Bee Satongun
Bongkoch "Bee" Satongun (Thai: บงกช "บี" สระทองอุ่น; 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 brand to neighboring Laos and recently opened a third venue in Australia.[2]
Early life and career[edit]
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.[3]
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,[4] to Bailey's experiences growing up in the Southern Highlands of Australia.[5] She met her husband on one of his earlier research trips to Thailand.[5]
Paste Bangkok[edit]
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.[6] At Paste, dishes represent regional Thai cuisine, taking inspiration from ancient Thai recipes and royal family cookbooks.[3] 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.[7]
In 2018, Paste Bangkok was awarded its first Michelin star in the inaugural Michelin Guide Bangkok.[8] Paste Bangkok retained its one-Michelin-star rating in 2019.[8] As of 2021, it retains its one Michelin star.[8]
Other restaurants and pursuits[edit]
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.[9] Currently, Bailey is working on the development of Paste in Australia.[5]
List of awards[edit]
- Winner of Most-Loved Thai Fine Dining Restaurant by Time Out, 2016[10]
- 10 Best Michelin-rated Restaurants in Bangkok by The Guardian, 2017[11]
- One Michelin star, Michelin Guide Bangkok, 2018,[8] 2019,[8] 2020,[12] 2021[13]
- Thailand Chef Ambassador by Gault & Millau Guide, 2018[14]
References[edit]
- ^ Irvine, Oliver (2017). "Bangkok's first Michelin-star restaurants have been announced". BK. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- ^ Hayes, Helen (August 5, 2020). "The secret restaurant with Michelin cred in Mittagong, NSW". South China Morning Post.
- ^ a b "5 Questions With Bee Satongun On Bangkok's Culinary Scene". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- ^ Chan, Bernice (13 June 2019). "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.
- ^ a b c "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".
- ^ a b c d e Cole, Holly. "Paste – a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant in Thailand". Fine Dining Lovers. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Wichiantanon, Kankanit (12 November 2019). "The winners of The Michelin Guide 2020 Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Phang-Nga".
- ^ "Paste in MICHELIN Guide 2020".
- ^ "Bee Satongun, ambassadrice dans le guide Tasty Thailand du Gault&Millau, également élue meilleure cheffe d'Asie".