The team behind LA Thai restaurants Chao Krung and Tuk Tuk is opening a new Thai smashburger restaurant on Friday, April 12. Located next door to Tuk Tuk Thai on Sawtelle Blvd, Ban Ban Burger is the newest concept from sisters and co-owners Chef Amanda Maneesilasan and Katy Noochla-or. The menu combines the classic American burger with flavors of Thai dishes like grapow and laab, plus Thai milkshakes in flavors like pandan, Thai tea, and coconut.
Born in Bangkok, Thailand and raised in Los Angeles, Katy and Amanda grew up working in their parents’ restaurants (including Chao Krung, the second restaurant to open in what is now LA’s Thai Town in the 1970s) and took over the business in 2017. Amanda learned the art of Thai homestyle cooking from her grandmother, who previously cooked for the royal family in Thailand. Now she brings those family recipes to her restaurants and introduces Angelenos to Thai ways of eating, like Sum Rup, a tradition that Katy and Amanda designed as a monthly dinner series at Chao Krung last year. To complement the homestyle dishes at Chao Krung, Chef Amanda serves Thai-style street food at Tuk Tuk Thai on Sawtelle, and now is taking a more modern direction with Ban Ban Burger.
Ban Ban Burger is now soft-open for pick-up and delivery only via Uber Eats and DoorDash, and opens for dine-in on April 12, just in time for Thai New Year (Songkran) – April 13-15!
The Ban Ban Burger menu includes:
Smashburgers & Sandwiches
Grapow Smash ($14) – Free-range beef cooked with garlic, holy basil, and Thai chili, served with a fried egg, house Thai pickle, American cheese and wild garlic aioli on a potato roll.
Wagyu Laab Smash ($17) – Wagyu beef, seasoned with lime, rice powder and bird’s eye chili flakes with house Thai pickle, mint and herb sauce with American cheese
So-Cali Classic ($12) – Free-range beef, house Thai pickle, American cheese and special Ban Ban Sauce on a potato roll
Satay Katsu Sando ($16) – Panko-crusted deep fried cutlet, lightly cured in our house satay seasoning, house Thai pickle, peanut sauce on toasted milk bread
Panang Fried Chicken Sando ($16) – Crispy fried buttermilk marinated chicken thigh, dipped in panang red curry, cilantro, fresno pepper, house Thai pickle and makrut aioli on milk bread
Fries
Fries ($6) – Classic or sweet potato fries with zesty laab powder
Massaman Poutine – Savory massaman curry with creamy cheese over crispy sweet potato fries, topped with crispy fried shallots and green onion
Shakes & Sweets
Pandan Shake ($8) – Fragrant, refreshing, and sweet pandan shake topped with toasted coconut and pandan jelly
Thai Tea Shake ($8) – Classic Thai tea shake with coconut caramel drizzle
Coconut Shake ($8) – Vegan Thai coconut sorbet topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes
I-Thim Sando ($8) – Thai coconut ice cream, sticky rice, toasted peanut with coconut caramel drizzle on a pillowy bun
Ban Ban Burger is located at 1644 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025.
