Parnass Savang was born in San Diego to hard-working immigrant parents from Thailand and Laos. His family moved to Duluth, Georgia, when he was 2. At age 5, Parnass was already working in the family business: a Thai restaurant that catered to American tastes. He washed dishes, picked cilantro, and eventually waited tables. And he hated it. Eventually, inspired by Gordon Ramsay’s “Kitchen Nightmares” (of all shows), Parnass started to feel the pull toward the kitchen. 

He flipped omelets at Valdosta University on the weekends and went on to study at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After graduation, he returned to Atlanta and began to cook in some of the city’s best restaurants, including Empire State South, Kimball House, and Staplehouse. With each restaurant, Parnass deepened his ties with North Georgia farmers and a vision for his own project soon crystallized: a heartfelt, no-compromise Thai food using ingredients from local farmers and purveyors. 

In 2017, Parnass debuted Talat Market. a pop-up in Atlanta’s Candler Park neighborhood. Only open Friday through Sunday, Talat Market was an immediate success with Atlantans forming lines around the block to experience his hand-pounded curries, nuanced crudos, and funky fresh salads. He earned Eater’s 2017 “Chef of the Year,” James Beard Rising Star Chef nomination, Atlanta Magazine’s The Chef to Watch 2018, Bon Appetite’s Best 50 Restaurants 2018, StarChefs Rising Stars Award.

Parnass will be closing his pop-up at the end of August to focus on opening his own brick and mortar restaurant. In the meantime, he'll be doing pop-ups around the country, starting with a five course meal at Chow Club Atlanta!