About
Proprietor Lamduan Ruanthong
Pajal, which specializes in traditional Thai dishes, was started by Lamduan Ruanthong, a native of the central Thailand province of Samut Songkhram, outside of Bangkok. “I try to maintain the traditional recipes, to make it authentic,” says Lamduan, who learned cooking from family recipes, as well as completing formal chef training at the Le Cordon Bleu Academy in Pasadena in 2015. Although Pajal is her first formal business, she has 13 years’ experience selling street food in Thailand before coming to the U.S. in 1997, and three years’ experience as a weekend food vendor at Wat Thai in North Hollywood. “Because Thai Town Marketplace is the place that can support low-income businessowners to start their business with good consultation and give a lot of suggestions, Thai CDC always helps Thai people in the community improve their quality of life,” Says Ruanthong. “I cannot start my own business without the Thai Town Marketplace.”