Virtual Programs

How have Americans’ perceptions of Thai food and culture changed over time? And how have these perceptions affected what’s on the menu? We will tackle these questions with Mark Padoongpatt, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of Asian and Asian American Studies at University of Nevada Las Vegas and author of Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America, who will share how Thai immigrants have navigated food systems to recreate the “yum” of their homeland. We’ll then head to the Baltimore-Washington area for interviews and cooking demos with two long-time Thai favorites that both feature diverse menus and incorporate a range of cultural influences. We’ll be joined by Chef Aulie Bunyarataphan and Mel Oursinsiri, the husband and wife team behind Bangkok Joe’s in Georgetown, who will share their story and how their concept came to include Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and French flavors alongside traditional Bangkok cuisine. Then we’ll visit with restauranteur Sireenuch Tengamnuary, owner for longtime Baltimore restaurant Thai Landing, and we’ll check in on her new restaurant, Towson, MD’s Absolute Thai-Sushi, where a Japanese sushi menu complements a wide range of Thai specialities. 

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Food is all about family and community, and Queens not only boasts some of the best Thai restaurants in New York City, but is also home to the largest Thai enclave in the northeast. On this virtual program, we will explore the neighborhood of Elmhurst with author, tour guide, local resident, and culinary consultant Joe DiStefano, who will join us live from Queens and visit P’Noi’s Thai Thai Grocery and other landmarks of the Thai community. We will also stop in to Sabay Thai to chat with Chef Busaya to learn about her upbringing in Northern Thailand and see what she’s cooking up in the kitchen. And we will head to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, where Chef Tan will share dishes inspired by his mother at the family-owned Wanisa Home Kitchen.

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