Chef Angus An’s Pop Culture Diet

“I like to read a mindless fiction book now and then.”

The first Thai restaurant to win our coveted Restaurant of the Year could only have been Chef Angus An’s Maenam. When he converted his first restaurant, Gastropod, into the modern Thai room, he brought a nuanced, authentic take to the scene and the critical acclaim followed. “It’s not just the best Thai restaurant,” judge Anya Levykh said, “it’s a really great restaurant—a definitive restaurant.”

He’s hit it out of the park since with the restaurants that followed: Longtail Kitchen and Freebird Chicken Shack, bringing his excellence to the underserved New West dining scene, followed by Fat Mao Noodles in Chinatown and Granville Island’s Sen Pad Thai. Is it any wonder the busy chef likes to chill with a little Dan Brown in his down time?

What I’m reading…

Origin by Dan Brown

I like to read a mindless fiction book now and then. I am reading Dan Brown’s Origin right now. I enjoy the facts and tie-ins he often makes with art and history.

What I’m listening to…

Automatica by Nigel Stanford

As I sit in my cab to Toronto Pearson airport to come home, I find myself listening to Nigel Stanford’s Automatica. It’s soothing and exciting at the same time.

What I’m streaming…

Narcos on Netflix

Netflix original Narcos. I cancelled my cable last year and love the content on Netflix.

What I leave the house for…

Live Concerts

Other than for good food, what I leave the house for is a good concert. I was fortunate to see both Coldplay and U2 last year and was blown away by their performances.