LA Chefs & Surprise Celebrity Honor Jitlada’s Chef Tui at Thai Gala

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Chef Jazz Singsanong (Jitlada) joined a star line-up of celebrity chefs with special Jitlada-inspired dishes to honor her beloved late Chef Tui Sungkamee.   The best of such fundraisers turn into chatty social evenings. This one, infused with such heartfelt feelings, turned into a gala that still felt like a family reunion.

Legendary Matt Groening was an approachable, guest.  He told the funniest story about how his first doodles on a restaurant receipt grew into doing portraits for all the staff that they later hung on the walls of the restaurant.

Jazz, in chef coat, still remained the regal hostess throughout.  We were made to feel as welcome as the long-time passionate, Jittlada customers.

Sereechai Thai Newspaper President & CEO, Boon Chroenkitkan, (below) introduced us to the siblings at a Chang Beer event.  Jazz turned our table into a  lifetime-memory Thai party at once.    Chang was a sponsor of this Cancer Research fundraiser.  DJ Chris Holmes and DJ Zo provided the entertainment.

The evening was filled uper-stars Chef Jet Tila (International Thai Culinary Ambassador) and Roy Choi, who offered the best of his Line Hotel restaurant dishes.

Roy Choi’s restaurant in the Line Hotel served our “best bite” of fried chicken.

Neighbors, Langer’s and Cassell’s Hamburgers served dishes combining Jitlada Thai ingredients into their own signature dishes.

Kris Yenbamroong (Night + Market Song), Andy Ricker (Pok Pok) and Louis Tikaram (E.P. & L.P.) served as special honorary dishes.  Chef Kris and Andy share a laugh (below).

“Extra spicy cuisine” helped the brother and sister duo to fame, but it is the total package that makes this restaurant a star. Hospitality, so characteristic of the Thai people – who have never been conquered as a country because they simply opened the doors to newcomers and learned from them- is at its highest here.  The party held the same feeling.

The Line Hotel ballroom has a spacious feeling to it because it opens onto an outdoor patio. The crowd spilled out into the patio, complete with fire pit, outside in the spring air.   A bar and two desserts were served.

 

Jitlada, 5233 1/2 West Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027, (323) 667-9809. Hours are Tues-Sun: Lunch 11 am – 3 pm Dinner 5 pm – 10:30 pm. For details on the restaurant and more of the menu that includes images, please see: //jitladala.wordpress.com