Kalaya
Pennsylvania
Kalaya brings southern Thai cooking to West Palmer Street in Philadelphia. Chef-owner Chutatip 'Nok' Suntaranon named the restaurant after her mother, whose market stall in Trang helped shape her approach to food. Opened in 2019, it builds meals around fragrant curries, dumplings, wok-fried dishes and herb-led salads designed for sharing. Its repertoire includes flower-shaped chicken dumplings, crisp garlic-chive rice cakes and duck salad with herbs and crunchy skin. Curries range from goat and lamb with toasted coconut to crab with sea beans and lime leaf. Grilled meats and whole fish extend the selection, while cocktails and alcohol-free drinks use ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal, coconut and Thai tea.