Our Story
Annie Balow’s first memory of cooking is watching her mother prepare food early in the morning for the monks at the local temple. Her mother and aunt also made big meals for the people of their village during times of celebration. Annie loved watching; watching to learn, but most of all observing how happy it made her mother to cook for others. When Annie’s mom passed, she learned everything that she could from her aunt, including her mother’s favorite recipe: stir fry crispy frog. To this day, it is without fail the meal that Annie’s father requests when she visits Thailand.
Annie in her hometown of Kalasin, Thailand, with her grandma, sister, and cousin.
Annie’s love for cooking has only increased since she moved to the United States in 2012. She thinks about food all day; what it looks like, what it tastes like, and most of all, how it makes people feel connected and content. For Annie, it’s a passion, a legacy, and a bridge. Cooking is a way for her to feel joy honoring her mother and her first home by serving the people in her new community. That is why Annie and her husband Ryan, a Rochester native, created ThaiPop. It is a labor of love to bring two homes and two worlds together in one place, to honor all who came before by serving all who gather today and tomorrow.
ThaiPop started as a pop-up restaurant. It has changed in scale and scope, location and menu, but has always been an expression of Annie’s passion for cooking and community. She is overjoyed to have found a permanent home where she can welcome the ever-growing ThaiPop community in a full service restaurant.