'Chef’s Table: Volume 7': Former flight attendant Chutatip 'Nok' Suntaranon reinvented herself at age 50
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Chutatip 'Nok' Suntaranon, a James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef, pushes the limits of traditional Southern Thai cuisine on 'Chef's Table: Volume 7', bringing the bold, authentic flavors of Thailand to the forefront. At, Nok, a former flight attendant from Trang, Thailand, created Kalaya, one of the most renowned Thai eateries in the nation, in honor of her mother.
After receiving widespread acclaim, including being named one of Esquire's and Food & Wine's 'Best New Restaurants,' Kalaya, which had started as a little BYOB restaurant in South Philadelphia, later relocated to Fishtown, expanding with a larger space and a full bar program. Nok is also the author of Kalaya's Southern Thai Kitchen, her latest cookbook, which was released on November 5, 2024.
Chutatip 'Nok' Suntaranon started cooking at 48
Nok's elegance is the first thing that makes her stand out in the kitchen. This intriguing older woman, who began cooking at the age of 48, used to dress up for work in expensive clothing until she was informed that it was extremely flammable. She continues to exude charm as she moves among the tables, seeking feedback from her patrons on how to improve. Nok even reaches out to those who left negative reviews of Kalaya, eager to gather their suggestions.
Even though eating has always been very important to her, she did something quite different in her past life. Her father was a self-employed truck driver and hospital administrator, and she was already selling curry paste at the Yan Ta Khao market at the age of five alongside her mother, to whom she dedicated the restaurant.
However, her father’s gambling addiction eventually led the family to lose their home. Nok had to fight daily to provide her children with a roof over their heads, ensure they had everything they needed, and still find time to prepare their meals.
Nok often spent time browsing cookbooks and daydreaming about the flavors of different foods while hiding in the library. It served as a safe refuge, a place where she could escape and search for deeper emotions. When she wasn't cooking, her paternal grandmother would come from Bangkok with treats like dumplings, which are flavor explosions in a little mouthful. She still imitates these dishes in ornithological shapes (she goes by the moniker Nok, little bird). During high school, she moved into a boarding house with her grandmother.
Former flight attendant takes out Best Chef's award
Nok also had a passion for traveling, and during her nearly 20 years as a flight attendant—first for Kuwait and then for Thai Airlines—she had the opportunity to sample cuisine from across the globe while never having to touch the meals served on board. In the meantime, Nok ran a jewelry business with a friend and, alongside her ex-husband, helped create Antonio, an Italian restaurant in Bangkok.
She quit her work and closed Antonio when she remarried Ziv, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, whom she had met while flying. She claims that she would never have trusted her culinary skills if it weren't for his excitement.
Furthermore, she began cooking for friends and neighbors after attending the French Culinary Institute in New York, doing internships, and working in several American restaurants. After the pandemic, she found her own space in Philadelphia's Bella Vista neighborhood and later moved to a larger location in Fishtown, a former warehouse that now accommodates 183 people.
Since then, Nok has had an incredible journey, winning the Central Atlantic's Best Chef award after being nominated for multiple James Beard Foundation awards and the prestigious James Beard Oscar for cuisine.
Who is Chutatip 'Nok' Suntaranon married to?
Nok can still vividly recall her first impression of Ziv Katalan. It was on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to New York City in September 2006. Nok, a Business Class flight attendant, was moving throughout the cabin, welcoming passengers as they took their seats. She immediately recognized him when Ziv, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, got on board.
Their story took off alongside the journey to New York. After those eighteen hours in the air, they began a world-trotting relationship filled with glamorous meetings around the globe and over twenty years of exciting experiences together.
Ziv had remained close to his wife of 20 years, with whom he had a child, despite their separation six years earlier. Meanwhile, Nok and her ex-husband continued to co-own an Italian restaurant in Bangkok following their recent divorce. The pair asked friends and family to join them for a 10-day celebration in a pool villa at SALA Phuket, a Thai beach, where they were married on August 8, 2008.
Volume 7, a standard season of 'Chef's Table,' will air on November 27 on Netflix