Why She’s Interesting: In the past, Wongpeng’s title was “restaurateur” or “owner” or another word that showed that she’s the one in charge at Thai Thai, which Cleveland Magazine readers have repeatedly voted the best Thai restaurant in Cleveland. But the recent culinary school graduate has earned the title of “chef” — and then some.
Lifelong Learner: Though her family has been running restaurants her whole life, neither Wongpeng nor her parents had any training in it. “We still didn’t know the details of the business aside from ‘buy food, buy containers, buy supplies,’” she says, “so I decided I should probably go to school.” In 2022, she earned an associate’s degree in culinary arts from Tri-C; the next year, she completed another degree in restaurant management.
Global Flavors: She specializes in Bangkok street food, but Wongpeng’s culinary repertoire extends beyond Thai cuisine. She loves making Indian curries and all kinds of Mexican food — but especially tamales. “Anything with corn,” she says.
Recognition and Respect: During culinary school, Wongpeng took a class on edible plants and animals native to each region of the U.S. That spurred an interest in and deep appreciation of Indigenous history in the country, which she’s continued to research on her own. “I go down a rabbit hole wanting to know: What do they eat? What did they try?” she says. “I started with food, and now I’m learning about Indigenous medicine. I appreciate the Indigenous people so much."
Mom Life: Wongpeng spends as much time as she can with her kids, ages 9 and 10. “I work a lot, but I spoil them a lot, too,” she says. One Sunday a month, she takes the family out for Korean food, which is their favorite, and they’re learning to grill chicken at home using an electric stovetop.
13: Wongpeng’s age when her family moved from Bangkok to Boston, where she lived until 2005. The whole family settled in Lakewood after she graduated from high school.
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