Business Daily Meets: Thailand's Chef Pam

BBC World Service | Host: Gideon Long | October 2, 2025

Overview

In this episode of Business Daily meets, host Gideon Long visits Bangkok’s Chinatown to meet Pichaya Sunton Yanakid, better known as Chef Pam. Recently awarded the title of "Best Female Chef in the World" by 50 Best, Chef Pam is not only breaking boundaries for Asian women in global cuisine but also pioneering a unique vision for Thai-Chinese gastronomy. The episode dives into her personal journey, the challenges of running a renowned restaurant, and her commitment to representing Thailand’s culinary heritage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chef Pam's Background and Culinary Roots

• Family & Heritage:

  • Chef Pam has a mixed heritage (Chinese, Thai, and some Australian), with culinary traditions deeply rooted in her family.
  • Learned to cook from her mother, who transitioned from a broker to a full-time housewife and home cook.
  • “I learned cooking from my mom…She would go to the market, buy ingredients, and then come back home and cook for the family… I always go to the market, come home, and the kitchen.” (03:00)

• First Forays into Cooking:

  • Started cooking at age 10-12, with her parents as her "guinea pigs."
  • Early encouragement to cook for her mother’s friends fostered her passion and confidence.
  • “I remember my first dish that I cooked for my mom was stir fried noodles. I was very proud and very excited as a young kid able to feed an adult.” (03:24)

• Culinary Education and Return:

  • Studied at the Culinary Institute of America in the US—a transformative experience that broadened her perspective.
  • Opened her first restaurant in her parents’ house, leading to amusing family memories (her parents climbing in through a window due to the dining room being used). (04:35)

2. Thai-Chinese Cuisine & Philosophy at Potong

• Defining Thai-Chinese Cuisine:

  • Chef Pam views "Thai-Chinese" as a distinct subset within Thai cuisine, shaped by historical migration and cultural fusion.
  • Aims for her restaurant Potong to be not just a place to eat, but a spiritual journey through her heritage:
    • “Dining can happen in a very spiritual level. And I want people to feel…like traveling back in time and traveling back into my memories and my heritage.” (05:09)

• Ingredient Sourcing & Local Economy:

  • Sources premium ingredients from across Thailand—rice from the north, seafood from the south, and produce according to season. Dry goods and Chinese herbs are bought locally in Chinatown.
  • “We source our ingredients from around Thailand. Rice from the north and from the south we get all the seafood, which is amazing… dry spices and Chinese herbs…steps away from here.” (06:03-06:48)

3. Tour of Bangkok’s Chinatown Market

• Market Walk & Food Culture:
  • Chef Pam guides Gideon Long through vibrant market stalls, sharing insights on traditional ingredients:
    • Fish maw (dried swimming bladder of fish) and dried scallops as delicacies
    • Unique fruits used for tea and health
    • Culturally important foods like roast duck used for ancestor offerings (07:30–09:01)
  • Tasting old-school snacks, coconut sugar treats, and Chinese almond milk—highlighting the intersection of taste, memory, and tradition.
    • “This is a very old school almond milk, Chinese almond milk…It’s almond milk made from Chinese almond, which has a very different aroma and taste.” (10:23)

4. Building Potong: Family, Business, and Heritage

• Renovation & Investment:

  • Founded Potong as a passion project with significant personal and family financial risk (over $1 million on renovation).
  • “We sold everything, sold the gold, and kind of like bet our lives on this project…The rest…comes from my dad. He’s the investor.” (14:32)

• Historical Significance of the Building:

  • Potong operates in the refurbished ancestral home built by her Chinese forebear over 120 years ago, originally a Chinese medicine shop.
  • The tour showcases preserved architectural details—original ceilings, wall scripts, living quarters, and influences from Portuguese traders.
    • “So when we opened this up, I was really, I fell in love with the building because you can see all the details.” (15:11–15:23)

5. Restaurant Operations & Business Mindset

• Business Challenges:

  • Chef Pam candidly shares the leap between great cooking and successful restaurant management, crediting her husband as the business manager who handles operations and strategy.
    • “There’s so many great chefs that cook fabulous food. But not all chef can run a successful and positive restaurant. And that’s the hard part.” (18:04)

• Overcoming Skepticism:

  • Opened Michelin-starred Potong in an unconventional location—Bangkok’s Chinatown—with many doubting it would attract high-end diners.
    • “Many people were very skeptical…there’s no market for people who want to pay $180 for a meal.” (18:28)
  • Winning a Michelin star was a major milestone and motivator for the team:
    • “It’s a big milestone for me. And it’s also kind of like a motivation for all of us to push for the second star.” (18:53)

• Pricing, Marketing, and Expansion:

  • Tasting menu is ~$180 per person, averaging $200-250 per guest with drinks.
  • Emphasizes the importance of embedding a marketing budget; word-of-mouth alone isn’t enough. (19:19)
  • Open to future international expansion but only when ready: “We never close any doors.” (19:54)

6. Values and Leadership in the Kitchen

• Hiring Philosophy:

  • Chef Pam prioritizes attitude and dedication over skill when hiring.
  • “Skills you can always teach, but attitude you cannot teach anyone.” (20:28)

• Attachment to Place & Legacy:

  • Deep emotional connection to Potong and its location—this is where Chef Pam feels most authentic and inspired.
  • “The food here is from my soul and from my inspiration. So I cannot be anywhere else apart from Potong.” (20:53)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Family, Food, and Identity:

  • “My mom is 100% Chinese by blood…My father, he’s half Chinese and half Australian, but grew up in Thailand.” (02:37)
  • “I was very proud and very excited as a young kid able to feed an adult. That’s what sparked me to want to be a chef.” (03:24)

• On Culinary Philosophy:

  • “I want people to feel when they step into Potong, it’s like traveling back in time and traveling back into my memories and my heritage.” (05:09)

• On Risk and Entrepreneurship:

  • “We sold everything…bet our lives on this project.” (14:32)
  • “Doing business…there’s no right or wrong because it’s a business that varies from different situation to different situation and from different countries.” (17:37)

• On Authenticity and Place:

  • “This is my place and my ground. The food here is from my soul and from my inspiration.” (20:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:09] — Introduction to Chef Pam and her accolades
• [03:24] — Early cooking experiences and familial influences
• [05:09] — Chef Pam explains Thai-Chinese cuisine’s significance
• [06:03–07:00] — Sourcing ingredients and the local Chinatown connection
• [07:18–09:01] — Market tour: unique ingredients and cultural practices
• [13:49] — Discussing the business realities of opening Potong
• [14:49–17:25] — Walking through the historic Potong building
• [18:28] — Facing skepticism and the role of the Michelin star
• [19:04] — Restaurant economics and marketing approach
• [20:28] — Leadership and staff hiring philosophy
• [20:53] — Chef Pam on why Potong is irreplaceable for her

Conclusion

The episode paints a vivid portrait of Chef Pam as a visionary, both deeply rooted in her family’s past and boldly charting a new course for Thai cuisine. Listeners gain insight into the challenges and rewards of achieving culinary excellence, the significance of place and heritage, and the business acumen required to thrive at the highest level. Chef Pam’s journey is a testament to passion, resilience, and the enduring power of food to tell personal and national stories.