Weekly Welcome

Deau and Joy are the power couple and Co-Founders behind LA's buzziest Thai restaurant, Holy Basil. Both hail from Bangkok, but boast different stories on how their paths eventually converged at the now-closed Chandara as cashier and bartender, respectively. Deau's background was in graphic design and naturally the pair launched a string of pop-ups promoting their beverage brand The_Base. Naturally, the opportunity presented itself and the duo soon found themselves launching their first ever full blown Bangkok street food concept in Downtown Los Angeles. Since opening in early 2021, they've had their share of challenges in educating the consumer base as well as a string of accolades validating their years of work in this industry.

Katy Noochlaor is the Co-Owner and operator of 20+ year Thai street food Tuk Tuk in Sawtelle, robust wine and casual Thai fare Same Same in Silver Lake, and the multigenerational dining institution Chao Krung in Fairfax. We speak on her newly relocated and updated Tuk Tuk as well as the importance in reclaiming Thai food.

Eric Tjahyadi is a Co-Owner in his family owned Southeast Asian restaurant Bone Kettle in Old Town Pasadena. During the day, Eric is also the VP, Head of Global Ad Sales at Sony Music. He's also a partner in Supa Coffee, a hip-hop themed conceptual café. We touch on creating organizational structure, importance of delegating, and not giving up on what you want to do and what you love. Eric and his family immigrated from Indonesia and their initial perception of America (Victorian houses/Full House) ended up being anything but. There have been many challenges in this self-funded, family venture in Bone Kettle. Through it all, it's still here and after conversing with Eric, it's easy to see why.