Jay Fai, Thailand's Queen of Crab Omelettes, Wins Asia's Icon Award
Bangkok's street food queen, Jay Fai, was given the Icon Award for 2021 by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, the organization said.
The 76-year old hawker whose real name is Supinya Junsuta was chosen by a 300-plus member body of culinary experts from across the continent. She is recognized as the "street food queen with a devotion to quality produce".
"From humble beginnings on Bangkok's streets, she has become a recognizable face in world gastronomy and this year she is deservedly honoured with the Icon Award – Asia," it said.
In 2018, Jay Fai rose to worldwide popularity from Bangkok's streets when her seven-table, open-air restaurant became the first and only street food stall in Thailand to earn a Michelin Star.
Her story's appearance in Netflix's Street Food Asia showcased her innovative takes on traditional street food, such as khai jiao poo (crab omelette), dry tom yum, and pad kee mao talay (drunken noodles with seafood).
"A cook who puts produce first and relies on backbreaking technique to produce the quality of dish that she insists on, Jay Fai is a worthy winner of the Icon Award for Asia 2021," said the award-giving body.