad Thai for $23, which elevates the ubiquitous street classic with chewy rice noodles, tangy tamarind pulp, dried baby shrimp, pressed tofu cubes, and roasted peanuts wok-charred to smoky perfection.

Seafood plates highlight Justin's meticulous ingredient sourcing. The Dungeness Crab Fried Rice for $36 delivers sweet, pristine lumps of local crab meat tossed with fluffy jasmine rice grains, egg ribbons, and scallions, finished with a splash of fiery prik nam pla chili fish sauce. To begin your feast with sharp acidity, the Papaya Salad for $17 tosses shredded green papaya with snap peas, roasted peanuts, sweet sungold tomatoes, and tart seasonal pluots in a lime-palm sugar dressing. Snack lovers should not miss the Laab Tot for $18, which presents crispy northeastern Thai pork meatballs fragrant with toasted rice powder, mint leaves, and lime juice that cut cleanly through rich wine pours.

Beyond the exceptional food, Anajak Thai has earned international renown for possessing one of the most adventurous and comprehensive natural wine cellars in the United States. Curated by Chef Justin and his dedicated sommeliers, the beverage list focuses deeply on cool-climate viticulture from Germany's Mosel valley, Champagne, white and red Burgundy, Austria, and northern Italy. Mineral-drenched dry Rieslings, floral skin-contact orange wines, and crisp pét-nats are paired intentionally with spicy curries and fried poultry, debunking the tired notion that beer is the only beverage suitable for Thai cuisine.

Securing a table requires clear understanding of the restaurant's distinct service nights. Wednesday through Sunday dinner operates by reservation only, with tables opening on Resy thirty days in advance at 12 am midnight; these weekend slots typically book out within minutes. Conversely, Thai Taco Tuesday (TTT) remains entirely walk-in only on Tuesday evenings from 4 pm to 9 pm; guests form a lively line down the Ventura Boulevard sidewalk starting around 3:30 pm, where the host seats parties into the alleyway on a first-come, first-served basis.

While the entire menu operates at an elevated standard, attempting to treat Anajak Thai like a hurried takeout counter will lead to disappointment. The kitchen prepares each wok dish to order with individual care, meaning food emerges as it is completed rather than landing on the table in a single overwhelming wave. Rushing through dinner detracts from the layered pacing of the meal, so guests should allocate at least ninety minutes to fully enjoy the beverage pairings and savory courses.

Additionally, guests should avoid ordering too many starch-heavy fried rice plates when visiting in pairs, as the generous portions can quickly crowd out the seasonal raw seafood tostadas and vegetable curries. Start with a light crudo or crisp papaya salad, advance to the signature fried chicken, and choose one wok noodle to share. If you are sensitive to outdoor evening temperatures during winter or late autumn, specify an indoor dining room preference when reserving your table on Resy, as the alleyway can feel breezy despite radiant overhead patio heaters.

Anajak Thai Cuisine is located at 14704 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, situated on the south side of Ventura Boulevard between Cedros Avenue and Dickens Street. Street parking along Ventura Boulevard is metered until 8 pm, though drivers should read posted signs carefully regarding evening peak restrictions. For convenient off-street parking, the City of Los Angeles LADOT public parking facility on Cedros Avenue and the nearby Cedros Dickens surface lot provide reliable paid self-parking within a two-minute walk of the front entrance.

The restaurant operates Wednesday through Sunday from 4 pm to 9 pm for à la carte dinner service, and Tuesdays from 4 pm to 9 pm for Thai Taco Tuesday; the kitchen is closed on Mondays. Before dinner, guests can explore vintage clothing boutiques, independent bookstores, and gelato counters along Ventura Boulevard, enjoying the walkable neighborhood charm that makes Sherman Oaks a premier dining destination in Los Angeles.