Bangkok in Buellton
The colorful bar that anchors Na Na Thai
Written by Caitlin White | Photography by Sparks, Talia Helvey (portrait)
Southern California has no shortage of great Southeast Asian cuisine, but NA NA THAI, a new kitchen in Buellton, is in the running for best Thai food in the entire state. Nik and Ashley Ramirez spent four years living and working in Bangkok before landing in Buellton. Working in and commuting to Santa Barbara eventually became untenable, but linking up with Greg and Daisy Ryan of Companion Hospitality led first to a weekly pop-up at Bar Le Côte and, eventually, a full-fledged, neon-hued Thai kitchen in a sleepy local strip mall.
Well, it’s sleepy no more. About an hour into service on a recent Saturday night, the entire dining room was packed, as plates of gai tod and nam jim jaew (fried chicken with chili dipping sauce), larb moo and kao (minced pork salad and sticky rice), and tom kha gai (chicken and coconut soup) began to fill the tables. Go big with pla tod, a whole fried fish with fried garlic or three-flavor sauce. Finish with gluay tod kao mao, banana fritters with coconut ice cream. No reservations, so go while a walk-in slot still comes with a manageable wait time. 225 McMurray Rd., Unit E, Buellton, nanathaisyv.com
