A proud Thai-Australian-Chinese chef born and raised in Bangkok, the family’s legacy spans a century in Chinatown, where ‘Pam’ Pichaya Soontornyanakij’s great-grandfather ran a Chinese herbal medicine shop. Today, that same building is home to POTONG, a restaurant where Pam combines heritage and innovation to reimagine Thai Chinese cuisine. In 2011, at the age of 21, Pam became the first youngest chef to be awarded as winner of Asia Youth Hop Cooking by Les Disciples d’Escoffier. In 2012, she was awarded by Her World Magazine “2012 Young Women Of The Year” and with returning to France, she was awarded first runner-up for the globally known contest Young Talent 2012 by Les Disciples d’Escoffier. 2024 Asia’s Best Female Chef, Pam is the first-ever female to receive a Michelin star and Michelin Thailand Opening of the Year Award for Restaurant POTONG. The Michelin Opening of the Year Award was for the successful opening of a dining venue over 12 months, with a creative degustation concept and cuisine approach, which has had an impact on the local gastronomic scene.