Tommy Tang
Tommy Tang's Restaurant
Los Angeles and Pasadena,California
Long considered the Godfather of Modern Thai/Pacific Rim cuisine, it is no surprise that Tommy Tang's restaurants in Southern California are a major dining destination for locals and out of town travelers alike.
With his roots in Thailand in a family that lived and breathed the food industry, Tommy began cooking and experimenting at an early age. Later, with the influence of Americans in Asia during the Vietnam war and while working in hotels, Tommy began to combine flavors of Thailand with that of Japan, Europe, and the Western World.
Upon arriving in America in the early 70's while working as a producer in the music industry, a whole new career adventure was ready to emerge. While helping out some Thai friends in their struggling restaurant, Los Angeles was introduced to Tommy's hybrid Modern Thai Cuisine, soon to be called Pacific Rim by the Los Angeles press. The rest is a 15 year culinary history -- his own restaurants, a best selling cookbook Modern Thai Cuisine, his own personalized line of high quality seasonings & sauces sold nationwide, and his current national PBS cooking series, aptly titled "Modern Thai Cuisine with Tommy Tang". To complete the picture, Tommy and managing partner Gary Arabia created one of L.A.'s top catering companies, Global Cuisine, dishing up foods from (of course) all corners of the globe!
For his appearance on our Guest Chef feature, Tommy has created a unique and easy recipe using several of Melissa's products - - Thanks Tommy, & bon appetit!
Tommy Tang's Restaurants are located at:
- 7313 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood (213) 937-5733
- 24 West Colorado Boulevard in Old Town Pasadena (626) 792-9700
"Modern Thai Cuisine with Tommy Tang" can be seen in Los Angeles on KCET Saturday mornings at 11:30 am Pacific Time. Please call your local PBS station for day & time in your area.
