A fast-casual Thai restaurant built around counting grams of protein instead of just craving curry has opened its doors on El Camino Real in Palo Alto. Holy Shred, which serves customizable bowls of rice, noodles or salad topped with charcoal-grilled chicken, shredded chicken or Bangkok pepper tofu, quietly began serving customers at 3924 El Camino Real in mid-August.
The Palo Alto shop marks the third location for Holy Shred, according to The Mercury News. The chain's flagship storefront opened at 829 Geary Street in San Francisco in 2025, where it still serves late-night street food until 10:30 p.m. daily, per Holy Shred's website.
Three co-founders from Thailand are behind the concept: Jinny Akkaratatta, a recent Stanford graduate; Pete Mukyangkoon, a former edtech founder in Thailand; and Jackie Jatuphattharachat, a former software engineer, according to the Mercury News report. Akkaratatta told the outlet that she and her co-founders set out to combine a fast-casual restaurant model with the high-protein eating trend after she struggled to find high-protein options despite Thai food already being protein-heavy by nature.
Recipe Testing With Family Help
Mukyangkoon's mother flew from Thailand to help the team recipe-test before the restaurant opened, the Mercury News report notes. The menu leans on an array of sauces alongside its rice, noodle and salad bases, with dishes including Hatyai Crispy Chicken and charcoal-grilled barbecue chicken rice priced at $15.20, per the same report. Prices across the menu range from roughly $13.50 to $17, and most chicken and tofu items are built to hit at least 40 grams of protein per meal.
Holy Shred's own ordering platform lists its Hatyai Crispy Chicken Rice bowl, according to Holy Shred. DoorDash records list a separate presence under the name PadPad Bangkok Noodles.
A Corridor in Flux
The building at 3924 El Camino Real previously housed Siam Fine Thai Cuisine, a sit-down restaurant known for traditional curries and wok-fired dishes in Palo Alto's Barron Park neighborhood, according to Fantuan. The swap fits a broader pattern of turnover along the corridor; Hoodline previously reported on Yutori's debut, a 6,000-square-foot Japanese cafe, deli and market that opened at 3375 El Camino Real in April 2026.
A similar bowl concept drawing big lines in Elk Grove has also focused on macro-conscious offerings, as Hoodline has reported. Beyond its retail counters, the company also offers catering through a catering-only cloud kitchen based in South San Francisco.
Health Records and Local Ties
Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health provides information about its facility inspection system, per Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health records. The restaurant opened on August 8, according to a post on Facebook announcing the shop was open and ready to handle the hungry crowds.
The founders have also built ties to Silicon Valley's Thai community beyond the dining room. On May 29, Holy Shred co-sponsored the catered lunch for a Stanford University Asia-Pacific Research Center event featuring Pita Limjaroenrat, the prominent Thai pro-democracy leader and former Move Forward Party chief, according to Stanford University.
Holy Shred's locations are open until 10:30 p.m. daily, according to the company's website. The company plans to expand its menu further and hopes to open additional locations in the San Mateo area and deeper into the South Bay, the same report notes.
