In Straight Trippin', OC friends and family share tidbits from their latest travels. This time, chef and owner of NIGHT + MARKET restaurants Kris Yenbamroong traveled to Thailand where things got a little spicy.
Name: Kris Yenbamroong
Occupation: Chef and owner of NIGHT+MARKET restaurants in Los Angeles
Travel destination: Thailand (the Motherland!)
Carry-on necessities: Xanax, a neck pillow, and an eye mask—long flights are pretty much the only chance I get to really zone out for an extended period of time.
Reading materials: See above (no reading)
Most over-played track on your iPhone this trip: Nancy Whang’s Casablanca Reworks EP and about two weeks of Howard Stern shows that I loaded onto my phone.
Favorite outfit to travel in: I swore I’d never give in to "fashion sweatpants," but for this trip, I caved. They’re a pair of black Aviator Nation sweats with quilted motorcycle knees. Whatever though, I’m old. Or at least I feel old. A Rodarte hoodie and Nike Fly Knits are a must.
Highlight of your trip: Getting to try a sort of antiquated style of northern Thai curry that’s not made anymore. The ingredients are ones I work with daily, but they were put together in a way that was revelatory to me.
Best part: The long drives through the Thai countryside were pretty killer.
Souvenirs you brought back: 40 kilograms of dried spices, which are hitting plates at both restaurants right about now!![]()
A restaurant uses an old Nirvana T-shirt as a kitchen rag and dries their spices on a satellite dish? #onlyinthailand. Photos by Kris Yenbamroong![]()
I decided to fly Korean Airlines for the first time on this trip and come dinnertime the flight attendants would ask, “beef, chicken or Bibimbap?” which was a totally pleasant surprise.![]()
People often ask about the long vinyl banners we have hanging up at NIGHT+MARKET Weho and Song. This is the inspiration behind those banners. You’ll find these types of vinyl signs all over Thailand, especially in the countryside. ![]()
This is one of two Akha Ama cafes in Chiang Mai. The owner, Lee, whose people are Akha, runs what he calls a "socially empowered enterprise," which helps his people make money off the crop that they grow (coffee) by cutting out the middleman and processing and marketing the coffee themselves. You walk into this place and feel like you’re at a Stumptown. Killer coffee.![]()
There’s a town called Wichian Buri, which is sort of the southernmost part of northern Thailand that’s famous for its grilled chicken, Gai Yaang Wichian Buri. They splay the chickens out flat and secure them with two sets of sticks that go up in a triangle and stand them up vertically on charcoal grills. It’s sort of a slow-and-low vibe, like Texas BBQ, with intense smokiness, and might even have more in common
Name: Kris Yenbamroong
Occupation: Chef and owner of NIGHT+MARKET restaurants in Los Angeles
Travel destination: Thailand (the Motherland!)
Carry-on necessities: Xanax, a neck pillow, and an eye mask—long flights are pretty much the only chance I get to really zone out for an extended period of time.
Reading materials: See above (no reading)
Most over-played track on your iPhone this trip: Nancy Whang’s Casablanca Reworks EP and about two weeks of Howard Stern shows that I loaded onto my phone.
Favorite outfit to travel in: I swore I’d never give in to "fashion sweatpants," but for this trip, I caved. They’re a pair of black Aviator Nation sweats with quilted motorcycle knees. Whatever though, I’m old. Or at least I feel old. A Rodarte hoodie and Nike Fly Knits are a must.
Highlight of your trip: Getting to try a sort of antiquated style of northern Thai curry that’s not made anymore. The ingredients are ones I work with daily, but they were put together in a way that was revelatory to me.
Best part: The long drives through the Thai countryside were pretty killer.
Souvenirs you brought back: 40 kilograms of dried spices, which are hitting plates at both restaurants right about now!
A restaurant uses an old Nirvana T-shirt as a kitchen rag and dries their spices on a satellite dish? #onlyinthailand. Photos by Kris Yenbamroong
I decided to fly Korean Airlines for the first time on this trip and come dinnertime the flight attendants would ask, “beef, chicken or Bibimbap?” which was a totally pleasant surprise.
People often ask about the long vinyl banners we have hanging up at NIGHT+MARKET Weho and Song. This is the inspiration behind those banners. You’ll find these types of vinyl signs all over Thailand, especially in the countryside. 
This is one of two Akha Ama cafes in Chiang Mai. The owner, Lee, whose people are Akha, runs what he calls a "socially empowered enterprise," which helps his people make money off the crop that they grow (coffee) by cutting out the middleman and processing and marketing the coffee themselves. You walk into this place and feel like you’re at a Stumptown. Killer coffee.
There’s a town called Wichian Buri, which is sort of the southernmost part of northern Thailand that’s famous for its grilled chicken, Gai Yaang Wichian Buri. They splay the chickens out flat and secure them with two sets of sticks that go up in a triangle and stand them up vertically on charcoal grills. It’s sort of a slow-and-low vibe, like Texas BBQ, with intense smokiness, and might even have more in common