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April 24, 2025
Chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij has been named the World’s Best Female Chef by World’s 50 Best, making her the first Asian woman ever to win the award. As well as being awesome (and very well deserved) for Chef Pam, it’s also a milestone for Thailand and the broader Asian culinary community.
The news came as a surprise. Pam received the call at home one evening, thinking it was about something unrelated. The announcement caught her completely off guard. “It was beyond my expectation, beyond my dream, beyond my thought,” she said. Her husband, Tor, was in the other room and overheard the call. He ran in to celebrate the moment with her.
Pam’s approach to success has never focused on awards. While the gendered nature of certain accolades continues to spark conversation, she believes progress is driven by consistent effort, not recognition. “If I have the same determination, the same drive, and the same goal in mind with the same passion, I think it would be the same for me personally,” she said.
Since the beginning, her goal has been simple: to do good work. “What’s next for us? I don’t know. We’ll keep doing what we do and hope to inspire the team and grow.”
Before launching her restaurants in Bangkok, Pam trained in New York and worked in several high-pressure kitchens. While she acknowledges differences between Western and Asian kitchen cultures, she does not believe those differences revolve around gender. “It’s how people deal with problems and how they approach things,” she said.
Pam never felt mistreated during her time in New York kitchens and always pushed herself to meet her own high standards. She also acknowledged that the fast-paced, high-adrenaline nature of the kitchen is part of what keeps her passionate about the work. Working in a kitchen is intense, but that’s part of the appeal. “Yes, I think I’m addicted,” she said. “I think everyone who chooses this career is. Otherwise, they would be doing something else.”
Alongside her Michelin-starred restaurant Potong, Pam recently opened Khao San Sek, a casual Thai eatery just a five-minute walk away, in the heart of Bangkok’s Chinatown. The concept had been in the works for some time, but it was only recently that the right location came along. Its close proximity allows her to stay involved while relying on a head chef to manage the daily operations.
“I usually go before or after service to see the guests,” she said. “Sometimes I just go to meet them and check in.”
Although the restaurant appears large from the outside, the actual dining space is limited, which has contributed to it becoming one of the hardest new restaurants in Bangkok to get a table. The building, like Potong, has old architecture and a narrow winding staircase—a recurring theme in her restaurants. “People ask me if I have a thing for stairs! Somehow, buildings with stairs have charm. I love restaurants that have a soul and a charm.”
Pam manages both restaurants in close partnership with her husband, Tor, though the two maintain clear boundaries in their roles. She handles the creative and kitchen-side operations, while Tor manages business matters such as budgeting, staffing, and logistics.
“We work well together because we do different things,” she explained. “There are so many great chefs out there cooking really good food, but some don’t manage to keep the restaurant going. Not because the food isn’t good, but because the numbers don’t add up.” She credits the division of labour as a key factor in keeping both restaurants running sustainably.
Pam is optimistic about the direction of Bangkok’s food scene. She has observed a rise in new restaurants and a growing number of chefs, both emerging and experienced, developing their own voices and taking pride in local ingredients.
“There’s a lot of good energy in Bangkok’s food culture right now. Street food is still amazing, and we also have casual and fine dining. There’s something for everyone.”
She believes this variety is one of Thailand’s strongest assets. “You can create your own journey when you’re here,” she added.
Despite growing recognition, Pam believes there is still room for more representation of Asian chefs on global platforms. In her view, Asia is still catching up in terms of visibility, especially at international award shows and culinary festivals.
“In ceremonies on the world stage, maybe Asia doesn’t have the representation it deserves because the fine dining food scene here is still relatively new. But in the future, more and more restaurants from Asia will be involved for sure.”
She sees international travel as a key factor in changing perceptions. “Asia is one of the big destinations for people around the world. Once they come here, they’ll discover things they never thought they would experience. There’s a cultural difference that makes an impact. After they come, they’ll tell their friends, and word of mouth will help create a ripple effect. Asia will become more and more represented.”
Pam has made her mark in a male-dominated industry — and proudly champions female talent in her team. For her, supporting each other is just as important as honing your craft.
“If you’re a woman starting out as a chef, don’t stress about whether it’s harder for you than for the guys. Just do your thing. The moment you start comparing yourself to others — especially on social media — it’s game over. Half the time, what you’re seeing isn’t even real.”
In an impressive climb up the global culinary ladder, the chef-owner of Potong in Bangkok, has just been named the World’s Best Female Chef for 2025.
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