What, Bunless Burgers?
- Rick Wright
- Jul 20, 2017
- 2 min read
The ‘Classic BBQ Pork Burger’, a burger with no bread. When you see a photo of it on the The Thai Burger Company menu board, a meat patty on top of a rice patty topped with a rice patty, you wonder just how is this is going to work. The answer is; it works amazingly well! The taste sensation has people lining up all night long, at the Thai Burger Company food wagon, every Thursday during the Sunset Market in downtown Oceanside.
“We were really lucky.” explains Paripon “Pari” Thitathan Jr., who owns th
e company with his wife, Pang, speaking about the genesis of the company, “The idea of the Thai Burger was a long shot in the first place. People kind of made fun of us.”
The Thai Burger Company had humble beginnings in 2012. Pari explains, “It all began with desperation to pay for education. We started this business so we could go to school. We just wanted to be able to pay for our tuition and books.
The food business isn’t something the friends of Pari, a Genentech Scholarship winner and engineering physics major along with Pang, a biologist and chemist, would expect the couple to be jumping into with both feet. “We are a bunch of mathheads. We love science, technology, mathematics, more of the intense studies. My friends at school don’t believe I’m in the vending business and my fellow vendors don’t believe I’m a nerd.”
Pari was born in the US but spent half of his life in Thailand. The idea for the burger came from one of his favorite dishes in Thailand, carne mu ping, seasoned barbecued pork served on a stick with sticky rice on the side. “I was really impressed with the dish. It was the most amazing food I ever had. It’s an appetizer/snack/meal. Very versatile.”
Pari wanted to find a way to translate the dish to Americans. “I wanted something simple, concise and I came up with the burger. I did it. I didn’t listen to anybody. I just closed my eyes and moved forward.”
The Thai Burger Company has built a passionate customer base and it continues to grow. The ‘Classic BBQ Pork Burger’ is currently their best seller replacing the ‘Chicken Satay Burger’ on top of the list. “It’s probably neck and neck in the popularity of the two.”
The marinades are a well kept secret but the Chicken Satay Burger, like the Classic BBQ Pork Burger, is rice, meat, rice. “The Chicken Satay is special,” explains Pari, “the chicken is covered in a special Thai peanut sauce. It may not be the best in the world but it rocks.”
Continuing with the unique, they offer the Panang Curry Pork Burger and a Fried Tofu Burger. Appetizers include Chicken Pot Stickers, Fried Tofu, Calamari Ball, Imitation Crab Ball and a Shrimp Ball.
Instagram, Face Book, Twitter: @thethaiburgercompany
This article is so inspiring! It's incredible how Pari and Pang turned a need for tuition and books into such a successful and innovative food business. The idea of the 'Bunless Burger,' especially with the rice patty replacing the bun, is pure genius – it makes perfect sense given Pari's background and the inspiration from carne mu ping. It's amazing how they stuck to their unique vision despite initial skepticism. Their journey from "mathheads" and science majors to celebrated food vendors in Oceanside is a testament to passion and perseverance. I'm definitely going to try one of their creations if I'm ever in the area! Speaking of clever conversions, for anyone working with digital assets, I recently found Converter PNG…
What an inspiring story! It's amazing to see how Pari and Pang turned a need for tuition into such a creative and successful venture with The Thai Burger Company. The "bunless" burger concept, with the meat patty nestled between rice patties, sounds absolutely delicious, especially the Classic BBQ Pork Burger. It's a testament to thinking outside the box and trusting your instincts, even when others are skeptical. Their journey from desperation to a thriving business, all while being "mathheads" and pursuing intense studies, is truly remarkable. I can just imagine the crowds lining up at the Sunset Market for a taste! For anyone looking to visualize such unique culinary creations, or perhaps even design their own food truck visuals, I'd…
This article about The Thai Burger Company is genuinely inspiring! It's incredible to see how Pari and Pang turned a need for tuition money into such a creative and successful culinary venture. The concept of a "bunless burger" with rice patties, especially inspired by carne mu ping, is so unique and brilliant. It really highlights how innovation often comes from combining different cultural ideas. And the fact that they're both science backgrounds makes their pivot to food even more compelling. It's a reminder that passion and a good idea can truly take you anywhere! For anyone looking to understand their content better visually, they could use a tool like YouTube Thumbnail Download to get quick visual references of their amazing…
This article on The Thai Burger Company is genuinely inspiring! It's incredible to read about Pari and Pang's journey, turning a "long shot" idea, born out of necessity, into such a success. The ingenious concept of the breadless burger, especially the Classic BBQ Pork Burger with rice patties, sounds absolutely delicious and I can totally see why people are lining up for it. Their courage to innovate and pursue their unique vision, despite early skepticism, is truly remarkable. It just goes to show that sometimes the most unexpected paths lead to the greatest triumphs. For anyone looking to make a great first impression whether it's for their business or personal profiles, you might find Attractiveness Test helpful!
This article is truly inspiring! It's incredible to hear how Pari and Pang's ingenuity, born out of a need to fund their education, led to such a unique and popular creation like the 'Classic BBQ Pork Burger'. The idea of a "bunless burger" with rice patties sounds unconventional, but the fact that it works "amazingly well" and has people lining up shows the power of innovative thinking, especially when a passion from his Thai heritage, like carne mu ping, is involved. Their journey from "mathheads" and science majors to successful food vendors is a testament to embracing unexpected paths. For anyone needing to quickly grasp the essence of stories like this, I often recommend using a tool like YouTube Transcript…