Where to Start with Kris Yenbamroong
Kris Yenbamroong is the chef and owner behind Night + Market, a group of Thai restaurants in Los Angeles that became some of the most talked-about dining destinations in the city. His cooking style, which he calls “LA Thai,” blends traditional Thai recipes with the freewheeling, multicultural energy of Los Angeles. The food is bold, spicy, and unapologetically fun, built for sharing over natural wine and loud conversation. His cookbook captures that energy and translates it into recipes that work at home.
Start here
Night + Market
Kris Yenbamroong · 320 pages · 2017 · Moderate
Themes: thai fusion, party food, street food, LA Thai, natural wine
The cookbook that brought Night + Market’s bold, irreverent Thai fusion to home kitchens. Yenbamroong’s only cookbook to date is both a recipe collection and a manifesto for cooking without boundaries.
Why Start Here
This is Yenbamroong’s only cookbook, and it is the definitive document of his cooking philosophy. The book moves between traditional Thai dishes his mother taught him and wild fusion creations born in his restaurant kitchens. You get pad see ew and fish curry noodles alongside grilled catfish tamales and Isaan salmon ceviche. The organizing principle is not authenticity but pleasure: if it tastes good together, it belongs on the plate.
Yenbamroong writes with a casual confidence that makes even ambitious recipes feel approachable. The headnotes are as entertaining as they are informative, and the sections on wine and cocktail pairings add a dimension most cookbooks ignore entirely.
What to Expect
A 320-page cookbook with energetic photography and a voice that matches the restaurant experience. The recipes range from quick snacks and dips to more involved projects that require marinating, grilling, and assembling multiple components. The difficulty is moderate overall, though some dishes will stretch a beginner. This is a book for cooks who want to throw a dinner party that people remember, and it delivers on that promise.