Chef's Table with Kalaya's Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon. Photo courtesy of Mike Prince
Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon spent 20 years as a flight attendant before becoming an award-winning chef.
State of play: Suntaranon is the chef and owner of the much-celebrated Thai restaurant in South Philly, Kalaya.
- She recently scored a nod as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region, after securing a finalist spot in 2020 for Best New Restaurant.
- Suntaranon was also named "Chef of the Year" by the Inquirer's Craig LaBan in 2019.
Axios asked Suntaranon a series of questions for our culinary advice series, Chef's Table:
🔪 Must-have tool in your home kitchen?: Good knives.
- I've been having knives custom made by Steve Pellegrino of Pellegrino Cutlery because I want to support a young artisan, and you need a proper, quality knife in the kitchen.
🛒 Go-to grocery store?: For neighborhood grocery, I go to Essene Market & Cafe.
- If I need a butcher, I go to see Joe at Esposito Meats in the Italian Market.
🤔 Most overlooked spice?: White pepper and ground pepper. People do not put enough pepper in their food.
🍜 Favorite home-cooked meal?: A big bowl of Korean instant noodles is so very comforting to me.
🍽 Last restaurant you went to?: Omakase bar at Royal Sushi & Izakaya.
- Whatever Jesse Ito (James Beard-award nominated chef and co-owner) makes, I love.
☝🏼 Quick tip for at-home cooks?: Cooking is not rocket science. You just have to do it. Follow your instincts, follow your own cooking style, and not overthink it.
🔌 How to unplug?: I like to lay around and cuddle with my dog Tong and watch TV with my husband at home after a long day of work.
1 tip to go: Check out Kalaya Thai Market in the Italian Market, where you can buy curries, chili peppers and other ingredients to make versions of Suntaranon's dishes at home — or you can just buy a meal kit!