Binding Agents Presents KALAYA'S SOUTHERN THAI KITCHEN: Nok Suntaranon with Natalie Jesionka
Join Binding Agents for a special evening with the one and only Nok Suntaranon, chef and restauranteur behind Kalaya and the new book, Kalaya’s Southern Thai Kitchen. Nok will be joined in conversation by co-author Natalie Jesionka.
The talk will be held at Binding Agents (908 Christian St.) and followed by a signing.
Guests may choose a ticket with or without a copy of the book; prices are inclusive of fees. Tickets for this intimate event are non-refundable. Entrance to the shop requires one step up. Please contact us at hello@bindingagentsphilly.com with any questions or accessibility needs; we'd be happy to help.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Kalaya's Southern Thai Kitchen is the first book from Nok Suntaranon, a former flight attendant who reinvented herself as a chef at the age of 50. Bring the bold, spicy, beautiful world of Southern Thai cooking to your kitchen through recipes and stories from this James Beard Award–winning chef of Kalaya.
Growing up in the tropical region of Southern Thailand, Nok helped her mother pound the fresh curry pastes she would sell at their local market. But decades later, after making a life in the United States, she returned home and saw that the food had become watered-down—sweeter and more geared toward a tourist’s palate. Her life mission became clear: to preserve the flavors of Southern Thai food as she remembers them and to show American home cooks how delicious, intricately flavored, and doable Thai cooking is. From peppery fish sauce-garlic Hat Yai fried chicken to an extra-fresh, extra-herbal green curry to a celebratory turmeric sticky rice with savory coconut shrimp topping, this is Thai food as you’ve probably never seen it
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon is a James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef, restaurateur and author of Kalaya’s Southern Thai Kitchen. A flight attendant from Trang, Thailand, Nok entered her second act at age 50 by opening Kalaya, one of the country’s highest-regarded Thai restaurants, named after Nok’s mother. Opened in April 2019 as a small BYOB in South Philadelphia, Kalaya was named one of Esquire's and Food & Wine’s “Best New Restaurants” and was a James Beard Foundation Award nominee for “Best New Restaurant” in 2020. In November 2022, Kalaya relocated to Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood with a larger footprint and bar program. Nok’s notoriously impeccable style has been featured in New York Magazine and Philadelphia Style Magazine; she was also named one of the “Most Influential Philadelphians” by Philadelphia Magazine in 2023 and 2024. Nok’s TV appearances include the Philadelphia episode of Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil in 2021, and in 2024 a dedicated Season 7 episode on Netflix’s Emmy-nominated Chef’s Table.
Natalie Jesionka is the co-author of Kalaya's Southern Thai Kitchen and writes about food, community, and social impact. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Toronto Star, National Post, Canadian Press, and Philadelphia Magazine. She served as a Fulbright scholar in Northern Thailand and is a Paul and Daisy Soros fellow for New Americans.
Date: December 11, 2024 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Location: Binding Agents: A Cook/Book Shop | 908 Christian St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 | 267-225-3811
Admission:
There are two ticket types:
- Talk + Book ($43.00): Includes one seat for the talk and one copy of Kalaya's Southern Thai Kitchen.
- Talk Only ($12.00): Includes one seat for the talk only.
Both prices are inclusive of fees. Tax will be added at checkout.
Event website: bit.ly
