Restaurant Details

Is there a more exciting restaurant in Philadelphia than Kalaya? Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, the James Beard-winning chef, cookbook author, and Chef’s Table subject makes the case for Southern Thai flavors in the soaring, palm-fringed space of a converted Fishtown warehouse that she opened with the partners behind Suraya and Pizzeria Beddia. Her signature dumplings, shaped into blue flowers and tiny birds, are musts to start, as are the crisply fried mustard chive gui chai cakes. If the uncompromising heat starts to settle in between the chile-fired duck laab and deeply earthy goat and lamb curry, balance your meal with a grilled chicken brushed in sweet coconut-tamarind glaze or a lemongrass-tanged soup (tom yum or poh taek). There are new tasting menu options now, too, that provide perfect examples of how to order a balanced Kalaya meal. Grab a tropical cocktail kissed with galangal, then head for a giant orb of shaved ice drizzled with Thai iced tea and guava syrup, which is like diving into a snowbank for dessert.