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Anousone Phathavong (DATE, 1972 – August ??, 2011) was an award-winning Lao American cook specializing in Thai cuisine. He was employed by True Thai Restaurant of Minneapolis until his death in 2011. While serving as True Thai's head cook, the restaurant won numerous "Best Thai Restaurant" awards from City Pages, Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, Zagat, the National Food Institute of Thailand, Minnesota Monthly, Citysearch, Thai Select, Focus Magazine, and Best Thai Magazine. In 2009, Zagat named True Thai Restaurant one of "America's Top Restaurants," becoming the only Thai restaurant in Minnesota to be so honored.

Early life
Anousone Phanthavong was born in ??, Laos, on DATE, 1972. He was delivered unassisted by his mother, Keo Phanthavong, who states that at the moment of Ped's birth, a bomb was dropped on the village by a CIA plane. The name "The Inspector" was written on the side of the plane, and from that Anousone was given the nickname "Pec." In Lao, pec means "boom," as in "boom, a bomb exploded."

Thirteen days after Anousone was born, his mother took him across the Mekong River to escape the bombings. Later, after the bombing sorties had subsided, the family returned to CITY. Growing up, Anousone was influenced by NAME, a famous Theravada Buddhist temple located to the DIRECTION of the Phanthavong family home. On the other side of their home was a Muay Thai boxing camp. Anousone became a devout Theravada Buddhist, and an accomplished Muay Thai boxer, winning the only tournament he ever entered.

When Anousone was seven years old, he knelt at his father's feet and tied his shoes for him. His family then left Laos, leaving Anousone behind to care for his elderly grandfather. When his grandfather died in 1990, Anousone rejoined his family in Minnesota. It was decided that he should live with his mother's brother, a pastor who lived in Milwaukee. While living in Milwaukee, Anousone became close friends with Konerak Sinthasomphone, another Lao refugee. In May 1991, while Anousone was still living in Milwaukee, Konerak Sinthasomphone was abducted by Jeffrey Dahmer who raped, tortured and killed him.

Anousone then returned to Minnesota to live with his parents and to attend high school. He neglected his studies, eventually accumulating a minor police record for theft and fighting.

Career
Anousone Phanthavong was hired by True Thai Restaurant as a dishwasher in 2002. Within a week of being hired he was working as a line cook, eventually becoming True Thai's head cook in YEAR.

Anousone became close friends with the owner, Anna Prasomphol Fieser, a Thai immigrant who was dissatisfied with the quality of available Thai cuisine in the Twin Cities. Since opening in 2002, True Thai Restaurant has won more than thirty local and national restaurant awards, and has received critical acclaim from such noted critics as Andrew Zimmern, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl and Jeremy Iggers.

While serving as True Thai's head cook, Phanthavong cooked for visiting artists like Bono and U2, Sadé, the Coen brothers, and Brad Pitt.