Thai Like You’ve Never Tasted at Sebastopol Pop-Up

Ramen Gaijin's owners are trying something a little different at their Sebastopol restaurant


Sebastopol’s Ramen Gaijin will host another pop-up concept later this month called Khom Loi, featuring regional Thai cooking.

Owners Matthew Williams and Moishe Hahn-Shuman — who started their ramen shop as a pop-up several years ago at Woodfour Brewing—just announced the event, which will take place later this month. Inspired by travels in Northern Thailand and Laos, the food will focus on Chiang Mai and nearby Laos, with nods to Central and Southern Thailand.

Unlike the recent Mexican street food pop-up, Khom Loi (which translates as ‘floating lantern’) is a project of Williams Hahn-Shuman — meaning that if all goes well Khom Loi could you know, maybe become a new restaurant. Maybe. Cocktail ninjas Matt Berger and Scott Beattie will be creating Thai-inspired beverages to pair with the menu.

We’re stoked because Thai cuisine seems to have gone the way of Chinese food — becoming rather bland, Americanized imitations of itself. When we mentioned this to Williams, with a bitter lament over ketchupy pad Thai and peanut butter sauce, he laughed knowingly, “It’s nothing like that,” he said.

More details coming soon, or go to ramengaijin.com.

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