The Culinary Force

Growing up in a small town in northern Thailand, Suchanan Aksornnan loved her grandmother's cooking, especially her curry chicken.

It was that same grandmother who gave Aksornnan her earliest cooking lessons. "The first thing I made was Thai chili paste, when I was six or seven," says the head chef and owner of Baoburg, a bustling restaurant that opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2013 and moved to Greenpoint in 2016.

At 15, Aksornnan moved to New York City to join her mother, who ran a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn.

As a boss, the chef-in-training's mother gave her no special treatment. In fact, she actually fired Aksornnan from the restaurant after catching her scooping pineapple chunks from a can with her (gloved) hand rather than a spoon.

Losing her job was the catalyst that kickstarted Aksornnan's personal journey. After a long day applying for kitchen staff positions, she peered in the window of a restaurant in Manhattan's SoHo district and what she saw left her awestruck. "There were all these chefs in starched whites and toques moving gracefully around the kitchen," she says. "It looked like something out of a movie." Aksornnan wanted to be a part of that.

Despite her lack of experience, Aksornnan landed a job at that fancy restaurant, and was given what would become her "power suit"–a white chef's coat and toque. It was in that kitchen that she first observed chefs cooking French cuisine and decided to enroll in culinary school.

As one of three women in a kitchen filled with at least 15 or 20 men, Aksornnan constantly faced unwanted scrutiny and comments about being too weak or too young to take the heat. "You can't run away from it," she says. Instead, she kept busy and demonstrated the toughness she'd learned from her mother. Then, one day, when a co-worker didn't show up, Aksornnan offered to fill in. "I always observed him, so I knew what ingredients he put in his dishes." When her colleagues saw that she was both flexible and a quick study, they began to show her more respect.

Coming from a family of strong women, Aksornnan (who goes by Chef Bao Bao, which is Chinese for baby) wanted to fullfill her vision by opening Baoburg in 2013. The vibe of the small Greenpoint eatery, much like the Brooklyn neighborhood in which it's housed, is informal and experimental. The food? Sublime.

On any given day, Aksornnan, now 32, can be found cooking in the kitchen, greeting customers or taking care of any problems–big or small–that arise. "I live one block from the restaurant, which is a plus," she says. "If someone doesn't show up for work or there's an issue, I will be there. Owning a business is a 24/7 job."

The kitchen at Baoburg has a vibe that's both playful and respectful, with Bao Bao and her culinary team of three women and two men singing along to heavy metal and soft rock while preparing dishes that include Grandma's Chicken Over Rice.

Now Aksornnan calls the shots about everything from the menu to what she wears on the job. Her chef's coat is a source of pride. "Every time I wear it, I feel respected," she says. Her power suit and position as executive chef motivate her to mentor other women in the business.

"In my culture, women are in charge of the kitchen," she says. With leaders like her paving the way, more female chefs than ever are showcasing their talent and serving it up for others to enjoy.