Chef Who Quit Disney to Save Family Restaurant Shares His Journey

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My grandfather, who was an artist, once worked for the royal court during the reign of King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, known as Rama IX. As a child, I had the privilege of painting alongside him in his art studio. Today, some of his artwork adorns the walls at Anajak.

Following my graduation from ArtCenter in Pasadena, there was a letter waiting for my mom in the mail postmarked from one of my elementary school teachers. This was no ordinary correspondence, but rather a letter I had written as part of an assignment to myself in the future. The content was simple yet profound: “I wish to be a Disney animator.” Fast forward through time, and that’s essentially the career path I chose.

For over a decade, I worked at Disney’s Imagineering division, focusing on research and development as well as concept design for various projects. These ranged from theme park attractions to digital games for video and mobile platforms. It was during this period that movies like “Zootopia” and “Finding Dory” were being created. I also had the pleasure of contributing to creative tasks for Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm as well.

During my visit to Disney, I observed the struggles my parents faced at the restaurant. As they grew older, the mortality of our family business, Anajak, became more apparent and poignant. The 2008 recession hit us particularly hard, but when I took charge in 2019 – just before the pandemic – there was only $4,000 left in the bank account. Unpaid bills were a constant issue; we’d prioritize some over others to ensure survival. It was a challenging time.

Over time, my enthusiasm for this venture flourished significantly. I found myself captivated by the entire setup there, which instilled in me a sense of responsibility to aid them. Even while working at Disney, I would spend my days on the restaurant floor and evenings cooking in the kitchen. Eventually, I took it upon myself to revamp the wine list, as it was modest and rather subpar. This served as my initial stepping stone. Later on, I confessed to my previous supervisors at Disney that I used to leave early for wine tastings around town, with the intention of improving our wine list. Additionally, I would sometimes use company resources to print menus, given their high-quality printers at Disney.

Ever since my stay at Anajak, there’s been an influx of Disney personnel. Recently, Ken Potrock, a long-time figurehead of Disneyland, dropped by. Reflecting on the company, I found their creative management skills truly remarkable – a challenging feat, whether you’re guiding someone to create or present something.

More recently, we hosted the Emmys afterparty for Disney and The Bear. This show reflects my work environment quite closely. I’ve got a Tina on my team, as well as a Marcus and a Sydney. I shared this with Liza Colón-Zayas, Lionel Boyce, and Ayo Edebiri. For many viewers, The Bear is about PTSD, but for me, it serves as a catharsis and validation.

Currently, I aim to resubmit a proposal to Disney about a personally inspired animated tale, based on my unique experiences. I’ve prepared some visuals for the pitch. Unlike tales of swords or lightsabers, this story draws inspiration from an ordinary object – my father’s sushi knife, found rusted and pitted after decades. Yet, it underwent restoration by me, symbolizing something profound – a metaphor I’ve unearthed in the process. — As shared with G.B.

You can find this article in the April 16 edition of The Hollywood Reporter periodical. To stay updated, consider subscribing.

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2025-04-19 22:26