They're clearly sailing on their LA Times Restaurant of the Year award from 2022 but this place is NOT it. This place is all hype, arrogance, and mediocrity. 1. We reserved a table for the inside, but when we got there, they sat us outside. I complained that our table was actually reserved for the inside, but they said, "What you reserve online is just a suggestion to us, we can't promise we can give it to you." They should have mentioned that in their booking process so I wouldn't have wasted my time and money. 2. Fried chicken: everyone there pushes this item but there was nothing special about this mediocre $40 plate. I understand why they push it - they simply throw a chicken into a boiler for 10 mins and charge you $40 for it - but there's absolutely nothing special or distinctly Thai about it. 3. Grilled Cabbage: it was good and different but not great. 4. Crispy garden rolls: so average. 5. Drunken Noodles: basically just regular ass drunken noodles that you could get from anywhere that isn't supposedly the best restaurant of 2022. Clearly the LA Times award has gotten to their heads. They're making money hand over fist selling expensive wine with their mediocre fried chicken (which they try to pair with caviar for an upcharge of $100, please!). Next, they'll sell hamburgers and upcharge $100 to add truffle. Everyone working there thinks they work for Gd and expects you to be so happy to even be there. I wanted to like this place so much but I hated it.

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I hate to leave a bad review but it feels necessary considering how cutthroat it is to even get a reservation. If you really would like to try this place consider securing a spot inside the restaurant. No matter how much they try to make your experience as good as they can, something about pay $300 for a dinner to sit in an alley way just doesn't seem worth it. I really do admire their willingness to cater to their high demand of customers but I really think they should consider expanding or at least make it slightly more elevated outside. (My partner and I sat on plastic foldable chairs and tables) The food: it was great! Don't get me wrong. I've grown up in the valley my entire life but that also means I've had other great Thai food. In my opinion, for what you are paying, it doesn't make the food worth it. You get half of a fish for $60....the small portion of fried rice is $23. Not to mention, they like to emphasize that everything is portioned which seems nice in retrospect but would be so much better if you can have your fried rice with your fish for example. The service was good! Server was super nice and recommended dishes and the wine expert really seemed knowledgeable. All in all, if you really would like to see what the hype is about come check it out for yourself but be prepared to spend your coin. I would not come back but am glad I got to experience it myself.

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Food and service was exquisite! Reservations are very hard to come by- so when I immediately snagged the first open availability I saw. Unfortunately my friend was late because of parking, but Emily at the hostess stand was so polite and understanding- she recommended great parking alternatives, found us another table option, and even recommended dishes for us to try while we were waiting. She was extremely friendly and made us feel welcome. The dishes she recommended were top notch! And our sommelier Tom was divine! He recommended the best bottle of wine to pair with our meal options and educated us on what we were tasting, allowing us to taste different wines- definitely elevated the evening!

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My fiancé and I waited over a year to finally have the chance to see what all the hype was about, and it was absolutely worth the wait. We were able to get a reservation during their reopening. We started with the Papaya Salad and wow, this was the absolute favorite of the night. The flavors of the papaya and peach was just perfection. Next, we had the Thai River Prawn. The taste and and texture was so unique but delicious. Our mains were the Pad Siew and the drunken noodles. Both were the best of those dishes I've ever had. We sat inside and it was elegantly designed. It was a little loud inside so we had to talk to eachother with a louder voice. Overall, it was an incredible experience and I can't wait to go back!

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the refresh at anajak is dialed in to the tee! service 5/5 food 5/5 wine curation is world class. ambiance always a home run :)

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After hearing about Anajak for years & finally getting that difficult reservation, unfortunately this place does not live up to the hype. The Thai fried chicken was actually quite good, but it came out 40 minutes before the rest of our food. We ate some of it and wanted to have it with rice/noodles so it got cold while waited for those. The server raved about the "1 to 1" crab fried rice but neglected to say it was canned crab, so that was a miss. The pad see ew was decent but a small portion for the size of the plate (see pic), and the price since it came with 4 shrimp for $28. Overall a trendier Thai restaurant but wasn't quite up to the standard I had expected because I was hoping to like it.

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why 1 star? read my table mate's (also 1 star) review- Michael W. The mediocre thai food was served on dissolving paper plates as we were seated on plastic foldable tables during ONLY outside seating (ambience was cheap). by the time my boyfriend and I got half way through eating our pad thai we realized that we had eaten half of the paper plate along with it. each noodle had chunks of paper plate dissolved onto it. once we brought attention to the manager, she was incredibly rude with a terrible attitude -- offering to "re fire" the noodles that were left. there was no need, as Michael said in his review-- the food was warm enough. it wouldn't have changed the fact that we had eaten half of the plate. it was my first time and i would NEVER come back. I have already redirected some friends who were interested in trying this place to go to Silverlake Thai instead. Silverlake thai is one of my all time favs -- food quality, ambience, and service SO much better-- almost incomparable. anyways, don't bother going to Anajak. unless you like eating paper served by people with weird vibes.

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I was excited to try it one day as my husband and I are huge foodies and also love Thai food. My husband also lived in Bangkok for a while and we visited several regions in Thailand for our first anniversary. We are also the kind of people who would travel for a good meal. Having eaten at Nahm in Bangkok, we particularly loved a versatile take on Thai food. Over the years I had following chef Justin's journey and due to various things had never made it out to Sherman oaks from Irvine! When our 10 year wedding anniversary was coming up I was like we are going to Anajak and excited to visit just after their renovations were complete. I happened to mention it to the receptionist about our occasion and we were thrilled to snag one. When we arrived, I was super excited! Also got to see Chef Justin! Things started to fall short pretty fast. Our waiter was super inattentive towards us. When asked what to order, he had no real suggestions like "how's the tom yom dish" answer "well if you like soup you'll like it" . He spent 30 seconds with us and that was after I watched him help another couple order for over 15 minutes. I actually timed him :( He asked us to order dessert early into our meal because it takes time to be prepared, I declined but jokingly said maybe after I finish my dinner I can decide? He didn't ask again. Anyway I can really go one with the small things. The food was good, not exceptional. I think in LA you can find a lot of exceptional. In Thai food as well. We felt small and pretty insignificant on a pretty special occasional for us. We signed the check and drove the 2 hours it took us to get home debating whether that whole experience was worth the wait. So bottom line for us, if you're in the neighborhood, great find! Im disappointed that I chose this experience for us tonight but I'm glad we've got Alinea next weekend as a makeup.

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Alan was our server and helpful in suggesting dishes we would like. The fried chicken and cucumber and radish salad were our two favorites. The soup was so spicy, even for those who like spicy! The Pad Thai was mehhh. And the spring rolls were just ok. The service was pretty attentive. But when they said it was loud, they weren't kidding!!! I could barely hear myself talk! Not really getting the hype about this place as it was very anticlimactic! Won't be back. Plenty of better Thai places around that aren't as pricey and with better food. P.S. The kicker was they didn't have dessert! We were hoping to celebrate our special night with something sweet, but very disappointed.

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Don't believe the hype about this hole in the wall, there is nothing special about it and it's over priced to say the least. Skip this place and find somewhere much better for half the price. I hope they go out of business eventually which they will trust me.

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I’ve been coming to Anajak consistently for the past 5 years and have never had a bad experience. While the restaurant has been around since the 1980s, it really changed about 5 years. Much bigger focus on Thai dishes and the creation of an extensive (and I mean extensive) wine list. The chefs don’t hold any punches on the spice or flavor intensity either. The food is authentically Thai, with a California influence. Standout dishes are the BBQ ribs, the southern Thai fried chicken, grilled sea bream, and pad grapao beef. The service is also super friendly. I’ve been to Thailand over 20 times and eat a lot of Thai across the country. I think Anajak and Fish Cheeks in New York are probably the two consistently best Thai restaurants in the country

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We were visiting our son and daughter-in-law in LA and we went here for dinner. They had never been to the place but my son said it always has lines and was highly rated, and they were both dying to try it. Even with reservations, we had to wait a few minutes for our table. We ate outdoors. We had the softshell crab appetizer, the vegetarian panang curry, the fish custard curry, the Thai fried chicken, the mussels, and the crab fried rice. The fish was lost in the custard curry and the sauce was very gelatinous. The panang barely had enough vegetables (eggplant and mushrooms) and the curry was very overpowering. Missing was the sweet subtleness of coconut. The softshell crab appetizer was good, but came with one small crab for about $24. The mussels were delicious. The crab fried rice was OK. But the Thai fried chicken was a hit at the table. It came with 5 pieces and cost $39. Dinner for four without drinks and with tax and tip was $200.

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Thai taco Tuesday is delicious! Just be sure to order whatever you want when it's your turn to order because they run out of the favorites.

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There were four of us in our party, we arrived and were promptly seated. We ordered the Laab Tots, Pad See Ew, Southern Fried Chicken, the ribs and BBQ pork collar. There isn't anything I wouldn't order again and if asked to pick a favorite, I don't think I could have. Our servers were friendly and did a good job of explaining the menu. The atmosphere is relaxed and cozy. My only complaint would be how loud the music was playing making it difficult to talk with the people on the other side of the table. I am surprised at the number of negative reviews. I went with three other people and we all had a great experience and thoroughly enjoyed the food. I saw that other people commented about the price and the portion size. The chef is a James Beard award winner and the restaurant has won numerous awards, I didn't go with Thai Town expectations.

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Since it's rated as one of the best restaurants in LA, I had to try it out. It definitely was very good. I would describe it as upscale Thai food in a casual family style setting. The place was adorned with a hodgepodge of their many awards, LA memorabilia, old pictures (including a nice wall picture of the owners family in front of the restaurant), which I think collectively captured the essence of this restaurant. It was quality upscale traditional Thai food served in a causal family style setting of a restaurant deeply rooted in the community. The service was very down to earth and friendly. We got a wide assortment of dishes to try. The staple dishes, pad siew and mango sticky rice were both perfection. The papaya salad was refreshing. The massaman beef was deliciously rich and flavorful. I also really liked the laab tot. The Southern Thai chicken wings were nice and crispy. The BBQ pork chop was just okay for me compared to the other amazing dishes. Overall, a great experience. There is a paid self parking lot adjacent to the building in the back. Or if you have some extra time, you could also find metered street parking.

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Have known Anjak for over 5 years since it was a nice quiet unassuming neighborhood restaurant. 1. Vibe: The noise inside is overpowering with loud music played on top of that. We had to shout to hear each other. I could hardly wait to get out of the restaurant. 2. Food: Nothing special. There is far better quality and more interesting Thai food in LA for less money such as at Jitlada or Ruen Pair. The food arrived almost immediately so it was prepared ahead of time and reheated and it tasted like it. 3. Wine: AT is noted for a great wine list but AT stores its red wine standing up in the middle of the restaurant, so that the corks will dry out and the wine is subjected to fluctuating temperatures, which harms the wine. The wine on the list is overpriced. I collect fine wine and was told that I couldn't bring any of my wine to the restaurant. Summary: One of the most disappointing dining experiences I've had in LA and my foodie companion agreed. I will not be back.

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Have known Anjak for over 5 years since it was a nice quiet unassuming neighborhood restaurant. 1. Vibe: The noise inside is overpowering with loud music played on top of that. We had to shout to hear each other. I could hardly wait to get out of the restaurant. 2. Food: Nothing special. There is far better quality and more interesting Thai food in LA for less money such as at Jitlada or Ruen Pair. The food arrived almost immediately so it was prepared ahead of time and reheated and it tasted like it. 3. Wine: AT is noted for a great wine list but AT stores its red wine standing up in the middle of the restaurant, so that the corks will dry out and the wine is subjected to fluctuating temperatures, which harms the wine. The wine on the list is overpriced. I collect fine wine and was told that I couldn’t bring any of my wine to the restaurant. Summary: One of the most disappointing dining experiences I’ve had in LA and my foodie companion agreed. I will not be back.

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The line out the door is beyond me and everyone I personally meet that has been. It was very good years ago, and heard the original owner sold the place or something. The food now is below mediocre and very overpriced. There are so many other amazing Thai places to go to that blow this place out of the park (like "Grandma's Thai" on Fulton/Burbank). The inside of the restaurant is in desperate need of repair, as the old carpet is torn, wallpaper peeling, ancient chairs and dirty tablecloths. Definitely needs a redo.

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A little disappointed about this restaurant as my friend was raving about it. Nothing that I ordered really had a great taste. Giving 3 stars for a great service though!

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I spend very little time in the San Fernando Valley, so when I had to come to Sherman Oaks for work, I successfully wrangled a reservation at this LA hot spot, very much loved by LA TImes food critics. It's a small place with indoor seating (better for hot Valley days) and outdoors on the sidewalk (portable tables and chairs) and in the adjacent alley (weekends only). My reservation was at the 4 pm opening time, and the place filled up fast, with lots of regular customers. They play their music at a pretty high volume. I ordered what was popular and what I had read about: 1) Crudo of Japanese Kampachi with palm sugar and lime. Had Thai chilies so was quite spicy for me, but very good 2) Southern-Thai Fried Chicken with 2 sauces. Ordered by pretty much every table. The fry was excellent, light, crispy and not too greasy or heavy. I preferred the sweet-spicy dipping sauce to the more tart one. There was a small dollop of sticky rice topped with fried shallots. 3) Grilled Cabbage with garlic chutney. My server said this would be medium spicy, but I thought it was mild, but quite robust in other aspects. The cabbage seemed to have been boiled, then grilled for a great char. 4) Dungeness Crab Fried Rice. Had a good amount of crab. There was a super-spicy sauce served alongside that I skipped. I would have ordered dessert, specifically the mango sticky rice I had heard about, but alas, "Mom", the dessert maker, was off this day, so there were none to be had. Overall a very good but pricey meal. The restaurant also has a popular Thai Taco Tuesday (no reservations) and an occasional omakase night. I'd definitely come here again if in the area, (and could get a reservation), but would not shlep here from more distant parts of LA.

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I spend very little time in the San Fernando Valley, so when I had to come to Sherman Oaks for work, I successfully wrangled a reservation at this LA hot spot, very much loved by LA TImes food critics. It's a small place with indoor seating (better for hot Valley days) and outdoors on the sidewalk (portable tables and chairs) and in the adjacent alley (weekends only). My reservation was at the 4 pm opening time, and the place filled up fast, with lots of regular customers. They play their music at a pretty high volume. I ordered what was popular and what I had read about: 1) Crudo of Japanese Kampachi with palm sugar and lime. Had Thai chilies so was quite spicy for me, but very good 2) Southern-Thai Fried Chicken with 2 sauces. Ordered by pretty much every table. The fry was excellent, light, crispy and not too greasy or heavy. I preferred the sweet-spicy dipping sauce to the more tart one. There was a small dollop of sticky rice topped with fried shallots. 3) Grilled Cabbage with garlic chutney. My server said this would be medium spicy, but I thought it was mild, but quite robust in other aspects. The cabbage seemed to have been boiled, then grilled for a great char. 4) Dungeness Crab Fried Rice. Had a good amount of crab. There was a super-spicy sauce served alongside that I skipped. I would have ordered dessert, specifically the mango sticky rice I had heard about, but alas, "Mom", the dessert maker, was off this day, so there were none to be had. Overall a very good but pricey meal. The restaurant also has a popular Thai Taco Tuesday (no reservations) and an occasional omakase night. I'd definitely come here again if in the area, (and could get a reservation), but would not shlep here from more distant parts of LA.

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I really wanted to love this place, but it was truly just OK. Came in a group of 5 (we had a reservation) and sat outside. They were a little pushy with the wine menu, but we aren't big drinkers so we settled for water and sparkling. We grabbed the crudo, papaya salad, laab tot (the meatballs), fried chicken, haw mok (steamed fish curry custard), the brisket, crab fried rice, and two mango sticky rice orders to share. I believe we also got another appetizer, but I can't remember what it was, haha. Overall.... We liked everything? The crab fried rice had a decent amount of crab but the portion was SO small - and while the haw mok was tasty, it was also... so small. The best item was probably the brisket, which didn't come with a carb (you'll want an order of rice to eat with the sauce). The fried chicken wasn't anything special - it's a good fried chicken - but not what I want when I go to a Thai restaurant. It was all generally OK and tasty enough, but the portion sizes are laughable for "sharable" dishes. At the end of the day, we would not come back or recommend this to our friends. There's superior Thai food out there, and at this price point, you're able to get much better Thai food. Someone else summed this up well in their review, so I'll say it again here: underwhelming and overpriced.

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Warm welcome greeting and best table granted to our party of 4 dining alfresco in LA is so choice in perfect weather. Last night was amazing. We got about 10 dishes to share with 4 people and 2 bottles of delicious white wine. May was our server and gave us great suggestions based on dietary restriction and likes. Vinnious was our sommelier and had us pointed to a great wine to match our dishes well. This was like a Michelin Experience as we got to see lot of dishes come out and ask questions about them. We had a great time, got pleasantly stuffed, licked out plates and glasses clean.

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Service also good. One major problem made the experience very uncomfortable which was the loudest music ever!! We could not have a conversation with people at our table! Ears ringing hours after eating! We were offered a table outside instead but it was too hot and uncomfortably close to fumes on the boulevard.

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We ordered 5 dishes 1 was good the fish, black sea bream, then the fried chicken with the spicy sauce, and bok choy with cauliflower and patty pan were great but the crudo yellowtail was incredible. What I wouldn’t order again are the pork ribs. Was tough and not falling off the bone at all. I think my dog would have had a hard time chewing them. Maybe try a different pork purveyor if cooking more doesn’t work. BTW I am french trained chef from FCI in nyc. I gave 4 stars for the 4 good dishes I would go back but would never order the pork ribs again. Service is great atmosphere is ok nothing special.

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The staff was very polite and food was good. The food was served in time and the price was also good as per the ambience. Highly recommended place.

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I haven't been to this restaurant since they won the James Beard award. The food has always been amazing but it is now about 10 levels up. A tiny restaurant on Ventura Blvd which is truthfully not good for a group more than 6-they have expanded their menu to other worldly levels. Even Roscoe's is going to have to take a second seat to their fried chicken. The sauce on the crudo was so amazing they put it in a bowl afterwards so you could splash it on everything else...mine went on the fried chicken. I also highly recommend the shrimp with green curry--so flavorful I wanted a spoon to eat the curry by itself. And, service was top notch! I haven't been to a fully staffed restaurant in LA since COVID. From water to wine to the food we never waited more than 2 minutes for assistance. Plus, a little secret, the art on the walls is leftover from his dad was chef and was actually painted by his family--enjoy every stroke in the paint because family is what this place is all about. Bravo!

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So we went to check out to hype and I can describe it perfectly in only 2 words: sugar rush! Almost every dish servers is overly sweet. Way too much sugar. The fried chicken was good but the dipping sauce was crazy sweet. The cabbage was great but the sauce was crazy sweet. The crispy veggie rolls were great but the dipping sauces was crazy sweet as well. Guess what i think about the sticky rice mango desert...?

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WOW! My boyfriend and I have been wanting to try Anajak for quite some time. We were able to snag an 8:30PM res for Saturday night. The hostess was warm and friendly when we arrived and as we waited for our table. We were seated just shortly after 8:30PM. Inside, there is loud hip hop playing with lots of great conversations happening at every table. It was just the right amount of noise, as we could still enjoy conversation and hear our waitress. Our waitress, Mae, was incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable. She walked us through the menu, advised us on what drinks/dishes to get, and continued to check us on throughout the night to see if we needed more or less food. At the end of the night, she shared more about the process of making the mango sticky rice and "Mom" in the back preparing the dish. It was lovely to see her passion and hear more about fhe food. In total, we ordered 4 dishes plus dessert. - Fried Chicken: This was the best fried chicken we have ever had. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. It came with sauces that complemented the chicken perfectly. - Pork Sticky Ribs: Like the fried chicken, these were incredibly fresh. The smell when they hit the table was otherworldly. Smokey from the grill yet fruity from the pineapple glaze. Delightful! - Crab Fried Rice: We like crab but don't loveeeee crab. We still got this dish because it's something Anajak is known for. It did not disappoint! The crab was shredded and evenly dispersed throughout the rice, which was perfectly savory and light. Highly recommend you try this! - Pad Siew: Our waitress said we had to get a noodle dish, since Anajak does them very well. We opted for Pad Siew and it was the best Pad Siew we've ever had. Again, the food was piping hot as it hit our table. The noodles were sweet and tangy and had bright veggies throughout. - Mango Sticky Rice: This was our favorite dish of the night. The mango itself is quite literally creamy. It melts in your mouth and pairs perfectly with the sugary, creamy, coconut-y sticky rice. Please order this when you come, it will be a glorious experience. Lastly, the service as Anajak was impeccable. Our waters were always being refilled, we were given fresh plates for the main courses, and our napkins were folded when we got up. These little details may not matter to everyone, but we really appreciated the attention to detail. Overall, Anajak created an atmosphere and experience that is singular, with dishes that are down right delicious. What a treat!!

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.. where do I start? First of all I travel the whole country for work and something I have noticed is service has declined hard, not at Anajak Thai. Jose supported our server Alan like a champ. Alan was always around when we needed him and incredibly attentive to our needs. Ian our sommelier was the best. I didn't have the slightest clue how to pare wine with Thai food and somehow he knew exactly what I wanted and made it happen with an accuracy I have never seen before. The food... my God. The ribs and the pork collar were mind blowing. The tenderness of the meat combined with the crispy outer layer was heavenly. I've never met an eggplant that I wanted more of, here I couldn't get enough, and to finish it off the drunken noodles were damn good, spicy enough to make me respect the hell out of it but not so hot that I couldn't enjoy it. My only complaint, add dessert, I would have bought anything any of my servers recommended.

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Anajak wasn't necessarily the transcendent, life-changing experience that its reputation would predict, but its reputation isn't under its control. I've had it on my bookmark list since it was a tiny place in an alley, and sadly wasn't able to visit until now (sadly because I honestly prefer tiny places in alleys to the white-tableclothed venue this is now). Of the four dishes we ordered (green beans prik king, masaman brisket, haw mok, and Dungeness crab fried rice), the dish that absolutely wowed me was the one I never would have thought to order: the brisket. I just don't care about beef. But the sauce was a mole-esque flavor adventure with a ton of hidden corners and surprises, and the beef amplified it in a way that the sweet potato just didn't. The dungeness crab fried rice was generously seeded with claw-and-arm-sized hunks of crab and was absolutely perfectly spiced. Haw mok was a bit too coconut milk heavy for me, but I enjoyed how strongly basilly it also was, in addition to the surprise fiery tiny pepper heat that showed up in some bites but not others. The texture sure is weird, a fish-flan, and you're not sure whether to spoon it over rice or not. Prik king beans were actually better eaten the next day after their flavor had settled in! Overall a great experience with some out-of-the-park winners. I'm not sure it's qualitatively that much better than some Thai places in the valley and in Thai town that do it for 1/3 or 1/4 the price, but if you need your Thai with side of date night vibe, or you are looking for those specific creative dishes that only Anajak offers, then it makes a lot of sense to come here.

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I have heard about this restaurant for a fee years and been carrying the name on my bookmarks. On a Sunday afternoon we walked in and although they didn't have tables available the sat us, thanks to the friendly hostess. Attentiveness of the staff and our server was outstanding. The food was top notch quality. We ordered 3 dishes. The gulf shrimp with green curry sauce was absolutely our favorite dish. We also tried their pad thai which was made to perfection. The only thing that we were not impressed was the super expensive friend chicken dish. Although for a fried chicken it was fantastic, crispy and not greasy but it was not something different and not sure what was thai about it. It is absolutely over priced at $36. We will definitely be back to try more of their authentic dishes. Although the selection of music was good but the music was a bit too loud. The interior needs a big time remodeling of at least fresh paint and the ugly old dirty carpet needs to be replaced. Fantastic job you guys and we will be back soon with friends.

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A friend wanted to try Anajak Thai on one of their Taco Tuesday nights. They don't take reservations. Although, I think they might if you know someone or you are someone they deem worthy to get one. I witnessed a group get out of a black SUV and speak to a staff member with an iPad and they were taken immediately. They did not stand in line for the restaurant to open (at 6pm) like the rest of us. When we arrived, there was no line at 5pm. When we went back at 5:30pm, there were 10 people ahead of us. A 5 top, a single and a 4 top. The single and the 4 top in front of us, along with ourselves, were questioning our decision to wait in the line and was it going to be worth the effort? At 6pm, the security guard is informed he can let the first group inside the restaurant to place their order. The rest of us remained outside in line until it was our turn. The line didn't move quickly because once customers got inside, they ordered with an employee who entered each menu item into the handheld device. A couple of staff members walked the line and took orders for wine by the bottle (only). They informed customers that wine by the glass would only be available if they had any bottles opened. Customers wouldn't know that until they got inside to place their food order. Not sure what time we actually were directed to go inside to place our order, but it was pushing 6:30pm or a little after. The ordering process isn't efficient. Upon ordering, and we were able to order two glasses of wine they had opened, we were given paper plates, packaged plastic cutlery, order number and a bottle of Aqua Panna (still water) and plastic cups for it. We went back outside and the next group was motioned to go in and start their ordering process. We were a party of 2 and were informed we would be sitting at communal tables. We opted to join the party of 1 that was in line ahead of us. Food came out quickly. The dishes we ordered, pad Thai, noodles supreme and mango sticky rice, were all hot and fresh tasting. Small portions. We shared the dishes and should have ordered another dish to feel fully satiated. Staff cleared plates the minute you put your fork down. I thought the line might still be out front and they needed the tables, but we left just after 8pm and there was no line. Overall, the experience was a one and done for me.

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Our friends touted this to be their favorite Thai restaurant in the LA area and insisted that we try this place. Reservations come out a month before and they are usually snatched up fast. The only table we were able to get was on valentines day. Seating is quite cramped in the restaurant, it almost felt like we were eating in Italy or some European country with how tight it was in there. It was also very interesting how it felt more upscale. They even had a wine connoisseur. The dishes are on the smaller side, the 4 of us ordered 6 dishes. While the food was good, I didn't find it amazing or worth the title of best Thai food in LA. Perhaps it was because omi had set my expectation too high. Or that I expected hearty portions from typical Thai restaurant. I did like that the pad Thai and pad see ew had very good wok hey, which is usually hard to achieve. I think this is a good date spot (despite music was a bit loud too) if you wanted Thai food. But we had driven an hour to get here and it honestly just wasn't worth the drive or the price.

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TTT (Thai Taco Tuesday) was a blast! This outdoor foodie activity is an event you don't want to miss. No reservations so we waited for about an hour for a party of two. Smaller groups the better since the outdoor seating is limited. They offer wine by the glass as you wait with an extensive wine menu. Each party then gets to decide few small dish items to share from a special menu that fuses Thai and Mexican dishes, loved the creativity. Sticking with the TTT theme we started with the striped bass fish tacos masienda chili lime - small but mighty flavors. Next the shrimp pad siew came out hot and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. I'm a sucker for the noodles. My favorite dish from the night was the BBQ pork collar and porridge ginger scallion. The pork collar was very tender. Pro tip add some lime and soy sauce, delicious! Don't forget to leave some room for the mango sticky rice, a classic Thai dessert. The sticky rice came out warm with sliced refreshing mango slices, my crave has finally been satisfied. A little on the pricier side but still a fun event to try. The service was excellent.

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Food was good and well seasoned but overpriced for what it's worth. A nice experience but probably would not opt to return. Portion sizes for the curry and pad see ew were small I prefer the food from the Wat Thai temple stalls - plenty of flavor and a lot cheaper The music inside was too loud, which made it hard to carry a conversation. The tables are placed closely together as well.

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Maybe tonight was an off night? For the high, high price bordering on the absurd and the amount of hype, my experience was mediocre at best. I came on Thai Taco Tuesday and ordered the fish taco, the fried chicken and the drunken noodles. All were fine, but definitely did not justify their respective high price tags. And the service was not in keeping with how expensive this place is, either. It wasn't terrible, but just...ok. Kind of mediocre, actually. Our server just didn't seem to have been trained enough. Lastly, what is up with the loud music? And why is it even freaking louder in the bathroom? I probably should have turned on my heel and left the minute I noticed that I had to scream at the hosts in order to be heard over the music and the other diners forced to scream, if the prices on the butcher paper menu on the wall hadn't already given me enough pause. I won't be coming back.

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Bad service, very loud music couldn’t hear my daughter talk , hot chili smoke inside the restaurant makes your eyes hurt. Food not bad not good.

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LA Time’s 2022 Best Restaurant of the Year and James Beard award recipient - with those kind of accolades, of course I needed to try. Made a reservation a month out online and had dinner at 6pm on a Saturday with my dad. We ate outside in the alley and I liked the outdoor seating because it was a bit loud and cramped inside (although if that’s the vibe you’re going for, it’s not bad). My dad had the wine flight, which on that day was $60 (its market price) and the theme was Gamay. The som did a great job of explaining the backgrounds of the wines and our waitress Pam was so nice. I had a Thai iced tea (not listed on the menu) and they give you water to serve yourself with at the table. We got the pork ribs for our app; although it wasn’t as tender as I thought it would be, the sauce was really tasty. I appreciated the wet wipe they gave us to use after eating it. The southern Thai fried chicken was my favorite dish - it comes in 5 pieces and some sticky rice with a sweet chili sauce and a vinegar sauce. The rice flour batter was crispy and the chicken was juicy. My dad found the drunken noodles to be the best, as there was nice flavor and the right amount of spice. We were deciding between this and noodles supreme, but ultimately the drunken noodles are spicy whereas the noodles supreme are just primarily made with eggs and onions. Service was on top of everything and it was cool being in the alley (it was a little cramped inside). Bathrooms are available inside and are single occupant. Credit cards accepted. Metered street parking.

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Perfection in the Culinary Wasteland we call the San Fernando Valley. Have waited 50 years for a creative unique experience like this and finally Anajak has nailed it. We loved everything about the restaurant. Huge shout out to Som Michael who paired every dish perfectly. He added a whole wonderful dimension to the meal. The Fried chicken is over the top amazing. So is the Thai huge prawns. Even the bok choi was uniquely wonderful with the best mushrooms you could ever have. We decided to venture out with the rice with egg and beef and which was delightful. We finished with fantastic sweet mango and sticky rice and Tokaji wine recommended by the staff which was another incredible adventure. Every member of the team was helpful and friendly from the host to the busboys and servers. We no longer need to fly to NYC to have a fun creative inventive culinary night out thanks to Anajak Thai!

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Southern Fried Thai Chicken is a must. This place is everything the reviews say it is. Delicious food, easy atmosphere!

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The hype over this restaurant is unbelievable and puzzling, to put it mildly. We had a reservation for three and were only seated 25 minutes later. The restaurant is packed tightly and the seating is not entirely comfortable. We have been eating Thai food in LA for 30 years, and have also traveled in Thailand. There were three of you and we ordered five dishes. Their so-called signature dish, Southern-style fried chicken, is just like any other fried chicken: one of the two sauces accompanying it was a commercial sweet and spicy sauce that we have used at home for years. The sticky rice and mango for dessert was nondescript: the coconut flavor was barely discernible and typically it comes with roasted sesame seeds, but this one didn't. The asparagus was good but the serving was abysmally small--much less than what you would get even at a highly priced nouvelle California cuisine restaurant. The only dish that we had which I would say was very unusual and well-prepared was the Haw Mok, a steamed fish curry custard. Nearly everything is substantially over-priced: they say that wine by the glass is $18, but we were charged $23 for one such glass and wines by the glass are not listed on the menu by name. We ordered one steamed rice and got two and were charged for two. On the whole, a disappointing experience--all the more so given the outsized reputation of the restaurant.

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Food: we ordered the fried chicken, the crudo and the drunken noodles. The chicken was cooked to perfection, but lacked flavor. Unfortunately, we got a hair in our order as well. We ordered a the crudo as well which was good. The drunken noodles were oily and lacked flavor. Service: very poor. We were late for our reservation so the hostess seated us but told us they needed the table within an hour. Totally understandable though she was not very friendly in communicating this. As we had our meal we were being very mindful of the time. When it came time for dessert the waitress took our order for mango sticky rice. She came back a few minutes later and told us they could only serve it to go. I asked why. She told me the kitchen is only doing mango sticky rice orders to go. I've never heard of such a thing and suspect they were trying yo get us off the table early. Especially since the hostess was staring at us on and off for a while. Ambiance: cozy ambience. Ultimately my rating reflects mediocre food, and very poor service, given how hard it was to get a reservation.

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This place got my attention for restaurant of the year according to the LA times. Do they really know about food? well perhaps. I use to think a great restaurant was all about the food but in LA no sir it is not. Just hate when you sit on the sidewalk of any "upscale" restaurant. Service was great and attentive. Fried Chicken was crunchy, well cooked and juicy. The star of the dish was that spectacular, spicy, rich and hearty green curry. Every vegetable was cook to perfection of course pairing it with some rice. Great food, too small and crowded but the fine selection of wine makes this a unique Thai restaurant.

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Still the best thai in LA. What an amazing business - ownership and staff are as friendly as can be and the food is out of this world. We feel so lucky to be so close to this gem!

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Eventually, I got a reservation for Saturday at 4pm , which is when they open. They put a lot into making the experience unique. When you walk in you are surrounded by wine bottles and they have someone on the staff who talks you through the wine list to make it approachable. One of my favorite dishes was the papaya salad, but beware it was a bit spicy!

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Lived near this place for years, been driving by it nearly every day and have only recently had a chance to try it. It's hard to miss even though it's a small restaurant with about a dozen or so tables because it ALWAYS has a line out front and every table full. Intriguing right? I've had plenty of thai food in my life and have never seen a similar spot so busy all the time.So one day, my fiancé decide on a little date night and Anajak Thai is mentioned, so we head over there. Once again, it's packed. On a Wednesday night. Undeterred we ask the host how long the wait will be for 2 and he chuckles and says, we're booked tonight, definitely try to make a reservation online. I don't think I've been to a place like that before. One that could literally not squeeze us in. But it honestly just made it that much more appealing.In my research after snagging a reservation that someone had given up (since all other available times were full), I found out that it not only has won awards but it's also on the Michelin Guide. Talk about fancy!Now, skipping forward to our reservation. We arrive promptly 15 minutes before the scheduled time. We're seated at an indoor window seat and given a menu. The way it's set up for ordering is that the dishes come out in a specific order depending on the section it's displayed on the menu and everything is said to be "family style" even if it's a somewhat small family. We pick 4 courses for the two of us: Papaya Salad, Chicken Satay, Massaman Curry, and Pad Thai and it was a good amount.My favorite dish was the curry hands down. The meat was so tender, I've never had anything like it. I could literally eat a gallon of it if I had the chance.The papaya salad was definitely a shocker. I'm thinking it'd be a sweet, refreshing appetizer, but in reality it was pretty spicy! I was surprised by it, because it doesn't mention a spie level on the menu but the flavor was actually really good. I'm happy to have split the plate, though, because if I had to eat it all, I'd definitely need a couple more glasses of water!Overall, this spot deserves the hype it's getting. It's a beautiful date or celebratory, intimate dinner spot that I'm honored to have in my suburban stomping grounds.------------Big shoutout to the sommelier that night! He was so helpful and nice, cracking jokes and making us feel comfortable even if we may have seemed like ducks out of water!

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The place is a little small and loud but the wine is amazing and the food is incredible. The pad Thai was just to die for. The fried chicken tasted like they dipped it in a curry and then battered it and fried it.... I can't express this enough..It was so freaking good like so good like really good. I took a star away because I don't like the fact that they change the menu all the time. I am a creature of habit and I like eating the same thing if I find something I like. I would be upset to go to this place only to find out that they don't have the chicken because the waitlist is LONG. all in all good wine good food amazing staff. Definitely recommend it.

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Our party of six ordered a variety of dishes, probably 10 in all. Everything was incredibly flavorful. The meatballs were a crowd favorite, but the dish I can't forget is the scallops! The sauce that came with the dish was so deep with flavor I wanted more to take home. I wanted to get a whole bowl of rice to just dump in the sauce and eat myself into a coma. The Panang curry was equally splendid. I would definitely recommend Anajak and plan on going back as much as possible.

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We unfortunately didn't get seated until 9:20pm. Double unfortunate..the restaurant sold out of a few options.. I guess this might be expected being the last reservation of the evening and the venue closing at 9pm? Noted!Nonetheless, the staff were really great about the delay, they offered us a half pour of wine while we waited. During our meal the server was great! They took our drink and food orders right away. We ordered the Thai Fried Chicken which was terrific, Drunken noodles, Panang Curry and Cauliflower which were all 10's in my opinion. Lastly we had the off menu Crab which was also very flavorful. As far as the ambiance, this is a small quaint restaurant, they maximize space by utilizing the front of the restaurant for tables with heaters. White table cloths so it makes for a good experience either way.Parking: Street, meteredValue: I'd recommend and I'd go back!

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