How do you breathe new life into a neighborhood Thai restaurant that’s been open for four decades? You have your art director son take over the kitchen and introduce dry-aged fish, carnitas and Japanese coals to the mix. Ricky Pichetrungsi opened Anajak on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks in 1981. But his son Justin stepped in after Ricky had a stroke in 2019 and catapulted the restaurant onto the national dining scene with such gusto that it was impossible to ignore. Through his Thai Taco Tuesdays, where crowds line up for lap cheong-topped tostadas in the side alley, and menu additions like the rice- and wheat-flour-coated fried chicken gilded with caviar, Justin has managed to find the sweet spot in the middle of innovation and preservation. His Massaman braised beef is as comforting as a hunk of pot roast, surrounded by halved carrots and wedges of sweet potato. The rust-brown curry has the complexity and depth of a mole that’s been cooking for years. The nam jim seafood sauce that accompanies the sea bream is nearly neon green, with a smack of acid and funk that’s so electric you’ll ask for a spoon to scoop it all up. That tension between Justin’s intensely creative streak and the cooking that established the foundation for his family’s restaurant is what gives Anajak its edge, and its undeniable charm. And sommelier Ian Krupp’s thoughtful wine pairings are rarely obvious, and never miss. — J.H.

14704 VENTURA BLVD., SHERMAN OAKS, (818) 501-4201 l ANAJAKTHAI.COM