In Hollywood, you get one shot to prove your staying power and sometimes you’re even lucky to get that. One hit wonders don’t just exist in the entertainment industry – they exist in the restaurant world as well. That is why it is with great pride that Talesai celebrates 25 years of serving arguably the best Thai cuisine in Los Angeles.

Located in the Western heart of trendy Sunset Boulevard, Talesai was realized when proprietor Prakas Yenbamroong saw a void in the upscale epicurean landscape. Yenbamroong had originally come to the United States in the 1970s to get his MBA at Cornell University. Following that, he worked for the Thai Farmer’s Bank for four years in London and L.A. It was during that period that he conceived Talesai and made it a family affair by bringing in the perfect executive chef – his mother, Vilai Yenbamroong.

Vilai had complete faith that if they stuck to their Thai beliefs of patience, compassion and gratitude, along with her superior culinary skills and her son’s MBA, that they would have few problems becoming a success. Now a quarter-century later, Talesai closed for three months to undergo a complete renovation, and when it reopened in November 2008 to celebrate its silver anniversary, it also marked the passing of the torch from father to son as Prakas’ 26-year-old son, Kris Yenbamroong, was handed the reins.

Kris credits his father with preparing him for his new role at the helm of Talesai. “My dad has always taken a unique approach to things,” Kris remembers of his childhood, “and he wanted my education to be unique too.” After spending kindergarten in a school operated in a Jewish temple, Kris was enrolled for his grammar school years at UCLA’s laboratory school Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School (UES). As he entered seventh grade, the Los Angeles native was sent to his parents’ homeland of Thailand to attend middle school. He studied at the International School of Bangkok for children of business people and ambassadors. “I spent every waking moment immersing myself in the culture of the country,” he says. Kris eventually returned to the United States to attend Beverly Hills High School.

After high school, Kris enrolled in New York University (NYU) to study film and graphic arts. While living in New York, he met and developed a strong bond with his mentor, internationally recognized photographer and transgressive filmmaker Richard Kern. “Working with him was a second education. I learned through osmosis, absorbing everything I could through observation or anecdotes,” Kris says, adding that this relationship is the single most defining experience of his eight years in New York.

As he takes the helm at one of Southern California’s most revered and celebrated Thai restaurants, Kris understands the gravitas his new role carries. “I’m very rooted in tradition, more so than my father. At the heart of everything I do, be it in the kitchen or in my photographs, is a respect for craft. Looking at my family’s success with Talesai or the work of my mentor, the common thread has always been an intimate understanding of technique and a complete devotion to quality,” he says.

He underscores his goal to make his guests feel welcome and important from the moment they walk in the door by providing a memorable dining experience. “In addition to serving the exceptional contemporary Thai cuisine we have become known for, there will be a new emphasis on the lesser-explored rustic preparations that I came to love during my years in Thailand,” he says. “Our new wine list will have a focus that strays from the beaten path, and our guests will find the ambiance welcoming with a domestic feel, like the most beautiful California homes.”

The influence of his parents will be clear in the newly remodeled Talesai, and as Kris guides the restaurant into the next 25 years, he brings an appreciation of its hard-earned reputation as well as a drive to create exciting and new, fresh tastes for the future. With a kitchen crew that is second to none and a front of the house staff eager to set new standards for service, Kris is thrilled to underscore why Talesai continues to be so much more than a one hit wonder in the City of Angels.