Kalaya Owner “Nok” Defends Her $95 Tom Yum Soup

Nok, the owner of the Fishtown Thai restaurant Kalaya, pictured with Titi / Photograph by Michael Persico

On April 10, 2019, the Thai scene in the entire Philadelphia region was upended when a woman known as Nok opened Kalaya, a tiny restaurant in South Philadelphia. Five years later, Kalaya is now in a much larger space in Fishtown, where the restaurant has drawn national accolades. Here, Nok gives us some insight into what makes her tick.

My full name is … Chutatip Suntaranon. “Chutatip” means “crown jewel.” And my family name was given to us by the king long ago. We ruled the village since the olden days. It’s a very renowned name.

But you can call me … “Nok,” which means “bird.” My mother called me “Louk Nok” — little bird — because I was always hungry and standing there with my mouth open.

Lots of people mispronounce the name of my restaurant Kalaya,­ but … I speak English with a broken accent, so you can speak Thai with a broken accent.

I grew up in … Trang, a small province in southern Thailand. Everybody knows each other. I could never misbehave.

These days, I live in … Queen Village.

I met my husband … when I was a flight attendant and Ziv was a passenger on a flight from Bangkok to New York. We had a global relationship for two years. We married in 2008. He’s a Wharton professor.

If you’re wondering who the dog is on my Instagram page … that’s Titi, my prince. Titi is half Pomeranian and half paper-shredder.

When somebody asks me if the food at Kalaya is spicy … I tell them that rolling my eyes is my best exercise. No one has ever died.

When somebody asks if they can request less spicy … I roll my eyes … again. And then I don’t speak.

The most expensive item on the menu at Kalaya is … the tom yum, at $95. But it’s actually not expensive. I fill the tom yum with seafood. If people can buy a raw seafood tower for $125, they can certainly pay for my tom yum.

My first job in life was … helping my mom in the food market. So I smelled like shrimp paste every day.

I decided to open Kalaya because … I wasn’t thinking. And I needed a hobby.

I moved the restaurant from South Philly to Fishtown because … bigger is better. I added 126 seats, most of which are filled all the time. Last weekend, we had 946 people on the waiting list.

If you want to learn to cook Thai … buy my cookbook, which should be out by the end of the year.

I buy most of my clothes at … Issey Miyake. But also NINObrand, Kin Boutique on Pine Street, and Wayward Collection in my neighborhood.

One thing I miss about doing business in South Philly is … my neighbors. I miss my friends in the Italian Market. And I miss places like Claudio’s and Esposito’s.

The chances of my ever opening another­ restaurant in Philly are … very slim. But opening Kalaya elsewhere is possible.

In 10 years, I hope to be … retired. Opened this restaurant at the age of 50!

The only person I let touch my hair is … Erin at Whirligig. Well, and Judy Tran at Omnia Spa. She sets it just perfect.

The second-best place to get Thai food is … my home kitchen.

When I’m not craving Thai, I’m wanting … Italian at Fiorella, Palizzi and Zeppoli. I get all of it.

One restaurant trend I’m tired of is … “New American,” or “Progressive American.” That’s what you call something when you don’t know what to call it.

Something that sets the Philly restaurant scene apart is … hospitality. Compared to other cities, we are very real. Not pretentious.

I’m usually in bed by … 11:30, but it takes me a couple hours to fall asleep. My job requires so much energy that I still have that rush when I get home. I understand why substance abuse is a big problem in this industry. It’s a difficult lifestyle.

If I weren’t doing this, I would probably be … a housewife. I loved being a housewife. It’s the best job. Pays very well.

Published as “One of Us: Nok” in the April 2024 issue of Philadelphia magazine.