Jet Tila

🇹🇭 Thailand · Thai cuisine · b. 1972

The chef behind LA's first family of Thai food and a fixture of American food television.

Biography

Jet Tila is a Los Angeles-born Thai-American chef whose family is widely credited with pioneering Thai food in Los Angeles. His grandfather opened the first Thai grocery store in Los Angeles in the 1960s, his uncle ran one of the city's first Thai restaurants, and Tila himself was named the first Culinary Ambassador of Thai cuisine to the United States by the Royal Thai Consulate-General.

A recurring judge on Food Network's 'Cutthroat Kitchen,' 'Beat Bobby Flay' and 'Iron Chef Showdown,' he is one of the most visible Asian-American chefs in US television. He runs Pakpao Thai and Dragon Beaux in California and consults on menus across the US.

His cookbook '101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die' is one of the most accessible introductions to home Asian cooking in English.

Cooking Philosophy

Thai-American as its own cuisine. Tila argues that the Thai food cooked by Thai immigrants in Los Angeles since the 1960s — adapted to American produce, slightly milder, slightly sweeter — is its own legitimate cuisine, distinct from but as worthy of respect as Thailand's regional cuisines.

Restaurants

Pakpao Thai
Dallas / California
Modern Thai restaurant group.
Dragon Beaux
San Francisco
Hong Kong-style dim sum (consulting / collaboration).

Awards & Recognition

Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine to the United States (Royal Thai Consulate-General)
Guinness World Record (Largest Stir-Fry, 2011)

Iconic Dishes

Pad ThaiDrunken noodles (pad kee mao)Approachable Thai-American cooking

Cookbooks

101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die
101 Epic Dishes

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Signature Recipes Inspired by Jet

Original recipes we created as homages to Jet's cooking style and signature dishes. Not direct reproductions of any copyrighted material — these are our interpretations of the traditionsJet has worked with throughout their career.

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Pad See Ew — Jet Tila-Inspired

Wide rice noodles stir-fried with Chinese broccoli, soy sauce and egg — Bangkok's most beloved street wok dish.

15m prep · 8m cook · ⭐ 4.8

Recipes in Jet's Style

These recipes from our database reflect the thai cooking tradition that Jet works in. They are not direct reproductions of Jet's copyrighted recipes, but traditional dishes inspired by the same culinary heritage.

🥡

Authentic Pad Thai

20 prep · 15 cook · ⭐ 4.8

🍲

Thai Green Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan)

20 prep · 25 cook · ⭐ 4.8

🦐

Tom Yum Goong — Thai Spicy Prawn Soup

15 prep · 20 cook · ⭐ 4.8

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Thai Basil Chicken Recipe (Pad Krapow Gai) — 15-Minute Thai Classic

10 prep · 10 cook · ⭐ 4.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Jet Tila

Who is Jet Tila?

Jet Tila is a Los Angeles-born Thai-American chef and Food Network personality. His family is credited with pioneering Thai food in Los Angeles, and he was named the first Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine to the United States by the Royal Thai Consulate-General.