Our favorite Thai restaurant of the year is a mix of Italian, Indian and Mexican flavors – and it’s delicious

F&W 2024 Best New Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat creates expertly prepared classics and sensational cross-genre dishes that mark the future of Thai cuisine at Holy Basil in Los Angeles.

But that wasn't enough. To keep things exciting for his team and to learn something new, Arpapornnopparat started opening ticketed pop-ups in the food hall, serving sensational Thai dishes that couldn't be found anywhere else in LA, like marinated blue crab, alongside radically creative dishes like Thai-inspired wild shrimp aguachile and yellow curry rigatoni, a mind-blowing, novel pasta mashup with Indian and Chinese influences that's garnished with Sichuan peppercorns. Both have made their way onto the restaurant's regular menu.

There are many different influences at Holy Basil. Arpapornnopparat grew up in a Thai-Chinese household, and many of the dishes reflect his childhood, from a fluffy but crispy omelet to a smoky wok-fried pad see ew. He spent six years in India, and his homemade curries combine Thai, Indian and Chinese flavors. Arpapornnopparat embraces the flavors of Los Angeles and uses Mexican ingredients as well, so you get dishes like the moo krob, a piece of crispy pork belly served with a bold sauce made from Thai chilies and roasted tomatillos.

Arpapornnopparat is grateful for the freedom and opportunities he has as a chef in LA and appreciates the hungry, open-minded diners who “expect things to be a little different.”

“I've experienced a mixed culture. It feels natural for me to do these things. I don't see any limits to it having to be Thai or anything – it just has to be good tasting food.”

Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat

The success of Holy Basil has allowed Arpapornnopparat to open a second location in the Atwater Village neighborhood, a 20-minute drive north of the original downtown location. He explains that it's also a big, collaborative team effort, with his crew of Mexican, Chinese and Thai chefs experimenting, collaborating and incorporating everyone's experiences into the food, which allows him to evolve and constantly push boundaries. “I feel like these are Thai dishes that no one has done before,” he says. “Maybe the form has changed a little bit, but it tastes super Thai.”

The perfect order at Holy Basil

Do it yourself

In the early days of Holy Basil, Arpapornnopparat did almost everything himself: “We did our deliveries ourselves. I cooked, got on my bike, and then cycled around downtown to deliver the food myself.” To make room for diners to eat at the original downtown location, Arpapornnopparat and his team tore out parts of an interior wall to put in the windows themselves and built low tables out of milk crates. “I always tell my team that we will do what we can for our guests,” he says.

Reuse, reclaim, recycle

“We started with just a lowboy and a free wok from another restaurant because the food hall was deserted,” says Arpapornnopparat of building Holy Basil. “Rustic Canyon threw away their hotplate, and then my friend called and said, 'Hey, there's a hotplate. Do you want it?' So I drove out to get it. So we started with a hotplate, a free wok and a lowboy.”

Stand by your decisions

Themenu of Holy Basil says, “We politely decline substitutions or changes to the menu to maintain the integrity of the dish.” Arpapornnopparat explains, “We only use one level of spiciness and have already chosen the right amount. Sometimes people say they want 'spiciness level three.' I have no idea what that means.”

About our methodology

Chefs who have been in charge of a kitchen or pastry program for five years or less are eligible to receive F&W’s Best New Chef award. The process begins with gastronomy Solicit and review nominations from former Best New Chef chefs, cookbook authors and other trusted experts across the country. Then gastronomy Scouts travel the country visiting dozens of restaurants in search of the most promising and dynamic chefs of the moment. gastronomy conducts background checks and requires each chef to submit an anonymous multilingual survey to their coworkers, designed to assess the work culture at each chef's establishment. Chefs also participate in Food & Wine The Best New Chef Mentorship Program provides you with the skills and tools you need to develop personally and professionally as a leader and to successfully master challenges and opportunities in your career.

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