Mixing Emotions at Tommy Tang’s

One Less Worry: Thai restaurateur Tommy Tang has been busy these days with his PBS cooking series “Tommy Tang Modern Thai Cuisine,” his cookbooks and his culinary tours to Asia. Unfortunately, he won’t have to worry about running two restaurants in the midst of his activities. One of them, the Tommy Tang’s at 24 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, has closed. Chef Keith Satha will cook at the original Melrose Avenue Tommy Tang’s when Tang is away. That restaurant turns 20 this year and is featuring a Thai New Year menu until April 29.

* Tommy Tang’s, 7313 Melrose Ave., L.A.; (323) 937-5733.

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Is It Songkran Yet? In further Thai news, Chan Dara in West L.A. will be celebrating Songkran, the Thai New Year, next Thursday through April 28. As guests enter, they will be treated to rot nam dam hua, the ritual of washing the hands with scented water to symbolize a time of cleansing. (Songkran is the “wettest” festival of the year; in Thailand, people throw water at one another for luck.) A Thai classical dance troupe will perform throughout the evenings, which run from 6 to 11 p.m. But you want to know what to eat on Songkran. Try honey-glazed spareribs, grilled prawns with garlic noodles and crab cakes with mango sauce. P.S.: This will be the year 2545.

* Chan Dara, 11940 W. Pico Blvd., West L.A.; (310) 479-4461.

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When I’m 5: JiRaffe restaurant turns 5 years old this month. Chef and owner Raphael Lunetta is celebrating by serving five-course tasting menus on Friday and Saturday nights through the month of April. The tasting menu must be ordered by everyone at the table and costs $58 per person. Classic JiRaffe dishes will also be offered as menu specials nightly.

* JiRaffe, 502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 917-6671.

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A Love of Excess: The American Institute of Wine & Food has brought Pierre Baylier, owner of Petrovich Caviar, together with Jean-Albert Mauger, a representative from Mumm Champagne. They’ll be at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. to show L.A. what a caviar and champagne dinner feels like. The main course is a roasted veal loin with truffled fava beans and caviar vinaigrette paired with Mumm Cordon Rouge. The price is $120. Contact Roberta at the institute at (818) 902-3724 for reservations.

* The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey, 4375 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey; (310) 823-1700.

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Art & Food: Andy Nakano of Jozu restaurant is having a reception for watercolor artist Teena Leonardi at his restaurant on Monday. Leonardi’s works will be on Jozu’s walls while a tropical four-course meal with both wine and sake will be on the tables. A cocktail reception runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dinner is at 7:30 p.m. The price is $40.

* Jozu, 8360 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; (323) 655-5600.

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Wine & Food: Owner Derek Dickenson has invited wine expert Sonia Winters to Derek’s restaurant on Tuesday night to pour wines from Kendall Jackson Great Estates. While Winters discusses the nuances of each vintage, you’ll be eating a five-course meal with roasted quail on truffle risotto, rack of lamb, and Pavlova. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. The price is $95.

* Derek’s, 181 E. Glenarm St., Pasadena; (626) 799-5252.

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Guide Time: The Zagat Survey needs input for its 2002 Los Angeles/Southern California restaurant guide. Opinionated and extroverted eaters may call (800) 333-3421 or visit https://www.zagat.com for a questionnaire. Everyone who returns a completed survey by May 4 will receive a free copy of the 2002 Zagat Survey. . . . A new Gayot Guide to Los Angeles restaurants is in bookstores. The yellow-jacketed book costs $14 and contains more than 1,300 reviews of restaurants and gourmet food shops.

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The Truth About America’s Eating Habits: An L.A.-based dining Web site (the company name is Menus.com/Datassential Research Inc.) recently published a report about the most popular menu items of the 500 top-grossing chain restaurants across America. The results: Fried chicken is the most common appetizer . . . and the most common entree. Cheese is the most frequently named ingredient in appetizers. Among the 1,937 items on kids’ menus, there are only 11 salads. To get the whole report, e-mail Menus.com editor Sharon Boorstin at Sharon@menus.com.

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Angela Pettera can be reached at (213) 237-3153 or at pettera@prodigy.net.