Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Kalaya in Philadelphia has become one of the most acclaimed Thai restaurants in the country, earning the 2026 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant and a place in the Michelin Guide. At the center of it all is chef-owner Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon, whose intensely personal Southern Thai cooking has made her one of the country's most celebrated chefs. She was named North America's Best Female Chef in 2025, included in the "Time" 100 Most Influential People list, and featured on Netflix's "Chef's Table."
In this episode of "Mise En Place," we go inside Kalaya's kitchen to see how Nok and her team bring the Southern Thai flavors of her childhood to life, from a $100 jumbo river prawn tom yum soup to a spiced massaman beef curry. We also watch the team make Kanom Jeeb Nok, bird-shaped dumplings named after Nok herself, as well as Tumis Pla, a new dish built around pan-seared barramundi.
#food #restaurant #thaifood
0:00 Intro / Prepping Jumbo River Prawns for Tom Yum and the Wok
2:00 Plating the Goong Thod Kluae (Wok-Fried River Prawn)
2:23 Making Beef Massaman Curry
6:27 Reflecting on Kalaya’s Success
7:06 Prepping the Tom Yum Stock
7:50 Breaking Down Barramundi
8:46 Making Kanom Jeeb Nok (Bird-Shaped Dumplings)
12:26 Kalaya's Newest Dish: Tumis Pla (Pan-Seared Barramundi)
14:28 Service
15:15 Firing the Jumbo River Prawn Tom Yum Soup
16:13 Outro / Gaeng Massaman Nua (Curry)
Credits:
Senior Producer/Director: Tom Daly
Camera: Murilo Ferreira, Melissa Langer
Production Sound Mixer: Michael Guggino
Assistant Editor: George Chrysiliou
Editor: Josh Dion
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Head of Production: Stefania Orrù
Supervising Producer: Connor Reid
Post-Production Supervisor: Lucy Morales Carlisle
Director of Production: Michelle Fox
Senior Director of Photography: Murilo Ferreira
Supervising Producer, Social Video: Jordan Shalhoub
Download the Eater App: https://shorturl.at/Rz1pN
Eater is the go-to resource for food and restaurant obsessives with hundreds of episodes and new series, featuring exclusive access to dining around the world, rich culture, immersive experiences, and authoritative experts. Binge it, watch it, crave it.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel now! goo.gl/hGwtF0
Kalaya in Philadelphia has become one of the most acclaimed Thai restaurants in the country, earning the 2026 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant and a place in the Michelin Guide. At the center of it all is chef-owner Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon, whose intensely personal Southern Thai cooking has made her one of the country's most celebrated chefs. She was named North America's Best Female Chef in 2025, included in the "Time" 100 Most Influential People list, and featured on Netflix's "Chef's Table."
In this episode of "Mise En Place," we go inside Kalaya's kitchen to see how Nok and her team bring the Southern Thai flavors of her childhood to life, from a $100 jumbo river prawn tom yum soup to a spiced massaman beef curry. We also watch the team make Kanom Jeeb Nok, bird-shaped dumplings named after Nok herself, as well as Tumis Pla, a new dish built around pan-seared barramundi.
#food #restaurant #thaifood
0:00 Intro / Prepping Jumbo River Prawns for Tom Yum and the Wok
2:00 Plating the Goong Thod Kluae (Wok-Fried River Prawn)
2:23 Making Beef Massaman Curry
6:27 Reflecting on Kalaya’s Success
7:06 Prepping the Tom Yum Stock
7:50 Breaking Down Barramundi
8:46 Making Kanom Jeeb Nok (Bird-Shaped Dumplings)
12:26 Kalaya's Newest Dish: Tumis Pla (Pan-Seared Barramundi)
14:28 Service
15:15 Firing the Jumbo River Prawn Tom Yum Soup
16:13 Outro / Gaeng Massaman Nua (Curry)
Credits:
Senior Producer/Director: Tom Daly
Camera: Murilo Ferreira, Melissa Langer
Production Sound Mixer: Michael Guggino
Assistant Editor: George Chrysiliou
Editor: Josh Dion
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Head of Production: Stefania Orrù
Supervising Producer: Connor Reid
Post-Production Supervisor: Lucy Morales Carlisle
Director of Production: Michelle Fox
Senior Director of Photography: Murilo Ferreira
Supervising Producer, Social Video: Jordan Shalhoub
Download the Eater App: https://shorturl.at/Rz1pN
Eater is the go-to resource for food and restaurant obsessives with hundreds of episodes and new series, featuring exclusive access to dining around the world, rich culture, immersive experiences, and authoritative experts. Binge it, watch it, crave it.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel now! goo.gl/hGwtF0
