Foodie in Fairbanks: the unexpected culinary scene in the middle of Alaska

Locals and visitors of the Golden Heart City have a plethora of food choices to choose from – Thai, Chinese, Korean and even Moldovan cuisine Charlie Boonprasert and Tutu Navachai arrived in Fairbanks in the 1980s, when their friend offered them jobs mining and cooking at a gold lease. The pair, originally from northern Thailand, soon realized there was almost no south-east Asian food available in Alaska’s remote interior. But they did find a small Thai population in Fairbanks yearning for a taste of home, and a chance to meet up and gossip. Continue reading...

James Bartlett in Fairbanks, Alaska · Sat, Jun 27, 2026, 9:00 AM
US news | The Guardian

Foodie in Fairbanks: the unexpected culinary scene in the middle of Alaska

Locals and visitors of the Golden Heart City have a plethora of food choices to choose from – Thai, Chinese, Korean and even Moldovan cuisine

Charlie Boonprasert and Tutu Navachai arrived in Fairbanks in the 1980s, when their friend offered them jobs mining and cooking at a gold lease. The pair, originally from northern Thailand, soon realized there was almost no south-east Asian food available in Alaska’s remote interior.

But they did find a small Thai population in Fairbanks yearning for a taste of home, and a chance to meet up and gossip.

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