After decades of working anonymously in her Thai restaurant, a Bangkok woman found celebrity in her seventies.
She is the wok-wielding, goggles-wearing grandma who's stunned the culinary world with her succulent Thai street food. Cooking from a basic kitchen in an old Bangkok shophouse, Supinya Junsuta, 76, is the chef of the place that became the world's first Michelin-starred street food restaurant. Now her celebrity status has been further boosted, after earning the "icon" status in the prestigious Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards.
But fame hasn’t changed the woman known as “Jay Fai”. Even as Thailand has been gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic, she’s been working 60-hour weeks. Wearing goggles to protect her eyes as she operates a wok over an open flame, Jay Fai has continued making her signature dishes of rad na noodles, tom yum soup and crab omelettes at her restaurant, Raan Jay Fai.
For Jay Fai, it’s always been about the food. She is such a humble, dedicated chef that when Michelin called in late 2017 to tell her that she’d been given a star, Jay Fai initially told them she couldn’t attend their awards ceremony. “Michelin called twice, and I told them I’m too busy in the restaurant to come collect an award,” she told me at the time.
That was during our first interview at her restaurant, in December 2017. Jay Fai had received her restaurant's Michelin star just days earlier and was still trying to process what it all meant. Unlike many of her culinary colleagues around the world, she'd never aimed for the accolade. Michelin stars were for exclusive restaurants with sumptuous decor and expensive ingredients, not for street food cooks who served noodles in plastic bowls.
What was already clear to Jay Fai, during our first meeting, was that the Michelin star was going to “make my life crazy”. “Look how busy it is,” she told me, gesturing to the line of customers snaking down the street in Rattanakosin, Bangkok’s most historic neighbourhood.
“And all these people want my time, too,” she added, referring to me and the several other journalists and bloggers who had visited her restaurant that day. “I don’t mind speaking to them quick but I can’t lose focus on my work.”
I was fortunate that when I visited Jay Fai that time, and again the next year, I was accompanied by my Thai wife, who is both charming and a terrific translator, which helped earn me extra time with the busy chef.
But when I phoned Jay Fai in February, from my home in Australia, she didn't have time to talk. She appreciates the awards, the fandom and the media exposure, but now finds it difficult to dedicate energy to anything outside of cooking and her family.
Throughout the pandemic, she's continued waking early in the morning to prepare ingredients for a long day of cooking. When the Thai government shut down restaurants owing to coronavirus outbreaks, Jay Fai toiled away preparing dozens of delivery orders. When businesses were allowed to reopen, she went into overdrive, making up for lost time.
This heavy workload is why her daughter, who goes by Khun Fai, was tasked with speaking to me on Jay Fai's behalf. Khun Fai said her mother was honoured to receive the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Icon Award. This prize is given each year to a chef who, according to the awards panel, has made an "outstanding contribution to their community and the broader restaurant industry".
Previous recipients include celebrity Spanish chef Jose Andres and revered Japanese chef Seiji Yamamoto, whose restaurant in Tokyo holds three Michelin stars. Khun Fai admitted the award had been a surprise. “It was very exciting for my mother, a real honour, and it made us all feel proud,” she said. “Jay Fai doesn’t make food to win awards, that is not her style; we have our own ideas about how we want to make food here. So it’s great that people appreciate this.”
Icon is, in fact, a fine description for Jay Fai. Although she was unknown outside of Bangkok just four years ago, she is now is a world-recognised symbol of one of Thailand’s biggest tourist draws – cheap yet delicious street food.
Visiting her modest restaurant has become a bucket list activity for many travellers, who have read about her in media outlets around the world. Sampling Jay Fai's carefully prepared dishes is not enough for some. Many tourists also want selfies with this inspiring and unique woman, who smiles from behind her famous goggles, sweat streaking down her face.
All of this attention has been both a blessing and a curse. Soon after she received the Michelin star, Jay Fai told me her business had never been stronger. The restaurant was packed to the rafters day after day. But, as rapper The Notorious BIG's song famously states: "More money, more problems".
Along with the accolades, headlines and increased revenue came increasing troubles. Just three months after the Michelin awards, she told me she wished she could return her star, which she viewed as a curse. The publicity associated with it had created unmanageable crowds at her restaurant. Neighbouring businesses were angry with her for creating human clutter outside their premises.
Amid this “circus”, as she described it, Jay Fai claimed she began to get harassed by Thai government auditors, who were demanding money. “None of these problems were here before,” she told me at the time. “Life was simple.”
In 2020, of course, life got a whole lot more complicated for almost every person on the planet. The related nosedive in tourism to Thailand has, in a way, allowed Jay Fai to get back to her roots. Her restaurant is no longer a sideshow. The selfie-obsessed hordes have largely been replaced by courteous food lovers. For Jay Fai, that’s a welcome change.
The main question, now, is how much longer she remains the head chef of Raan Jay Fai. Khun Fai said this was a question both she and her father regularly posed to the passionate cook.
“My mother doesn’t like being asked this,” she told me. “She says she will keep running the restaurant until she can’t physically do it anymore. Until then, she keeps cooking.”
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEjari%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYazeed%20Al%20Shamsi%2C%20Fahad%20Albedah%2C%20Mohammed%20Alkhelewy%20and%20Khalid%20Almunif%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESanabil%20500%20Mena%2C%20Hambro%20Perks'%20Oryx%20Fund%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
September 30
South Africa v Australia
Argentina v New Zealand
October 7
South Africa v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
MATHC INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE’s revised Cricket World Cup League Two schedule
August, 2021: Host - United States; Teams - UAE, United States and Scotland
Between September and November, 2021 (dates TBC): Host - Namibia; Teams - Namibia, Oman, UAE
December, 2021: Host - UAE; Teams - UAE, Namibia, Oman
February, 2022: Hosts - Nepal; Teams - UAE, Nepal, PNG
June, 2022: Hosts - Scotland; Teams - UAE, United States, Scotland
September, 2022: Hosts - PNG; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
February, 2023: Hosts - UAE; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
bundesliga results
Mainz 0 Augsburg 1 (Niederlechner 1')
Schalke 1 (Caligiuri pen 51') Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Miranda og 81')
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Sri Lanka squad for tri-nation series
Angelo Mathews (c), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera, Thisara Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Shehan Madushanka, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan and Wanidu Hasaranga
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000