The New York–based model and culinary creative Anita Jane Pathammavong exudes an offhand grace, as if framed by a shifting beam of light. Born in the Thai city of Nong Khai, she moved to Northern Virginia at age 6 alongside her brother, sister, and parents. There, food was a means of connection, in interpersonal terms and geographic ones. Anita’s mom, who has Thai, Italian, and Cherokee roots, is the cook in the family; she developed her fluency in Lao cuisine from her husband’s mother. After Anita left for New York at 18 to pursue modeling, the family continued to reunite around the table—and, in time, those meals evolved into full-blown pop-ups under the name Heunkuoa, meaning “home kitchen.” Anita finds inspiration in such creative communities, from Prabal Gurung’s runway shows, which she has walked several times, to the ebullient dinners cooked by her mom.
