Approach through the room’s outside edges and the first signal is practical, not theatrical: alley and sidewalk tables have heaters, a small detail that says much about how Southern California dining has absorbed outdoor space into everyday restaurant life. Inside, conversation around Anajak Thai increasingly centers on wine, not as accessory, but as the lens for reading the meal.
Thai cooking seen through a serious wine list
Sherman Oaks is rarely treated as a wine-drinking capital like central Los Angeles dining corridors, which sharpens the winery’s reputation. The Los Angeles Times has described it as a lauded second-generation Thai restaurant and one of Southern California’s premier destinations for drinking wine. That matters because the list avoids a narrow prestige script. It runs to hundreds of bottles, printed in small type, and spans natural wines, established traditional vintages, and lesser-known producers.
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The more interesting point is how geography shapes drinking here. Mosel suggests slate, acid, and cold-climate tension; Champagne brings chalk and autolytic depth; Burgundy carries the argument of village, slope, and vintage; Italy opens a wider register of regional farming traditions. In that context, Anajak Thai joins a larger Los Angeles shift: restaurants with deep cultural roots no longer need safe, generic pairings. They can frame Thai food through terroir, structure, and bottle age without becoming formal tasting rooms.
Why the wine program changes the reading of the meal
The list’s breadth gives the winery its editorial weight. Natural producers and big-name traditional vintages share the same field, encouraging more curious drinking than label-chasing. For readers mapping the city, place it first within The Sherman Oaks restaurants guide, then use nearby guides for context: bars, wineries, hotels, and experiences. The takeaway is concise: come for Thai cooking, but notice how the bottle list turns the table toward Europe’s soils, cellars, and climates.
Questions
Frequently asked
Who works at Anajak Thai?
Made By profiles Ian Krupp (Wine Director) at Anajak Thai.
The field
How it compares
| Place | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Chateau Lafite Rothschild | Pauillac | · |
| Château Latour | Pauillac | · |
| Felton Road Wines | Bannockburn | 50 Best |
| Michter's | Louisville | · |
| Ornellaia | Castagneto Carducci | · |
| Schloss Johannisberg | Geisenheim | 50 Best |
Similar places
The Sunday email
Read about the people behind wineries like Anajak Thai in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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