Garlic Shrimp in XO Sauce

Originally from Thailand, Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat is one of two chefs popular takeout window Holy Basil. Deau and his partner Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon opened Holy Basil in the up-and-coming downtown Los Angeles food hall, Santee Passage, earlier this year. Holy Basil focuses on central Thai street food, and has amassed a bevy of critical praise and attention from all strata of food media - from the Los Angeles Times to Eater to Infatuation. While Los Angeles is a notorious hot bed for Thai food, Deau focuses on his favorite Thai dishes while utilizing the incredible local produce found at various farmers markets, as well as quality meat and fish purveyors.

Deau and Joy are also behind The_Base, a line of hand-crafted drink starters featuring flavors ranging from Gooseberry Marigold to Blackberry Charcoal to seasonal specials like Lychee and Blood Orange Elderflower. The_Base can currently be found at Smorgasburg, and has built up a fan base over the years. In addition to these projects, Deau also hosts a pop-up called YUM, which features a menu of intensely-flavored dishes that encapsulatehis signature balance of spicy, sweet and savory.

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