INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN: CHEF NOK SUNTARANON
Chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, a recent inductee to the Kikkoman Kitchen Cabinet – our inner circle of leading-edge chef partners – is a self-made original, and her story is an inspiration.
Just a few years ago, Nok Suntaranon, a native of Trang, a southern province of Thailand, was a first-class flight attendant with a passion for food, art and travel. In 2019, at age 50, she started her second act when she opened a small BYOB restaurant in South Philadelphia. She named the restaurant Kalaya after her beloved mother, serving the food she grew up eating in Thailand.
Kalaya quickly became an instant sensation. Within a year, it was nominated for a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant and received similar accolades from Esquire and Food & Wine. In November 2022, Nok relocated Kalaya to a larger space—a stylishly renovated former warehouse in Philadelphia’s trendy Fishtown neighborhood. The following year, the James Beard Foundation named her Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic.
Yet, despite her meteoric rise in the food service industry, she insists, “Don’t call me chef. Just call me Nok.”
“I’m still cooking like a housewife—just the way I cook for my family,” she explains. “At Kalaya, I’m serving home-cooked food in a beautiful environment. The presentation is a little more refined, but the elegance doesn’t come from edible flowers or trendy plating. My food is real, fresh and colorful. It speaks for itself.”
“My food is real and fresh and colorful. It speaks for itself.”
Recently, we spent a day with Nok at Kalaya, enjoying her food and her larger-than-life sense of style as we watched her cook and interact with her adoring staff and customers. Here are a few highlights from our lively conversation.
Q: What makes Kalaya different from other Thai restaurants?
A: I never compare myself with anyone else. I do what I do, and I know that what I’m creating is one hundred percent authentic to my life and my heart. I don’t think of Kalaya as a business; it’s my home. I invite people to come over, and I cook for them. We started as a tiny restaurant, and that’s still how I see it, even though now we have space for more than 180 people. I celebrate my culture and turn my vision into reality every day.
Q: What does homestyle cooking mean to you?
A: Homestyle means homemade. We make seven kinds of curry paste from scratch because we serve seven different kinds of curry. We blend five different curry powders and many more seasoning blends. Our dumplings are super labor-intensive and time-consuming. We truly appreciate the dedication of our three kitchen staff who tirelessly prepare mouthwatering dumplings and sticky rice all day long. That’s a uniqueness that Kalaya offers people. We don’t cut costs or corners. We take the time to do things the way I know is most authentic.
Q: What inspires you about Kikkoman® Soy Sauce?
A: I remember when I was growing up, everyone knew Kikkoman® Soy Sauce. Every region of Thailand had its own local soy sauce, but Kikkoman was like the national brand—very trusted and familiar. Today, I especially love Kikkoman’s Gluten-Free Soy Sauce and Gluten-Free Non-GMO Tamari Soy Sauce. It has excellent flavor even without gluten. I like to use soy sauce in place of salt to get more flavor and umami. For example, when I make a vinaigrette, I add soy sauce and maybe a pinch of salt at the end to adjust the seasoning.
“I like to use soy sauce in place of salt to get more flavor and umami.”
Q: What are some Thai ingredients you think chefs should know more about?
A: Shrimp paste! I grew up helping my mom run her stall where she sold homemade curry pastes and pantry staples. We always had big blocks of shrimp paste, as it’s one of the main ingredients in curry paste, and people would often buy both together. Whenever I go home to Thailand, I taste every shrimp paste I see and keep buying them! I’m obsessed. Shrimp paste takes some getting used to. It’s stinky, but once you cook it, it becomes fragrant and adds incredible briny umami from the amino acid fermentation. I use it in curries, relishes, and all kinds of dishes. Palm sugar is another ingredient that more people should discover. It has so much more complexity than cane sugar or brown sugar and adds a deep, aromatic caramel flavor, not just sweetness.
Q: What advice would you give chefs who are interested in exploring Thai flavors and techniques?
A: Buy my book! No, seriously, my new cookbook, Kalaya’s Southern Thai Kitchen, is based on all the building blocks of Thai cooking—the sauces, the curry pastes, the condiments. Once you master those, you can make anything. Also, I would say ingredients are everything. Make sure you use the best seasonings, the best soy sauce, and the best produce you can find. And remember, it’s not rocket science. It’s play. It’s fun. I’d say it’s even therapeutic!
Grilled Black Pepper Lamb with Jaew Sauce (Kae Yaang Jim Jaew)
“This is a take on the grilled beef and pork that we serve at Kalaya,” Nok says. “I love lamb, and I think the richness of soy sauce really brings out its flavor.” The marinade includes Kikkoman® Gluten-Free Thai Style Chili Sauce, Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil. The lamb is served with jaew (pronounced “jow”) sauce—an intensely flavored condiment made with charred tomatoes, shallots, chilies, and garlic blended with Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, lime juice, sugar and tamarind paste. “You can make a large batch of jaew sauce in advance,” says Nok, “and the longer it sits, the better it gets.” She uses this versatile sauce for steaming fish, finishing vegetables, as a dipping sauce, and as a base for salad dressing, with the addition of oil, vinegar, and a little more soy sauce. “It’s so delicious, I even like to spread it on toast,” she says.
View Recipe
Baked Shrimp with Glass Noodles (Goong Ob Woonsen)
This dish features glass noodles layered with shrimp, baked in a rich, intensely flavored sauce made with Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, Sushi Sauce, and Sesame Oil. “This is a dish my mom cooked for me and her grandchildren. It’s her family recipe,” says Nok. “In this version, I like how the Sushi Sauce helps thicken the sauce and adds depth of flavor, sweetness, and umami.”
View Recipe
Kikkoman Asian Made Easy e-Newsletter
Discover meals specially designed with foodservice in mind. See how Kikkoman create new dining experiences. Sign up now for our Foodservice e-newsletter!
Sign Up