Vanda Asapahu

Vanda Asapahu is the second-generation owner and chef of Ayara Thai and Ayara Luk in Los Angeles, CA. Vanda worked with non-profit organizations and the United Nations in Thailand. Living in Thailand allowed Vanda to revive old family recipes and travel through the different regions to discover new tastes and inspirations. Vanda brings her individual experiences back to the family restaurant to push the boundaries of Thai cuisine — by adopting their parents’ recipes, creating new flavors inspired by their experience as first-generation Thai-Americans, and sourcing environmentally-conscious ingredients. Vanda is committed to infusing contemporary values with the Thai culinary heritage that they have inherited from their parents.