A single-day culinary pop-up is bringing Thai street food and artisanal Thai gelato to Rose Avenue in Venice, as chef Paul Chuanchaisit's Hangry Thaiger concept teams up with gelato maker Moom Maam at natural wine shop Vin on Rose. The tasting runs from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 511 Rose Ave, pairing savory bites with local wine selections and a scoop of something sweeter on the side.
The pop-up is the latest stop in a momentum-building run of Westside appearances for Chuanchaisit, who trained under chef Jordan Kahn at Vespertine and Destroyer in Culver City before striking out on his own, according to IMPASTIAMO Classes. As reported by Yo! Venice!, the savory menu at Vin on Rose includes Peruvian scallops, beef satay, braised pork belly bao, Hangry Thaiger chips, and Hangry Thaiger crunch, served alongside the host shop's wine list.
From Pico-Robertson Residency to Pop-Up Circuit
Before launching Hangry Thaiger pop-ups, Chuanchaisit served as chef-in-residence at Cardinale du Vin, a neighborhood wine bar and bistro on West Pico Boulevard in Pico-Robertson, per Westside Today. He hosted a two-night farewell dinner there in July 2026 before shifting his focus to pop-up events. His condiments, including Thaiger Dust, an all-in-one umami seasoning, and Thaiger Chili Crunch oil, were available at Cardinale du Vin; Thaiger Dust was served on the restaurant's steak frites.
The Venice stop follows a single-night Hangry Thaiger pop-up on October 2 at Sawtelle Sake on Sawtelle Boulevard, where Chuanchaisit served tom kha hamachi tarts and sake was available for purchase, Westside Today reported. That appearance, paired with the Rose Avenue date, points to a chef working the Westside pop-up circuit rather than settling into one address for now.
A Scientist's Approach to Thai Gelato
Moom Maam, the gelato maker joining Chuanchaisit at Vin on Rose, bills itself as California's first artisanal Thai gelato brand, serving frozen desserts that combine traditional Southeast Asian and Italian flavors using premium ingredients, per Yo! Venice!. The brand was founded in 2021 by scientist Saran “Darwin” Wai, who applied his background in genetics and software development to scientifically formulate small-batch Thai gelato, according to Moom Maam. Wai got his start selling gelato at the Wat Thai street food market in North Hollywood before expanding into commercial markets.
That expansion has paid off. Moom Maam took first place among ten vendors in Smorgasburg LA's Ice Cream Alley and received recognition from Los Angeles Times food writer Jenn Harris; the brand also offers a coconut sticky rice dessert. Following that momentum, Moom Maam opened its first standalone retail scoop shop in 2024 at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, where it now serves signature flavors like riceberry horchata and durian mezcal.
Part of a Bigger Thai Dessert Wave
Moom Maam's rise reflects a broader shift happening across Los Angeles, where Southeast Asian frozen dessert makers including Moom Maam, Kanomwaan, and Coco's Kanom Thai are building a growing culinary trend around traditional ingredients like riceberry, coconut cream, and pandan as primary bases, according to A2D World. Thai ingredients in gelato bring Southeast Asian flavors into an Italian-style format, a pairing that mirrors what Chuanchaisit and Moom Maam are doing on a single afternoon in Venice.
Chuanchaisit's own path to Los Angeles kitchens started well before Hangry Thaiger. He moved to the city from Bangkok in 2017 and launched his culinary career with Dag, an apartment-based tasting menu concept, according to the Los Angeles Times. Chuanchaisit described “Dag” as a word said to friends that basically means “Let's f— eat,” a fitting name for the chef's apartment-based tasting-menu concept.
Where the Pop-Up Lands
Vin on Rose is located at 511 Rose Avenue and hosted Chuanchaisit's pop-up, where guests could order from the shop's wine list. For Chuanchaisit, whether this pop-up tour eventually settles into a permanent Westside address remains an open question, but for one afternoon, at least, Rose Avenue is the destination.
