Cooking Thai by Benz
Est.2015

Cooking Thai by Benz Est.2015Cooking Thai by Benz Est.2015Cooking Thai by Benz Est.2015

Cooking Thai by Benz
Est.2015

Cooking Thai by Benz Est.2015Cooking Thai by Benz Est.2015Cooking Thai by Benz Est.2015

Let us prepare the perfect Thai food experience for your next dinner party or gathering.

Private chef of authentic, homestyle Thai cuisine.

Private chef of authentic, homestyle Thai cuisine. Private chef of authentic, homestyle Thai cuisine. Private chef of authentic, homestyle Thai cuisine.
Get Quote

Let us prepare the perfect Thai food experience for your next dinner party or gathering.

Private chef of authentic, homestyle Thai cuisine.

Private chef of authentic, homestyle Thai cuisine. Private chef of authentic, homestyle Thai cuisine. Private chef of authentic, homestyle Thai cuisine.
Get Quote

Cooking Thai by Benz - Thai Private Chef

Benz Martin is the chef and founder of Cooking Thai by Benz, a private dining and catering brand in the Coachella Valley. Known for bold, authentic Thai cuisine, she was featured in the Los Angeles Times as a MEHKO pioneer and is celebrated for her refined, flavor-driven dining experiences.

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Our Services

Authentic Thai cuisine, layered with flavor and made fresh — always. No shortcuts.

At Cooking Thai by Benz, our mission is to deliver unforgettable Thai cuisine through thoughtfully curated menus and elevated service. Chef Benz prepares each dish with the freshest ingredients and authentic Thai flavors, honoring tradition while creating a memorable dining experience.

We invite you to experience the true taste of Thailand through one of our four signature service offerings below.

Private Thai Dinner Chef Services

Looking for a memorable evening with your own private chef?

We bring the authentic flavors of Thailand directly to your table through an exclusive, intimate, and interactive dining experience.

Whether you’re hosting a family gathering, dinner party, or special celebration, Chef Benz will curate a custom menu tailored specifically to your event — thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented.

Private Dining Details:

• Minimum guest count: 10

• Service areas: Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, Coachella, and Thermal

Reserve your date today and experience an unforgettable evening of Thai cuisine.

Cocktail-Style Events

Looking to host a stylish, social, and flavor-filled gathering?

Our cocktail-style service is designed for lively celebrations where guests can mingle, sip, and enjoy beautifully crafted Thai bites throughout the evening. Perfect for birthdays, pool parties, engagement celebrations, corporate mixers, and other special gatherings.

Chef Benz curates a menu of handcrafted small plates and passed appetizers — each thoughtfully prepared with authentic Thai flavors and elevated presentation. From bold, vibrant bites to artfully styled buffet displays, every detail is designed to impress.

This experience blends incredible food with seamless service, allowing you to host effortlessly while we handle the culinary experience.

Service Details:

• Minimum guest count: 25

• Custom appetizer-style menu

• On-site preparation and professional presentation

• Optional styled buffet setup

Let’s create a cocktail party your guests will be talking about long after the last bite. 

Delivery Service

Enjoy our authentic Thai cuisine delivered straight to your door — perfect for celebrations, corporate events, or casual gatherings.

Our menu items are available in half-pan and full-pan portions, with custom quantities available upon request.

Service Details:

• Minimum guest count: 10 for delivery service

Contact us for a customized quote, and let us handle the food while you enjoy your event.

Delicious Thai food straight from our MEHKO certified home kitchen via www.cookconnect.com

At Cooking Thai by Benz, we’re honored to share the flavors of Thailand with our community. Whether it’s a private dining experience, a catered event, or a weeknight meal from our home kitchen, we promise food that’s always fresh, flavorful, and unforgettable.


Experience the convenience of curbside pickup with our 5-star-rated food made fresh in our certified home kitchen.

We post our weekly menus every Sunday on CookConnect for pickup on Wednesday or Thursday. You can also order directly via  www.cookconnnect.com/cooking-thai-by-benz

Location: La Quinta, CA.

How to order: Choose your favorites, place your order, and pick it up at your convenience.


Let’s make your next meal a delicious one! Order From Our Kitchen.

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Our Menu

Starters

All starters are made fresh, from scratch, and can feed both intimate gatherings and larger parties.

Golden Bags

Tasty minced chicken and shrimp mixture neatly wrapped in a "money bag" shape. Fried to a beautiful golden brown. Served with sweet plum sauce.

Grilled Lemongrass Prawns

 Large prawns grilled to perfection on a lemongrass skewer. Served with a tempting cilantro lime dipping sauce.

Chicken Curry Puffs

Chef Benz's signature chicken curry filling tucked into a light and flaky empanada-like pastry. Fried to a crisp golden brown. Paired with a Thai cucumber relish.

Vietnamese Fresh Rolls

 Super fresh! Assortment of fresh vegetables wrapped neatly in a rice paper wrapper. Served with a sweet chili sauce, topped with ground peanuts.

Crispy Spring Rolls

 Mixture of taro, cabbage and delicious herbs and seasonings wrapped in spring roll paper and deep fried to golden perfection. Paired with sweet chili sauce. Careful: these are addicting!

Shumai Dumplings

Minced and seasoned ground chicken and shrimp wrapped in shumai paper and steamed to the perfect consistency.

Chicken or Beef satay

 Curry-marinated chicken or beef skewer served with Thai peanut sauce and cucumber relish.

Gyoza

ground pork, fresh ginger, cabbage, green onion, homemade chili oil dipping sauce 

Ginger Chicken Drums

Crispy fried drumettes tossed in our savory ginger glaze with a touch of heat, finished with toasted sesame and fresh scallions. Sticky, bold, and unapologetically messy — the ultimate party finger food.

Bacon-Wrapped Wild Sea Scallops (mp)

Wasabi-Cilantro Lime 

Soups and Salads

All soups and salads are made fresh, from scratch, and can feed both intimate gatherings and larger parties.

Green Mango Salad

 Fresh, green shredded mango, carrots, tomato, whole peanut. Sweet tamarind lime dressing.

Thai Mixed Green Salad

 Mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, shredded carrots, sliced hard boiled eggs, crispy plantain chips and fried shallots. Served with peanut dressing.

Larb

Minced chicken or pork (you choose), fresh kaffir lime leaves, rice powder, red onion, and a spicy lime dressing. Topped with fresh mint leaves, green onions, and cilantro.

Thai beef salad

grilled top sirloin, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, spring onion, cilantro, mints and tossed in homemade sweet chili and lime dressing 

Tom ka Soup

 A hot & sour coconut soup with chicken or shrimp (you choose), mushrooms, baby corn, sliced Thai chili, Chef Benz's homemade roasted chili paste.

Tom Yum Soup

 A hot & sour broth with chicken or shrimp (you choose), tomato, green onion, shallots, sliced Thai chili, and mushrooms. Topped with cilantro.

Wonton Soup

 A combination of seasoned pork and shrimp wontons, bok choy, and  Chinese snow peas floating in a delicious broth.

Noodles

All noodle dishes are made fresh, from scratch, and can feed both intimate gatherings and larger parties.

Pad Thai

Stir fried rice noodles with choice of chicken, shrimp, or tofu, egg, green onion, carrots. Topped with bean sprouts and peanuts.

Pad See Ew

Chinese-influenced, stir fried rice noodle dish with your choice of beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu, collard greens, carrots, eggs, and sweet garlic dark soy sauce.

Kua Gai

Thai and Chinese-influenced stir fried noodles with chicken, egg, bean sprouts, and a mild soy sauce. Kid-friendly! Simple but delicious!

Pad Kee Mao (aka "Drunken Noodles")

Stir fried flat rice noodle with your choice of chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, or tofu, collard greens, carrots, green and brown onion, green bell pepper, kaffir lime leaves, jalapeno, egg, and a Thai basil sauce.

Yakisoba

We know... this is not a Thai dish but Chef Benz can do it! A classic Japanese street food: yakisoba noodles, assortment of fresh vegetables, your choice of chicken, beef, or shrimp, and a delicious yakisoba sauce.

Khao Soi curry noodles

Khao Soi is a creamy Northern Thai coconut curry with tender chicken, served over egg noodles and topped with crispy noodles, lime, and pickled mustard greens.

Curries

All curries are made fresh, from scratch, and can feed both intimate gatherings and larger parties.

Panang Curry

A type of red curry that is thick, salty and sweet and has a zesty kaffir lime leaf flavor. Choice of chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu.

Massaman Curry

A rich, relatively mild Thai / Indian fusion curry full of spices with your choice of beef, chicken (thigh), potato, peanuts, brown onion, sweet tamarind juice. Topped with roasted chili and fried shallots. 

Green Curry

Green curry paste cooked in coconut milk with your choice of beef, chicken, shrimp or tofu, kaffir lime leaves, red bell pepper, Chinese eggplant, and fresh Thai basil. 

Red Curry

Red curry paste cooked in coconut milk with your choice of chicken, shrimp, or tofu, bamboo shoots, red bell pepper. Topped with Thai basil.

Yellow Curry

Yellow curry paste cooked in coconut milk with your choice of chicken, shrimp, or tofu; potatoes, carrots, and brown onion.

Entrees

All entrees are made fresh, from scratch, and can feed both intimate gatherings and larger parties. All entrees include your choice of Jasmine (white) or brown rice.

Pad Prik Khing

Fresh green beans, Prik khing curry paste, red bell pepper with your choice of chicken or shrimp.

Pad Krapow

Delicious minced or sliced chicken, beef, pork, shrimp or tofu stir fried in a rich, brown sauce with Thai basil, garlic, onions, Thai chilies, and bamboo shoots.

Garlic and Black Pepper Chicken

Thinly sliced chicken thigh, garlic, and a punch of fresh ground white and black pepper is all it takes to make this flavorful dish. Garlic lovers rejoice!

Garlic Sugar Snap Peas with Shrimp or Wild sea scallops (MP)

Sugar snap peas, large sea scallops or jumbo shrimp, tri colored bell pepper, water chestnuts, brown onion, and garlic soy.

Stir fried Fresh Ginger

Sliced fresh ginger, brown and green onions, your choice of protein (chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp) and garlic soybean paste.

Mongolian Beef

Tender, marinated top sirloin steak, fresh, minced ginger, garlic, brown onions, black soy sauce, scallions

Eggplant Stir-Fry with Hot basil

Chinese eggplants, red bell peppers, green onion and organic hot basil. Great dish for Vegetarian and Vegan lovers

BBQ

Our BBQ entrees are made fresh, from scratch, and can feed both intimate gatherings and larger parties. All BBQ entrees are served with Jasmine (white) or brown rice.

Crying Tiger

Tender, top sirloin steak with Chef Benz's signature marinade. Grilled to absolute perfection. This sauce is to die for.

Chef Benz's Signature Honey Bourbon Pork Ribs

St. Louis pork ribs gently marinated in a sweet honey garlic bourbon soy bath. Grilled to perfect tenderness. The hit of the dinner party! This style of rib has “snap“ as opposed to those that ”fall off the bone.”

Fried Rice

All fried rice dishes are made fresh, from scratch, and can feed both intimate gatherings and larger parties.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Perfectly ripened pineapple seasoned with turmeric and curry powder with your choice of protein (chicken, beef, or shrimp). Topped with sliced green onion, whole cashews and raisins.

Spicy Basil Fried Rice

Flavorful fried rice with Chef Benz's homemade roasted chili paste, fresh green beans, baby corn, red bell pepper, brown onion and topped with Thai basil.

Egg Fried Rice

Simple but delicious fried rice with egg and garlic. Great for the kiddos at the dinner party as well as adults looking to add a tasty side dish.

Mama’s recipe crab fried rice (MP)

pan fried genuine lump crab meat, egg with garlic soy topped with green onion

Signature Handhelds

Available for catering with customizable quantities for your event.

My Take: Banh Mi Sanwich

Toasted baguette with grilled lemongrass pork or marinated tofu, pickled carrots & daikon, cucumber, cilantro, house sauce. 

Char Siu BBQ Pork Sliders

Chinese-style roasted BBQ pork, caramelized glaze, soft buns, and house slaw.

Desserts

All desserts are made from scratch with the freshest possible ingredients.

Sweet Honey Mango Sticky Rice (seasonal/ March-October)

Ripe honey mango served over sweet coconut sticky rice.

Crispy Banana Spring Rolls

Served with Benz’s homemade coconut ice cream

Roti Pancake

Served with mango sorbet 

Fruit pie or lemon tart? 😬 Talk to us… which one are you craving?

Psst… 🤫

When she’s not cooking Thai, Chef Benz loves baking her signature fruit pies.

Made with a homemade, butter-flaky crust and filled with a super bright, perfectly balanced fruit filling — each pie is crafted from scratch with the same love and precision she brings to every dish.

Available for parties of 10 or more.*additional charge 

Please note: this is a sample menu and is fully customizable to your needs

“Edible Art: A Feast for the Eyes and the Palate”


    Contact Us

    Contact us for availability and a quote today

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    Let’s talk Thai food!

    Tell us your event date, guest count, and location, and we’ll curate an unforgettable Thai dining experience for you.

    Cooking Thai by Benz

    Nestled in beautiful La Quinta, CA, we serve clients throughout the Coachella Valley and are available for destination events upon request.

    818 667 7306 mobile eathai@cookingthaibybenz.com

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