Portrait of Duangjai “Kitty” Thammasat
i. Biography
Duangjai “Kitty” Thammasat is the chef and owner of Ayada Thai in Elmhurst, Queens, an authentic Thai restaurant that opened in 2008 and became known for its regional Thai cooking rather than Americanized Thai dishes. She later expanded Ayada to Chelsea Market in Manhattan, where she spent at least the first year working in the new location while family members helped cover the original restaurant. She has been described in major coverage as the restaurant’s chef/proprietor and as cooking a style rooted in central and northeastern Thailand.
