The Kitchen Behind Forty Years of Thai Cooking
Thai Nakorn started with one woman's love of Thai cooking and a willingness to bet everything on it. Forty years later, the recipes haven't changed — and neither has the welcome.
Thai Nakorn Restaurant | Our Story
From Nakorn Phanom to Stanton
Wanida Sreewarom, who first came to America to become a nurse, opened Thai Nakorn near Knott's Berry Farm in 1984, proud of her Thai heritage and deeply connected to the Thai community. She wanted to give fellow Thai immigrants a taste of home, while introducing everyone else to the food and culture she loved. The name itself honors Nakorn Phanom, the province in northeastern Thailand where she was born.
Growing With Orange County
As the restaurant's following grew, the family opened two more locations — one in Garden Grove, and one further south in Mission Viejo — bringing the same recipes and the same care to a wider stretch of the county. When a fire struck the Garden Grove restaurant, our family moved quickly to open a new location on Beach Boulevard in Stanton while the original was rebuilt. Garden Grove and Mission Viejo would each eventually pass to new owners, but Stanton stayed home.
Finding Home on Beach Boulevard
Today, Thai Nakorn calls one address home: Beach Boulevard in Stanton. The neighborhood has claimed it as its own, and forty years of consistent, flavorful plates have turned a small family operation into one of Orange County's most trusted Thai restaurants.
Recipes That Never Changed
Every recipe traces back to the family traditions Wanida brought with her in 1984 — nothing watered down, nothing reinvented. The pad thai arrives tangled and golden, layered with the depth the dish was always meant to have.
Generations Keep Coming Back
Guests who first walked through the door in the '80s now bring their grandchildren — and those kids grow up to bring their own friends. Thai Nakorn has always been a gathering place, quiet lunches and full-table family celebrations alike.
A Thai SELECT Classic
ince 2021, the Royal Thai Government has recognized Thai Nakorn with the Thai SELECT Classic Award every year running — reserved for restaurants that genuinely represent the flavors and traditions of Thailand. It confirms what regular guests have known for decades.
