Frank Shyong: How did a Thai restaurant chain become so beloved by immigrants from Mexico and Central America?

LOS ANGELES -- When two Nicaraguan Uber drivers told me that a Thai place in Koreatown was their favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, I grew curious.

Then a Salvadoran driver emphatically recommended the same restaurant. Next, a driver from Guatemala told me the same thing.

This is how I found out about Ocha Classic, a Thai restaurant beloved by Central Americans, Mexicans and Latinos familiar with Koreatown. Since it opened in 1985 in Koreatown, the restaurant has expanded to seven locations on the strength of a highly loyal, and almost entirely Latino, clientele — though three locations were forced to close during the pandemic.

Although they have never advertised or done any marketing, most locations feature long lines