Scenes From the Anajak Thai and Dhamaka Collaboration Dinners
Thai Taco Tuesdays at Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks, Calif. are always buzzy, but the one chef Justin Pichetrungsi hosted on June 11 was particularly electric, thanks to a one-of-a-kind menu that included dishes from New York’s Unapologetic Foods, the restaurant group behind Michelin-starred Semma, as well as Dhamaka, Adda, Masalawala & Sons, Naks, and Rowdy Rooster.
Chef Chintan Pandya and his team were in town as part of The Unapologetic Experience, a multi-city tour celebrating the multifaceted brilliance of American food today, from Indian and Thai to Middle Eastern and Cantonese, and everything in between. Together with Pichetrungsi and his team at Anajak, they hosted two nights of unforgettable meals: the first being a joint Thai Taco Tuesday with chicken tikka tinga tacos and Thai fried chicken with Rowdy Rooster spices, and the second being a multi-course sit-down dinner with Massaman curry lamb biryani and crispy rice chaat. Here’s a look back at the culinary magic they created on both nights.
It’s a tradition for Anajak Thai chef-owner Justin Pichetrungsi to handwrite the menu for each and every Thai Taco Tuesday at the restaurant.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
The menu for night one.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Lines began forming for the event as early as 4 p.m. Guests who booked reserved tickets on Resy were guaranteed a spot, and other diners waited in line as walk-ins.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
A quick photo opp before service begins, with the Unapologetic Foods team. From left to right: Unapologetic Foods executive assistant Andrew Rosenstein; Unapologetic Foods co-founder and CEO Roni Mazumdar; Anajak Thai chef-owner Justin Pichetrungsi; Unapologetic Foods co-founder and chef Chintan Pandya; and Unapologetic Foods director of operations Santiago Pesantez.
Photo by Jeffrey TK Chan, courtesy of Anajak Thai
Guests dined in the alleyway next to the restaurant, as is tradition on Thai Taco Tuesdays.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
For their riff on tacos, the Unapologetic Foods team made fresh chapati to go along with paneer tikka and lamb seekh kebab.
Photo by Jeffrey TK Chan, courtesy of Anajak Thai
The paneer tikka “tacos” featured housemade paneer that chef Pandya and his team brought all the way from New York.
Photo by Jeffrey TK Chan, courtesy of Anajak Thai
One of Anajak Thai’s chefs puts a finishing touch on an order of lamb seekh kebab.
Photo by Jeffrey TK Chan, courtesy of Anajak Thai
The menu also included some Thai Taco Tuesday classics, like Anajak’s kampachi tostada, pad Thai, and fried chicken.
Photo by Jeffrey TK Chan, courtesy of Anajak Thai
The chefs collaborated on this dish, using a blend of Indian chiles, dried mango powder, and black salt to add a Rowdy Rooster spin to Anajak’s much-loved Thai-style fried chicken.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Unapologetic Foods CEO Roni Mazumdar chatted with guests throughout the night.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Guests could also see the chefs grilling dishes to order from the alleyway.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Anajak Thai’s grilled cabbage (a definite sleeper hit, trust us) got topped with a date and tamarind chutney as part of the collab.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
No table was left empty.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
As night fell, the chefs continued to cook.
Photo by Jeffrey TK Chan, courtesy of Anajak Thai
This being L.A., there were a few notable diners, too, like actor and comedian Eric Wareheim.
Photo by Jeffrey TK Chan, courtesy of Anajak Thai
The menu was perfect for sharing with a large group.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Amex card members went home with a gift that included a trio of Indian spices from Diaspora Co.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Chef to Chef
Before service on night two, Anajak Thai chef Justin Pichetrungsi gave chef Chintan Pandya a tutorial on how to make the restaurant’s version of a Thai American classic: pad Thai.
The pre-service huddle with both teams got the night started.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
But long before the huddle, the chefs were already busy preparing dishes for the night.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
The menu for night two.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
A chef puts the final touches on the tamatar shorba, made with smoked tomato and cilantro.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Small plates of hamachi also made their way to tables.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Guests eager to sit down for the first seating of the night.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Crispy rice chaat was a perfect blend of both Thai and Indian cuisines, combining masala with crisp rice and Thai basil.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Unapologetic Foods chef Chintan Pandya, Unapologetic Foods CEO Roni Mazumdar, and Anajak Thai chef-owner Justin Pichetrungsi addressed the diners, and talked about the importance of celebrating underrepresented cuisines.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Dinner on night two took place inside Anajak Thai, a family-owned restaurant that’s been serving the local community for more than 40 years.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Chefs brought out the grills once again to cook the prawn courses.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Prawns were served two ways.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Chicken thighs rubbed with coriander seeds, dry red chile, and cumin followed the prawn course.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
And for a final entrée, they served a Thai slow-braised lamb biryani featuring Thai massaman curry.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Biryani was served piping hot to each table.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
For dessert, guests dined on mango sticky rice and these rose kulfi.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
After the first service, chef Justin Pichetrungsi got to share a sweet, silly moment, with his mom, who prepared the mango sticky rice desserts for the night.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Toasting to the last night of the event, and the first stop of The Unapologetic Experience.
Photo by Carolina Rodriguez for Resy
Following Los Angeles, The Unapologetic Experience continued onto Chicago with a visit to Galit and chef-owner Zachary Engel, who puts his own personal and inclusive spin on Middle Eastern cuisine.
Read more about the gospel of American food, according to Unapologetic Foods, and what it means to be unapologetic for chef Justin Pichetrungsi.
Carolina Rodriguez is a Los Angeles-based photographer. Follow her on Instagram.
Jeffrey TK Chan is a Los Angeles-based photographer. Follow him on Instagram.
Stone Malick is a Los Angeles-based photographer and videographer. Follow him on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.
Resy Presents: The Unapologetic Experience
A multi-city tour celebrating the multifaceted brilliance of American food today, from Indian and Thai to Middle Eastern and Cantonese, and everything in between.
