Bongkoch Satongun
Bongkoch "Bee" Satongun (born 1976) is a native Thai chef and restaurateur. She is known for her landmark restaurant, Paste Bangkok, which received a Michelin star.[1] Chef Bee has expanded the Paste empire to neighboring Laos and will soon open a third venue in Australia.[2]
In 2018, Satongun was named elit Vodka's Asia's Best Female Chef by the World's 50 Best Restaurants.[3] She has been invited to cook at culinary events such as the annual Taste of Paris[4] and Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival 2018.[5] Currently, Paste holds the 28th rank on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2019,[6] and the 31st rank on the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2019.[7]
Early life and career
Prior to the opening of Paste, Satongun spent years researching the history of Thai cuisine, re-creating ancient recipes and culinary techniques alongside chef, husband and business partner, Jason Bailey.[8]
Both Satongun and Bailey had humble beginnings, from Satongun's childhood memories of pounding herbs with pestle on mortar to assist her mother's street food stall business in Bangkok[9], to Bailey's experiences growing up in the Southern Highlands of Australia.[10] She met her husband on one of his earlier research trips to Thailand.[10]
Paste Bangkok
In 2012, Satongun and Bailey opened their first Paste restaurant in the neighborhood of Thonglor. In 2015, they opened a new iteration of Paste in Gaysorn shopping mall, located in Bangkok's Ratchaprasong district adjacent to the Intercontinental Hotel.[11] At Paste, dishes represent regional Thai cuisine, taking inspiration from ancient Thai recipes and royal family cookbooks.[8] Chef Bee hopes to do away with the notion of Thai food as 'cheap takeaway', and re-frame the cuisine in the minds of her diners[12].
In 2018, Paste Bangkok was awarded its first Michelin star in the inaugural Michelin Guide Bangkok.[13] Paste Bangkok retained its one-Michelin-star rating in 2019. [13] As of 2020, it retains its one Michelin star.[13]
Other restaurants and pursuits
In 2018, Satongun and Bailey opened their first overseas branch of Paste, Paste Laos at the Apsara in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed ancient town of Luang Prabang.[14] Currently, Bailey is currently working on the development of Paste in Australia.[10]
List of awards
- Winner of Most-Loved Thai Fine Dining Restaurant by Time Out, 2016[15]
- 10 Best Michelin-rated Restaurants in Bangkok by The Guardian, 2017[16]
- elit Vodka's Asia's Best Female Chef by World's 50 Best Restaurants, 2018[17]
- One Michelin star, Michelin Guide Bangkok, 2018[13]
- #31 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, 2018[18]
- Best Thai Fine Dining by Top Tables Bangkok, 2018[19]
- One Michelin star, Michelin Guide Bangkok, 2019[13]
- #28 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, 2019[20]
References
- Irvine, Oliver (2017). "Bangkok's first Michelin-star restaurants have been announced". BK. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- Chung, Winnie. "Why Michelin-starred Paste Bangkok's 'Chef Bee' is on a mission to save food's 'soul'". South China Morning Post.
- ""Traditional Thai food is at risk of getting lost". The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- Kalmykova, Elena (2018-05-17). "Elena Kalmykova : 5 expat chefs to discover at Taste of Paris this weekend". Dispatches Europe. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- "Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival celebrates 10th birthday in largest scale ever and with limited-run fine wines and delicacies". Media Outreach. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- http://theworlds50best.asia. "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 1-50". ASIA EN. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- http://theworlds50best.asia. "Paste". ASIA EN. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- "5 Questions With Bee Satongun On Bangkok's Culinary Scene". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- Chan, Bernice. "More than pad thai and tom yum soup: Thai chef's real food quest, and why it's hard to find the right recipes". South China Morning Post.
- "Why Paste Bangkok's 'Chef Bee' aims to save food's 'soul'". South China Morning Post. 2019-06-01. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- "Best Thai Fine Dining Restaurant in Bangkok - Paste Bangkok at Gaysorn". Thai Street Food, Restaurants, and Recipes | Eating Thai Food. 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- Aureus, Dudi. "Chef Bongkoch 'Bee' Satongun Of Paste In Bangkok On Preserving Thailand's Traditional Cuisine".
- "Paste – a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant in Thailand". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- "About - Paste Laos Restaurants in Luang Prabang". Paste Laos. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- "Chang Live Park presents Time Out Bangkok Love Awards 2016 | The Winners". Time Out Bangkok. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- Vichit-Vadakan, Vincent (2017-12-18). "10 of the best Michelin-rated restaurants in Bangkok". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- http://theworlds50best.asia. "Asia's Best Female Chef 2019". ASIA EN. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- http://theworlds50best.asia. "Paste". ASIA EN. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- "Here they are, all the big Top Tables 2018 special awards". toptables.asia-city.com. 2018-03-20. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- http://theworlds50best.asia. "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 1-50". ASIA EN. Retrieved 2019-06-11.