Cuisine

Chef Pam Crowned World’s Best Female Chef 2025

Thai culinary visionary Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij wins World’s Best Female Chef 2025, redefining progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine at her acclaimed Bangkok restaurant, Potong.

Por: Angela Leon Cervera
World’s Best Female Chef
Chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij. Photo: @prestigeth

When Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij was named World’s Best Female Chef 2025, it wasn’t just a personal triumph—it was a global statement. For the first time in the award’s 14-year history, the title went to an Asian chef, marking a profound shift in the fine dining landscape. At Potong, her Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok’s Chinatown, Pam has elevated progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine into a multi-sensory narrative, weaving her family’s heritage into every plate.

 

From a childhood spent in her family’s century-old herbal pharmacy to training under Jean-Georges Vongerichten in New York, Pam’s journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to her roots. Her story is as much about the evolution of Bangkok’s dining culture as it is about one chef’s ascent to the pinnacle of global recognition.

World’s Best Female Chef
World’s Best Female Chef 2025. Photo: @tasos_mitselis

What Makes Potong’s Progressive Thai-Chinese Cuisine So Distinctive?

Potong is no ordinary fine dining destination—it’s a five-story journey through memory, flavor, and heritage. Housed in the restored herbal pharmacy where her ancestors worked for over 120 years, the restaurant reimagines Thai-Chinese flavors through Pam’s “Five Elements and Five Senses” philosophy: a sensory choreography of acid, texture, aroma, sight, sound, and touch.

 

  • Signature Dishes: The 14-Day Aged Duck with nose-to-tail preparation; a visually poetic Pad Thai reinterpretation; and “A Tale of the Banana Tree,” served with a five-page illustrated comic.

  • Authenticity with Innovation: 80% of ingredients are sourced from Thai producers, with careful use of imports like Chinese caviar to ensure top quality.

  • Narrative Dining: Each course tells a chapter of Pam’s life—merging culinary artistry with storytelling in a way that lingers far beyond the final bite.

World’s Best Female Chef
Chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij. Photo: @restaurant.potong
World’s Best Female Chef
Chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij. Photo: @restaurant.potong

Why Her Win Redefines the World’s Best Female Chef Title

The World’s Best Female Chef award, part of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, celebrates women shaping the future of gastronomy. Past honorees like Janaína Torres, Elena Reygadas, and Leonor Espinosa have all paired culinary mastery with social impact—a legacy Pam continues.

 

Her “Women for Women” scholarship, launched in 2024, offers rural Thai women a fully funded culinary internship at Potong, covering housing, food, and salary. In a profession still dominated by men, Pam’s leadership—90% of her management team are women—demonstrates how excellence and equity can thrive together.

How Pam is Transforming Bangkok’s Fine Dining Scene

Pam’s influence goes beyond awards and Michelin stars. Potong has shifted local dining culture, encouraging Bangkok’s diners to value high-end interpretations of their own culinary heritage. Once, locals would spend lavishly on French or Japanese fine dining; now, they’re booking months in advance for Potong’s tasting menu.

 

This cultural revaluation benefits not only her restaurant but also a new wave of Thai chefs committed to showcasing regional flavors with sophistication and pride.

World’s Best Female Chef
Chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij. Photo: @prestigeth

Pam’s ascent to World’s Best Female Chef 2025 is more than a headline—it’s a recalibration of where the global culinary compass points. She has transformed a historic building into a living storybook of Thai-Chinese heritage, built a platform for women in gastronomy, and redefined Bangkok’s fine dining identity.

 

By grounding innovation in authenticity, she proves that the most powerful flavors often come from looking inward. And as she prepares to launch her next concept, RA-U, Pam’s legacy is only just beginning.

FAQ

  • Who is Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij? A Thai-Australian chef and owner of Potong in Bangkok, known for progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine and multi-sensory dining experiences.
  • What is Potong’s signature dish? The 14-Day Aged Duck, prepared using Chinese techniques, celebrated for its crisp skin and tender, flavorful meat.
  • Why is her award historic? She’s the first Asian chef to be named World’s Best Female Chef in the award’s 14-year history.
  • What is the Women for Women scholarship? A program Pam co-created to provide rural Thai women with a fully funded culinary internship at Potong.
  • Will Potong expand internationally? No—Pam insists there will only ever be one Potong, in its historic Chinatown location.

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