Overview
Born in Bangkok, Thailand, and raised in Los Angeles, Amanda Kuntee, executive chef and co-owner of Chao Krung, has always had a passion for cooking and honoring her heritage by learning family recipes. From fermenting sausages for two days, to grinding and pounding curry paste from scratch, Amanda’s devotion to her craft and commitment to the highest quality ingredients makes even the simplest Thai dishes stand out. She aspires to introduce American diners to Thai dishes that aren’t often found on menus here, like Hungley Curry, a Northern Thai sweet pork belly and pork shoulder curry, and Lemongrass Lamb Chops, marinated in crushed lemongrass, peanuts, and a rich soybean sauce. Amanda learned the art of authentic Thai homestyle cooking from her grandmother, who previously cooked for the royal family in Thailand. Amanda moved to the U.S. from Thailand at age seven and started working in the restaurant while attending Fairfax High School, across the street from Chao Krung. Before deciding to pursue cooking full-time, Amanda studied business management in college. Although she has no formal culinary training, Amanda followed in her grandmother’s footsteps, partnering with her family to open several Thai restaurants in Los Angeles over the years, including Chadaka Thai and Soi 56. She has focused her attention on Chao Krung since 2015. When Amanda isn’t in the kitchen, she enjoys performing as a Thai dancer and spending time with her husband, whom she met in Los Angeles, and the rest of her large family. Active by nature, Amanda seeks adventure by playing volleyball, skiing, and snowboarding with her husband and sister, Katy.
About Tuk Tuk Collab
The teams behind Tuk Tuk Thai and Turntable at Lord Stanley open Tuk Tuk x Turntable, a new pop-up space at 1644 Sawtelle Blvd that will host ongoing chef residencies. Turntable is the well-known hub for world-renowned and up-and-coming chefs to collaborate and showcase their cuisines in San Francisco, and last year hosted Chef Amanda Maneesilassan of Tuk Tuk Thai, one of LA’s legacy Thai restaurants, for a month-long residency. Kicking off the pop-up series is Chef Eric Huang, whose New York pop-up-turned-brick-and-mortar Pecking House once had a 10,000-person wait list for its beloved chili fried chicken. Following two successful pop-ups in San Francisco, the Turntable team wanted to help Pecking House expand its reach and took on the role of overseeing the planning and logistics of finding another city and space for Chef Huang to set up shop.
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