Recently, there have been rumors that famous Bangkok street chef Supinya Junsuta (also known by her nickname Jay Fai) has announced that she has plans to retire and may even close her "legendary" eatery in 2025.
However, in late October, the Bangkok Post reported that chef Supinya Junsuta had dismissed rumors that she would close the restaurant in 2025 to retire. "Even though I'm old, I can still cook 15 hours a day," she said. She had previously been asked by a reporter about her retirement and had replied that she had "some new ideas." The chef said she was planning to visit several countries to promote her dishes, so she had no intention of retiring in the near future.
Ms. Jay Fai is known as the "street food queen" of Thailand.
Supinya Junsuta has reduced Jay Fai’s weekly operating hours from six to four and has repeatedly hinted at retirement. The chef has told Thai media that running the restaurant at the age of 81 is tiring because she has to personally check the quality of ingredients early in the morning every day.
Supinya Junsuta's restaurant located in Phra Nakhok district, Bangkok has maintained 1 Michelin star since 2018. In 2021, Jay Fai also won the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants award and appeared on the Netflix series "Street Food".
She quickly corrected rumors that she was closing the shop to retire.
The most famous dish and also the reputation of the restaurant is the crab egg roll, simply consisting of chicken eggs, beaten with crab meat, then fried and rolled, eaten with raw vegetables and chili sauce. Many tourists have to queue up to 4 hours just to enjoy this dish.
In December 2023, Lisa (Black Pink) came to congratulate Ms. Supinya Junsuta on receiving her 7th consecutive Michelin star.
Her restaurant is famous for the appearance of many famous faces.
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said it would be a shame if the popular street food stall closed. The establishment has long helped Thailand promote its “soft power” through its street food culture. Jay Fai is also known for raising the profile of Thai street food internationally.
Since her daughters will not inherit the business, Supinya Junsuta will share her recipes with others, while moving on to work in other areas of the food industry, such as the collaborative projects she has launched with Korean food companies.
