Mark Padoongpatt seems to be asked this question frequently: Where’s the best place to get Thai food in Las Vegas?

Scholars born and raised in the Thai community stand in line with the Black Lives Matter group, including going to rallies.

Over 20 years in the food world, I have watched talented chefs and leading restaurants across the country help build a New American cuisine—which often came to mean French technique using Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and Latin American ingredients like yuzu and turmeric, berbere, poblanos and zaatar.

Thai people in the U.S. show solidarity for equality with African Americans during the Black Lives Matter movement over the past month.

When Mark Padoongpatt was first asked to write a book about Thai food in America, he wasn’t interested. But then he began to examine the immigration history between Thailand and Los Angeles, and found a rich story about immigration and cooking. Padoongpatt ultimately wrote “Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America,” which examines how cooking was at the heart of the assimilation of Thai Americans.

One of the most important tools in the Taste of Thai kitchen is a white plastic spoon.

When I first moved to Seattle in 2005, I went on a Thai food bender. There seemed to be a Thai restaurant on every corner and the food is delicious and, often, cheap.

In this bonus episode, Rachel explores why there are so many Thai restaurants in the United States with Mark Padoongpatt, author of 'Flavors of Empire: Food and The Making of Thai America' and assistant professor of Asian American studies at University of Nevada Las Vegas.