I sat down with Vanda for some food talk, family style dining and to hear about their latest sauce venture that has brought them National attention and a write up in Women’s Health.Ayara Thai takes great pride in using all local and fresh ingredients. Even though it takes a bit more time to prepare I can definitely vouch that the extra time pays off in the flavors of their cuisine. I sat down with Vanda (whose parents opened Ayara in 2004) for some food talk, family style dining and to hear about their latest sauce venture that has brought them National attention.
We both agreed that we are more curious when it comes to food than our parents, we’re more creative with ingredients and we continue to expand the definition of what food is and means to our generation.
EA: Why do you think our generation is more willing to cross the lines with our parent’s recipes?
VANDA: We are a generation that tries to eat healthier and we are more curious about ethnic food and the types of ingredients we use. Our generation is more traveled, more curious about food and we’ve tasted flavors of different countries.
EA: So you graduated from Yale and worked for the UN for four years. Why did you come back and take over the family restaurant?
VANDA: I decided to come back to Los Angeles and work with the family business because I realized I could use my degree, be creative and take the restaurant to another level. We have created 7 authentic sauces that have the same flavor profiles that you would get if you were in Thailand. They are bottled at the restaurant every week. Being at the restaurant also allows me to get involved with the local community.
EA: How long is the shelf life of a bottle of sauce?
VANDA: Each sauce has a shelf life of 3 months because they are preservative free and contain all fresh ingredients. Our peanut sauce was just nominated for a Sofi Award by the Specialty Food Association and we were mentioned in this month’s issue of Womens Health.
EA: How does the sauce bottling process work at Ayara Thai?
VANDA: We bottle 7 different sauces each week. We set it up like a production line. We boil the jars, put the labels on, fill them up, etc.,
EA: Why don’t you have the sauces mass produced?
VANDA: Having sauces created at a warehouse takes time because it’s hard to scale up and get the recipe to match the quality of the recipe we make in the restaurant.
EA: I noticed no one is using chopsticks in the restaurant. Do you offer them to the guests?∗
VANDA: Thai people do not use chopsticks unless we are eating soup. The utensils of choice are a spoon and fork, with the spoon being used by your dominant hand and the fork in the other. The fork is considered a weapon and you should never put a weapon in your mouth, which makes it not ideal to use as the main utensil. The spoon is friendly so the fork is used to scoop into the spoon and the spoon is the main utensil. The spoon is also used to cut.
The interview was absolutely fascinating and the food was extremely flavorful. I was happy to have such a delicious selection of food and the opportunity to try all of the sauces as well as Vanda’s favorite family dish, the Baked River Prawns.
CLICK HERE to check out the Ayara Thai site.
