Presenters

Chai Siriyarn

Chai Siriyarn is the chef-owner of Marnee Thai Restaurant, which has two locations in San Francisco and has been among the Zagat Survey’s Top Thai Restaurants in the city for the past 15 years.  Bangkok born and bred, Chef Chai grew up in a culinary family and spent his childhood steeped in the restaurant business.  Having learnt to cook at his mother’s knee (herself a master chef of Central Thai cuisine) Chef Chai determined not only to continue in his family’s craft, but to extend its reach to the United States.  Chef Chai’s culinary accolades include winning the grand prize in the Los Angeles Pad Thai Festival contest in 2000, and earning the “Thailand Super Chef Award” in 2003.  He was also named “International Chef of the Year” by the Awards of the Americas in New York City in 2001.  Chef Chai was a guest chef to the Royal Thai Embassy at a tsunami relief fundraising event held in Washington, DC.  He has also been a guest chef at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone campus since 2000 and is the author of “Thai Cuisine Beyond Curry”, which includes his over 30 years of cooking experience.