Jitlada

Jitlada is a Thai restaurant in Los Angeles’s Thai Town, recognized for its highly spicy food and its focus on Southern Thai cooking. The restaurant originally opened in a Sunset Boulevard strip-mall location during the 1970s, although the available reference material does not identify its original founder or an exact opening year. Its later identity was shaped by siblings Suthiporn “Tui” Sungkamee and Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong, who purchased the business in 2007. Sungkamee and Singsanong were raised in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand. After taking over Jitlada, they emphasized dishes associated with the region, using ingredients and flavor profiles such as turmeric, chili peppers, and Thai herbs. This Southern Thai orientation distinguished the restaurant from more generalized Thai-American restaurant menus and became central to its public reputation. Jitlada’s food is particularly associated with substantial heat, making spiciness an important part of both its culinary identity and its popular image. The restaurant’s visibility expanded beyond its local customer base through television and print coverage. It appeared on two episodes of the Food Network program Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, as well as the third season of Food Paradise, the second season of The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and the series The Migrant Kitchen. It has also been covered by Food & Wine, the Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times. These appearances positioned Jitlada as a destination restaurant and helped introduce Southern Thai dishes to a broader American audience. Suthiporn Sungkamee died in 2017 at the age of 67. The available sources do not establish the restaurant’s current ownership structure, management succession, or expansion plans after his death. No separate corporate parent, public listing, or official website is identified in the supplied reference material. Jitlada is therefore best understood as a locally rooted restaurant brand whose recognition rests on its Thai Town location, Southern Thai culinary specialization, and reputation for very spicy dishes.

Jitlada is a Thai restaurant located in Thai Town in Los Angeles. It began operating in a Sunset Boulevard strip-mall setting during the 1970s. The reference material does not provide an exact founding date, the name of the original founder, or a detailed account of the restaurant’s early ownership. A major transition occurred in 2007, when siblings Suthiporn “Tui” Sungkamee and Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong purchased the restaurant. Both were raised in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in Southern Thailand, and their background influenced the direction they gave to the business. Under their ownership, Jitlada became particularly associated with Southern Thai cuisine rather than a broadly generic Thai menu. The cooking highlighted ingredients and seasonings characteristic of the region, including turmeric, chili peppers, and Thai herbs. Jitlada’s reputation was also shaped by its emphasis on heat. Its spicy dishes became a defining part of the restaurant’s identity and helped establish it as a destination for diners seeking more assertively seasoned Thai food. The restaurant’s location in Thai Town connected it to Los Angeles’s Thai culinary community while its regional specialization gave it a distinct profile within the city’s large restaurant market. National and regional media coverage expanded Jitlada’s public reach. The restaurant appeared twice on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and was also featured on Food Paradise, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and The Migrant Kitchen. Written coverage included features or mentions in Food & Wine, the Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times. These appearances presented Jitlada to audiences outside Los Angeles and reinforced its reputation for Southern Thai food and exceptionally spicy preparations. Suthiporn Sungkamee died in 2017 at the age of 67. The available sources do not document the precise management changes that followed, nor do they establish whether Singsanong remained the sole owner or whether other operators became involved. No expansion into a larger chain, public-company structure, or separately identified parent company is described. Jitlada’s documented history therefore centers on its long-running Los Angeles location, the 2007 acquisition by Sungkamee and Singsanong, its Southern Thai culinary focus, and its subsequent media recognition.

• 2017

  Death of co-owner Suthiporn Sungkamee

  [1]Jitladaen.wikipedia.org

  Suthiporn “Tui” Sungkamee dies at age 67. The available source does not describe the subsequent ownership structure in detail.

• 2007

  Sungkamee and Singsanong acquire Jitlada

  [1]Jitladaen.wikipedia.org

  Siblings Suthiporn “Tui” Sungkamee and Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong purchase the restaurant and develop its emphasis on Southern Thai cuisine.

• 1970

  Restaurant opens during the 1970s

  [1]Jitladaen.wikipedia.org

  Jitlada begins operating in a Sunset Boulevard strip-mall location in Los Angeles. The exact opening year is not identified in the available reference.

A destination Thai restaurant specializing in strongly seasoned and highly spicy Southern Thai cuisine, with a culinary identity rooted in the traditions of Nakhon Si Thammarat and the broader southern Thai region.

• Restaurant cuisine · 2007

  Southern Thai cuisine

  Jitlada’s core offering is Southern Thai food associated with the regional background of its owners, who were raised in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The cuisine is characterized in the available sources by the use of turmeric, chili peppers, Thai herbs, and pronounced seasoning. The restaurant’s reputation is especially tied to dishes with substantial levels of spiciness.

• Television food-program appearances

  United States

  Jitlada appeared on two episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and was also featured on Food Paradise, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and The Migrant Kitchen. The programs increased awareness of the restaurant’s spicy Southern Thai cooking beyond its Los Angeles base.

  Outcome. The appearances contributed to Jitlada’s national recognition as a destination for spicy Thai food.

  Source
• Food and newspaper coverage

  United States

  Jitlada received coverage from Food & Wine, the Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times, extending its profile through food journalism and metropolitan press.

  Outcome. The coverage reinforced the restaurant’s reputation for Southern Thai specialization and highly spicy dishes.

  Source

• 2007

  Shift toward Southern Thai specializationStrategy

  Background

  After acquiring Jitlada, Suthiporn Sungkamee and Sarintip Singsanong drew on their upbringing in Nakhon Si Thammarat and the food traditions of Southern Thailand.

  Action taken

  They emphasized regional Southern Thai dishes using ingredients such as turmeric, chili peppers, and Thai herbs, while making intense spiciness a central part of the restaurant’s identity.

  Aftermath

  Jitlada became known as a destination for spicy Southern Thai cuisine and gained substantial food-media exposure.

  Source

1. 1Jitladaen.wikipedia.org