Street-food queen Jay Fai not ready to hang up her wok yet

Photo: AFP

Thailand’s iconic street-food chef has rejected rumours she is set to close her Michelin-starred restaurant, but at 81 years old, Jay Fai's reign may be coming to an end.

Located on Maha Chai Road in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district, Jay Fai's simple shophouse eatery made global headlines when it won a Michelin star in 2018.

It has retained the world's most prestigious culinary award ever since, attracting global superstars like Ed Sheeran and Thailand’s K-pop princess Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban despite the absence of air-conditioning to protect diners against Thailand’s sweltering heat.

File photo : jayfaibangkok instagram

Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba and one of China’s richest tycoons, popped in for a meal and posed for selfies with Jay Fai.

Jay Fai, whose real name is Supinya Junsuta, has become an international "face" for Thai food, recognised across the world. She was appointed honorary ambassador of the 2023-2024 Korea-Thailand Mutual Visit Years earlier this year.

Her eatery, best known for its iconic crab omelette, even earned her the chance to hold hands with hearthrob Park Bo-gum – a dream held by fans of Korean drama across the world.

So what about the rumours that she might be about to hang up her wok?

“I’m not retiring any time soon though,” Jay Fai declared recently. “I still have the energy to continue cooking.”

Photo: AFP

But despite her insistence, dedicated fans will note that she has been scaling back operations. After closing only on Sundays for the past four decades, her restaurant is now open just four days a week – Wednesday through Saturday from 9am to 7.30pm.

“I wake up early to check the ingredients and then I’m on my feet all day cooking,” she said, adding she was determined to keep running her eatery despite having her hands full with other projects, including abroad in countries like South Korea.

From tailor to food legend

Jay Fai is neither the famous chef's name nor her real nickname. Instead, it means “Sister Mole”, a reference to the prominent feature on her now globally recognisable face.

Surprisingly, cooking was not her childhood passion or even her initial career choice. After completing primary school, she decided to learn tailoring, and then opened her own tailors shop.

However, she fell victim to a growing trend for ready-to-wear clothes, and her business failed to take off.

She gave up tailoring and began working at her parents’ noodle shop. There, she refined her cooking skills and introduced premium seafood dishes to the menu.

Over time, the family eatery has expanded beyond noodles to offer a wide variety of dishes.

With her signature goggles, huge wok and charcoal-fire stove, Jay Fai has created a menu of dishes that has rocked the culinary world. The star is her famous crispy golden crab omelette, priced at a cool 1,400 baht.

Though Jay Fai had long been known as the “queen of Thai street-food”, her fame soared to new heights with the award of a Michelin star.

The globe's most prestigious culinary award, which she has maintained for seven consecutive years, saw her fan base explode both in Thailand and overseas.

In 2021, she became the first street-food vendor to win the World’s 50 Best website's Icon Award.

The following year, she was named in Forbes’ list of Asia's 50 outstanding women aged over 50, joining luminaries including WHA Group chair and cofounder, Jareeporn Jarukornsakul.

A lasting legacy

Despite hints that her restaurant is winding down, there are no signs that Jay Fai is set to step down from the culinary stage.

Earlier this month, she was busy cooking up delicacies at the “International Chef’s Day: The Living Legend Chefs Charity Brunch for UNHCR”.

Her eager involvement in events like these also demonstrates that she has no intention to keep her recipes to herself.

Even if retirement does beckon, it is likely that Jay Fai will generously share her Michelin-starred culinary secrets with anyone who enjoys cooking as much as she does.