American, Casual chefs, Female chef, Focus, Thai

Hong Thaimee – Celebrity Thai Chef

One of the most celebrated Thai chefs in the US


  • Ranked “Best Thai Food” in New York City
  • Icon of her homeland’s culinary culture
  • Featured on several Tv shows

More Thai chefs here. Other casual Chefs. More Female chefs here.

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Originally from Chiangmai, Thailand, Chef Hong Thaimee is one of the most visible faces of Thai food in the US, and has been bringing her True Thai flavors to an appreciative New York audience for almost a decade.

One of the country’s foremost female chef/restaurateurs, she is also an inspirational speaker, author of a popular cookbook, culinary educator, and global chef ambassador for the AIDS charity (RED).

Chef Hong put aside a successful career as a model and business executive in Bangkok to come to New York. Armed with drive, a Masters degree in business, but little kitchen experience, she talked her way into cooking jobs at Jean-Georges’ Spice Market and Perry Street restaurants, where she mastered classic technique for five years.

She left Jean-Georges in 2012 to open Ngam in the East Village and focus on the Thai flavors of her childhood. The restaurant quickly caught on, and was named Best Thai Food in NYC by The Village Voice in 2013.

Chef Hong has developed substantial catering and education businesses, all driven by her desire and values: to love and serve people, and spread the word about real Thai cuisine. These include cooking classes at the de Gustibus cooking school at Macy’s, New York, and some of the biggest 5 Star hotel brands around the world; and exclusive supper club events for small groups

“True Thai,” Hong’s 2015 cookbook with Rizzoli, showcases her irresistible personality, talent and passion for the unique flavors of Thailand.

Hong can be seen on TV in the US and across Southeast Asia, including a major campaign for Air Asia promoting her in-flight Inspi(RED) burger, new episodes of a Thai cooking series, and appearances on the US Food Network channel.

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