About Us

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Born in 1942 during a great flood in central rural Thailand, Chareonsak, the son of a Chinese doctor of herbal medicine, was nicknamed Mr. Juice (meaning water in Mandarin). After working in Thai and Chinese kitchens from Oklahoma to California he learned to craft his own style of cooking through his favorite pastime, eating. In  1980 he settled in Los Angeles, where there was a vibrant Thai community. Once established as head chef and co-owner of a successful Thai restaurant in West Hollywood (Thai Town) called Torung (meaning overnight market) in 1981, he and his wife, Ponphan then decided to move with his friend to Santa Barbara where they opened Your Place in 1983 for a more serene atmosphere. Having been warmly welcomed by local Santa Barbara diners, Mr. Juice and Ponphan opened a second Thai restaurant in Downtown Santa Barbara and then another one in Thousand Oaks over the course of their restaurant careers.

As the success of Your Place continued, Chareonsak taught Ponphan all the intricacies of kitchen preparation, and she later became the head chef for many decades. As the head chef she introduced many more recipes such as our green curry noodles, fresh summer rolls, and numerous home recipes crafted for her children. Over the course of her career she taught several chefs in her kitchen, whom she managed with care and dedication. With several of her chefs opening their own restaurants across Southern California, she continued to mentor and support them. Being that her guiding principle throughout her late success was to help those less fortunate than her, as she understood her fortunate position and life. She understood this having grown up in a financially strapped family and having to forgo all formal education to support her six siblings financially through their schooling. Indeed, she taught herself how to read and write orders in Thai during her tenure as head chef and accounting as a co-owner with her husband. Of course one of her philosophies on a successful restaurant was to maintain the many connections with her customers as throughout her tenure she greeted and familiarized with many diners personally. With on many occasions keeping the restaurant kitchen open after normal business hours for customers arriving late after a long workday or vacationers finding a late night meal. 

Today, our family strives to continue to cook with the same recipes and refine our menu for the changing times. Mr. Juice‘s and Ponphan’s children and grandchildren continue to cook as chefs in our kitchens, bringing new ideas through traveling abroad in Thailand and Asia.