Loading page
Aug 13, 2025 · 1 min read
What happens when a Chopped Champion comes home? Not for rest. Not for nostalgia. But for reinvention.
Chef Suchanan Aksornnan — aka Chef Bao Bao — has returned to where it all began: her mother’s Thai restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen. But this is no ordinary homecoming. This is a full-blown culinary takeover.
“It just felt like it was time — like the kitchen was calling me home. I’m a third-gen chef, raised on grandma’s recipes and my mom’s hustle. This ain’t just about food — it’s about family legacy. I’m taking everything I learned, flipping it with my own twist, and making sure our story keeps cooking.”
After years in NYC’s high-stakes kitchens and under the spotlight of national TV, Chef Bao Bao is putting her signature spin on Chai Kitchen — blending her Chiang Rai roots with unapologetic New York edge. The result? A restaurant reborn.
Chef Bao Bao’s culinary journey reads like a dream. She trained at the French Culinary Institute, worked under legendary chefs Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Daniel Boulud, and went on to found the cult-favorite Baoburg in Brooklyn. She was named one of Zagat’s “30 Under 30”, won Food Network’s Chopped, and even beat Bobby Flay on national television.
But through all the acclaim, her roots never left her.
“This isn’t your average Thai joint. We’re Chinese-Thai fusion, but not the basic kind. My first-generation great-grandfather was Chinese, so this combination lives in my blood. We’re not just doing fusion to be cute. This is how I grew up eating. Every dish has a story, and I’m telling mine — loud, proud, and with extra garlic & chili.”
Under Chef Bao Bao’s direction, it’s anything but ordinary.
“First thing I did? Flipped the menu. Old menu was too quiet. I made it loud and a little wild. I didn’t just update the menu — I gave it a personality and gave the whole spot a vibe check. Just how I like it.”
Her menu fuses bold Thai flavors with playful Chinese twists. And if two dishes scream Chef Bao Bao, it’s the Drunken Crab Curry Fried Rice and the Peking Duck Rolls. The first is a fiery, indulgent stir-fry of jumbo lump crab, scallions, Thai basil, and peas, laced with her house curry chili blend, and crowned with an oozy fried egg and ikura — rich, unapologetic, and full of swagger. The second? Delicate fresh rolls stuffed with roasted duck, tofu, crunchy veg, and five-spice hoisin — a little refined, a little bold, and pure Bao Bao.
From there, the menu only gets deeper. For those craving comfort with a twist, the Violet Blossom Peanut Dumplings are a purple-hued vegan dream — silky ube rice crepes filled with caramelized onions, salted turnip, and peanuts, finished with a coconut drizzle and a flicker of chili oil. The Chiang Mai Noodles offer a soulful nod to her roots, with braised chicken in creamy yellow curry broth and egg noodles, layered with the tang of pickled cabbage.
Heat-seekers should head straight for the Szechuan Chicken, where crispy diced chicken is tossed with lotus root, cashews, and numbing chili — a Thai-Chinese firecracker. Or try the Mala Wings, marinated, fried, and absolutely drenched in chili oil, garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame. They're fiery, funky, and messy.
“Flavor. Soul. Originality,” Chef Bao Bao says. “If a dish doesn’t slap — it’s out. I’m not here to play safe. I want every bite to say, ‘Damn, that hit different.’”
The menu also makes space for fun and nostalgia. Sai Oua Bao brings Northern Thai sausage into soft, pillowy buns — juicy, herby, and deeply personal. The Afro Crab Rangoon flips the classic on its head with mozzarella, crab meat, and delicate net wrapping served with sweet plum sauce — creamy, crispy, and unapologetically extra.
“The flavor levels are no joke,” she says. “Real spice. Real ingredients. Real stories behind the food. And yeah, the plating’s on point — but it still feels like you’re eating at your cool auntie’s house. The one who travels a lot and throws wild dinner parties.”
And then there’s dessert — but not just any dessert. Chef Bao Bao’s personal favorite is Thai Chili Choc Mousse: layered with dates, caramelized banana, cacao nibs, pecan tuile, ginger cookie crumbs, and toasted coconut. It's rich and textured — just like everything else on the menu, it tells a story.
So what ingredient defines her cooking? It’s not just a flavor — it’s a mindset.
“Spices. Period,” she says. “They’re loud, layered, a little unpredictable — just like me. I don’t do boring.”
Chef Bao Bao’s return isn’t about playing it safe or repeating the past. It’s about rewriting the rules. By taking over her mother’s kitchen, she’s creating a space where Thai-Chinese tradition meets bold innovation, where family recipes evolve without losing soul, and where a daughter’s vision gives her family legacy a second life.
If her younger self back at Baoburg could see her now?
“She’d probably smirk and go, ‘Took you long enough.’ But deep down? She’d be proud,” Chef Bao Bao reflects. “I’ve kept the fire, found my voice, and turned all that chaos into something beautiful.”
Chef Bao Bao is back. Not just home, but in charge. And the NYC food scene is better for it.
📍 Chai Kitchen
📌 Hell’s Kitchen, New York City
📷 Follow @chaikitchennyc
#ChefChaCha #EveryThai