December 8, 7:00 P.M. Dinner: Modern Meets Traditional: A Collaboration with Kalaya and Kru
December 08, 2023 07:00 PM
The Country’s Most Exciting Thai Restaurants Come Together For One Night
25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA
In Philadelphia at Kalaya, James Beard Award-winning chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon has earned praise for her exceptional Southern Thai dishes like jumbo river prawns dramatically balanced in a cauldron of spicy and piquant tom yum broth. Over in Brooklyn, Kru, a James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist, is also redefining Thai food in the United States. Helmed by chef Ohm Suansilphong, Kru’s powerfully flavorful dishes are inspired by ancient recipes that have been reimagined through a contemporary lens. Join these two phenomenal chefs for one unforgettable night where they’ve designed a dinner that honors historical dishes and traditional ingredients, and explores the future of Thai cuisine
Dining Table: $150 / Inside Chef's Counter: $165
Menu
Hors d’Oeuvres
Kanom Jeeb Nok > Bird-Shaped Dumplings with Caramelized Cod and Preserved Radish
Shaw Muang > Flower-Shaped Dumplings with Ground Chicken
Gui Chai > Crispy Garlic Chive Rice Cakes with Spicy Sweet Soy Sauce
Ma Hor > Savory Fruit Bite
Dinner
Khao Yum > Turmeric Rice Salad with Coconut, Thai Chilies, Dried Shrimp, Lime Leaves, and Seasonal Vegetables
Bone Marrow Go Lae > Roasted Bone Marrow with Coconut Milk Barbecue Sauce Crispy Tripe
Krudite
Nam Prik Chao Lay > Mussel Relish
Lon Pla Pang Dang > Fermented Red Yeast Rice–Fish Relish
Palo Hed > Five-Spiced Mushrooms
Khai Khrop Songkhla > Cured Egg Yolk in Shell
Market Vegetables
Massaman Neua > Beef Shank Massaman Curry
Pla Tod Kamin > Deep-Fried Monkfish with Turmeric
Sweet Pork Belly with Caramelized Fish Sauce and Fried Shallots
Jap Chai Tod Mun Koong > Braised Vegetable Stew with Shrimp Cake
Bua Loy Nam Khing > Black Sesame Dumpling in Ginger Tea
Wines generously donated by Skurnik Wines & Spirits
About Chutatip Nok Suntaranon:
Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon's travels as a flight attendant, as well as her international culinary background, exposed her to a world of flavors by the time she opened Kalaya in 2019. Since then, the restaurant (named for her mother) has thrust Suntaranon into the spotlight and made her a fixture in the culinary scene of her home city of Philadelphia and across the country. The restaurant features recipes that Suntaranon learned growing up from her mother, who sold curry paste in food markets in her hometown of Trang in southern Thailand.
Kalaya was a 2020 James Beard Award nominee for Best New Restaurant, and Suntaranon brought home the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2023, her second time being nominated for the award. Kalaya was also named Esquire's Best New Restaurant in America and selected as one of the nation's best by Food & Wine magazine in 2020. After three and a half years in business, Kalaya closed the doors to its original location to prepare for a newer, significantly larger space in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, which opened in late November 2022. This September, Kalaya was recognized by the New York Times in their Top 50 Restaurants list for 2023.
About Ohm Suansilphong:
Born in Sukhothai, Thailand, Ohm Suansilphong is chef and co-owner at KRU, a sophisticated Thai restaurant serving historic dishes from Thailand’s royalty and aristocracy located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Chef Ohm was the opening head chef of Fish Cheeks, the wildly successful and acclaimed Thai restaurant in Manhattan’s NoHo neighborhood, which he co-founded and remains a partner. At Fish Cheeks, which specializes in meticulous Thai seafood, chef Ohm honed his leadership skills that gave him the confidence to open KRU. He was also the co-founder and opening executive chef of Chicks Isan, Fish Cheeks’ sister restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn, which specialized in the casual food of Northeastern Thailand’s Isan region.
Chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon’s residency is made possible in part by a generous gift by Nancy Lukitsh to our Chef Performance Fund.
Tickets to events held at Platform at Pier 57 by the James Beard Foundation cover the cost of food, education and a unique dining experience. Meals are prepared by culinary masters from all regions of the United States and around the world. Unless otherwise stated, alcoholic beverages are provided on a complimentary basis and are not included in the ticket price.
James Beard Foundation events permit guests age 21 years and older to attend events where alcoholic beverages are served.