HomeStories

Stories

Thanin Viriyaki

Taj Mahal Grocers

In addition sharing his family’s story for the “Digging In” oral history project, Thanin Viriyaki also shot the portraits for the project. Dubbed “The Man With 75 Million Views” by D Magazine in 2022, Viriyaki is a professional photographer by trade, but has made his mark in the DFW Asian food scene by shooting magazine quality photos of his meals at local “mom and pop” restaurants, posting them online, and sharing them with the owners.

Pramod and Renuka Shah ran the popular Taj Mahal Imports grocery store in Richardson from 1983 to 2017. The Shahs’ interviews for “Digging In: How Food, Culture, and Class Shape the Story of Asian Dallas” were fascinating, revealing the ways that the store was important to the Indian community in Dallas, but also was a bridge for other Dallasites to learn about Indian food and culture.

Bangkok Inn

India House

In her interview for the “Digging In” oral history project, Daisy Chuskul, the owner of Bangkok Inn, a family-run Thai restaurant in Dallas, shared how her parents, Threechok and Patcharee Chuskul started the restaurant in 1982 and how it has evolved over the years. Bangkok Inn, located at 6033 Oram Street near Lower Greenville in Dallas, serves a loyal clientele spanning generations.

Opening India House in 1974, Madan Goyal chose his Mockingbird Lane location because of its proximity to Southern Methodist University. Mr. Goyal’s interview for “Digging In” reveals details about how he transformed the Hickory House BBQ into the area’s only Indian restaurant, flying tandoor ovens and chefs from India to Dallas.