There is something very satisfying about a bento box. Diners can try a little bit of a lot and mix different flavors, textures and types of dishes (appetizers, mains, sides) in one meal. This summer, Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat debuted his version, called the Kao Kaeang lunch ($28), at all locations of his Thai restaurant Holy Basil. It’s just one upgrade of many — he also moved his original DTLA location to the Arts District — that he is overseeing as his restaurants evolve, change and “push the boundaries of what Bangkok cuisine is,” he said.

The idea of the Kao Kaeang lunch is inspired by Thailand’s popular curry shops. It’s a traditional street food experience, and with his take, guests can choose one wok-fired dish, one curry and one cold vegetable, accompanied by chili fish sauce, chive cakes, vegetable soup and organic jasmine rice.

According to Chef Deau, he and his team have a two-fold mission when they arrive to work each day: “1) to showcase what Thai cuisine could be to our prospective customers and 2) to be able to make this profession a sustainable career for everyone on our team so we can keep doing what we love.”

“I love working alongside people who see cooking as a meaningful craftsmanship,” he said. “To discover new things, new ingredients, new plating and be able to explore everything in the industry.”

“The evolution of Holy Basil is almost like a diary,” he added. “It grows every minute and most of the time, we don’t know where it is heading. We only know that every day Holy Basil gets better than yesterday.”

Chef Deau was born in Bangkok in a Chinese Thai household. Holy basil, or Gra Pow, is a Thai herb, a staple, which has been described as having a sharp, peppery, pungent bite. Deau never tried it as a boy. He was too young to eat spicy food, plus it was not used as prominently in his family’s cooking because he lived in a Chinese Thai household.

Although Chef Deau does not himself eat spicy food, he explained, “Holy basil is everyday food for many Thai people, and that’s what we want to be: everyday food.”

In third grade, Chef Deau attended summer school in Singapore where he had his first experience being exposed to other cultures. In sixth grade, he studied abroad in India and ended up staying there for six years. Before making the kitchen his career, he worked as a graphic designer.

“I experienced changes so much since I was a child that I felt like it was a norm,” he said. “I’m always interested in craftsmanship, ideas, creativity and something that is meaningful. These things influence me as a chef today. It excites me to enjoy the process as much as the result.”

Holy Basil started as a pop-up in August 2020 before settling in as a take-out only, walk-up window in DTLA in early 2021. During COVID, Chef Deau and his partner, Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon, just wanted to open a restaurant where they wanted to eat.

“We didn’t think too much about it,” he said. “We were supposed to just be partners, and I wasn’t supposed to be the chef, but a situation happened where we had no choice but to cook.”

Pretty quickly, the restaurant and Chef Deau racked up accolades: Eater LA’s Best New Food Stall award for 2021, a spot on The Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants in the City list and he was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs.

Holy Basil opened its second location in Atwater Village in January 2024, and its third Santa Monica location launched in November 2025.

“Over the years, we’ve learned how to execute smarter, how to learn from our failures and appreciate everything we have today,” shared Chef Deau. “The team has grown with us. All the team members, we’ve been able to coach and work together. All of us started with little to no experience, and now we’re working alongside other professionals.”

“We’re happy and humble,” he added. “Our team really cares. Everything we do is done with intention.”

For more information and locations, visit holybasil-la.com.