{"id":445391,"date":"2026-08-27T19:33:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/445391\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T19:33:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:33:00","slug":"stanford-alum-opens-protein-forward-palo-alto-thai-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/445391\/","title":{"rendered":"Stanford alum opens protein-forward Palo Alto Thai restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"HolyShred\u2019s shredded chicken noodles have 40 grams of protein and are made with thin vermicelli noodles, housemade tangy-savory sauce, shredded chicken and crispy spicy chicharr\u00f3n ($13.50). Courtesy HolyShred. <\/p>\n

At new Palo Alto restaurant HolyShred, every order is packed with a funny work-related saying, such as \u201cYou put the \u2018pro\u2019 in procrastination,\u201d or \u201cYour ability to nod sagely during Zoom calls will take you far in this organization.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fast-casual Thai restaurant opened Aug. 8 along El Camino Real in the former Siam Fine Thai<\/a> space. Created by Pearadet \u201cPete\u201d Mukyangkoon, Thanat \u201cJackie\u201d Jatuphattharachat and Stanford alum Jinny Akkaratatta, HolyShred debuted its first brick-and-mortar store in San Francisco in October. The restaurant\u2019s founders aim to make HolyShred the first fast-casual Thai chain in the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are, I think, over 10,000 Thai restaurants in the U.S. There\u2019s literally no chain,\u201d Mukyangkoon said. \u201cI think we plan to expand quite aggressively in the next 12 to 18 months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The interior of HolyShred, a fast-casual Thai restaurant in Palo Alto. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.<\/p>\n

At HolyShred, most dishes have at least 40 grams of protein and are priced at $13.50-$16.25. With \u201cproteinmaxxing\u201d all the rage and costs continue to rise, HolyShred\u2019s founders are hoping to appeal to office workers looking for an affordable, healthy option that keeps them full throughout the day.<\/p>\n

Shredded chicken noodles ($13.50) is the most popular menu item and the inspiration for the \u201cShred\u201d in HolyShred. A popular dish in Bangkok, it\u2019s made with vermicelli noodles, housemade tangy-savory sauce, shredded chicken breast, Romaine lettuce and crispy spicy chicharron. Jatuphattharachat, a former software engineer, developed HolyShred\u2019s recipes with help from chefs in Thailand.<\/p>\n

\"\"HolyShred\u2019s charcoal-grilled barbecue chicken rice has 40 grams of protein and is made with grilled barbecue chicken thigh, jasmine rice, smoky chili jaew and house mayo. Courtesy HolyShred.<\/p>\n

All sauces at HolyShred (with the exception of Thai sweet chili sauce) are made in-house. Its spicy grilled pepper sauce is inspired by the Nam Prik Nhum from the Lanna Region in the North, its smoky chilli jaew sauce is from the Isan region of Thailand and its king of curry mayo is inspired by Massaman, a South Thai dish that\u2019s creamy, warm, nutty and mildly spiced. Even mayonnaise is made in-house.<\/p>\n

Mukyangkoon said HolyShred\u2019s menu is ever-evolving to better suit customer demand. For example, the charcoal-grilled barbecue chicken rice ($15.20) was originally made with pork, a nod to the popular Thai breakfast of grilled pork skewers with sticky rice. The dish wasn\u2019t selling well, so the founders substituted the pork for chicken thigh, and suddenly it became a top seller.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I ask customers, \u2018Why do you like this?\u2019, they believe it\u2019s a different take on chicken teriyaki in their opinion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"HolyShred packs orders with a funny, work-related message sticker. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.<\/p>\n

All three HolyShred founders grew up in Thailand, with Mukyangkoon and Akkaratatta hailing from Bangkok and Jatuphattharachat from Chiang Mai. Mukyangkoon was an education technology founder in Thailand, and Akkaratatta was his first intern before she attended Stanford University. Stanford University is also where HolyShred soft launched about a year ago before moving operations to a commercial kitchen in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

HolyShred\u2019s Palo Alto outpost has about 50 seats, although parking can be difficult with only four designated parking spots for the restaurant.<\/p>\n

HolyShred<\/a>, 3924 El Camino Real, Palo Alto; 650-223-9737, Instagram: @holyshred.thai<\/a>. Open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dig into food news. Follow the Peninsula Foodist on Instagram<\/a> and subscribe to the newsletter<\/a> to get insights on the latest openings and closings, learn what the Foodist is excited about eating, read exclusive interviews and keep up on the trends affecting local restaurants.<\/p>\n

\t