In 2022, Ayara Thai celebrates 18 years in business and is located in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. Established in 2004, Ayara Thai cuisine continues the tradition of crafting home-cooked food. Read my Ayara Thai review on our sister site EatTravelGo.com.

Ayara Thai

Photo courtesy of Ayara Thai

Growing up in a Thai-Chinese community in the Samsen District along the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, Chef and restaurateur Andy Asapahu received his cooking and business prowess by helping his mother cook. Not only did Grandma’s (Andy’s mother) large batches of food feed her family of eight, but also those in the neighborhood, who would stop by to purchase her well-known curries. The home’s location between the palace and the river, both royal cuisine and the bustling spice trade helped to shape the home-cooked flavors so savored. 

Anna, wife of Andy and self-taught chef, hails from the city of Lampang in the heart of northern Thailand and grew up in a family that primarily cooked with home and locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Since Ayara Thai’s opening day in 2004, head Chef Anna remains a leader in the kitchen and continues her family tradition by using home-grown herbs in the restaurant’s dishes.

Chef Vanda Asapahu

Chef Vanda Asapahu; photo courtesy of Ayara Thai

The family live on through their daughter Vanda. Living and working in Thailand for four years allowed Vanda to revive old family recipes. She traveled through the nation’s different regions and discovered new tastes and inspirations.  The chef cooked with relatives and ate her way through the countryside.  It is these old recipes and new flavors that Vanda shares at Ayara Thai.

The Asapahu family offers a taste of authentic Thai food.  These family recipes and also cooking styles have been passed down through generations.  In 2019, under Chef Vanda’s leadership, Ayara Thai earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

In 2022, Chef Vanda was chosen as the first female Host Chef for Masters of Taste, LA’s premiere food event of the year. Moreover, she also graduated from the James Beard Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. The chef is an integral member of the Regarding Her Food Membership Committee. She is an outspoken advocate of commanding the worth Asian cuisines deserve. 

Moo Krata; photo courtesy of Ayara Thai

In addition to the restaurant, the Asapahu family owns Ayara Thai Products premium cooking kits and sauces. Moreover, these are available to ship to the contiguous United States. https://ayarathai.com/

For additional Culinary experiences, as well as art exhibitions, and performances, see LAArtParty’s Upcoming Events Page.