3 Philly restaurants, including Kalaya, named among 50 best in North America

Kalaya, Friday Saturday Sunday and Royal Sushi & Izakaya were recognized among the best in North America by a group of 300 chefs, restaurateurs, journalists and gourmets.

Kalaya ranked seventh on the 50 Best brand's inaugural list of "North America's 50 Best Restaurants," which evaluated restaurants in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Friday Saturday Sunday ranked 16th and Royal Sushi & Izakaya was 32nd. Kalaya's owner Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon was named North America's best female chef.

MORE: Tria opens Rittenhouse event space that will host wine-tastings and classes taught by sommeliers

The 50 Best list is published by the United Kingdom media company William Reed, which is known for publishing annual editions of the "World's 50 Best Restaurants." Restaurants from Mexico, Central America and a few Caribbean countries, including Cuba and the Dominican Republic, are included in the company's list of "Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants."

Kalaya was recognized for its "imaginative Thai cooking with reams of charisma" and ability to elevate Thai food to an upscale dining experience in its luxe warehouse in Fishtown. Its $98 tom yum soup, bird-shaped dumplings and tamarind-glazed pork chop stood out to the experts who compiled 50 Best's list, but Suntaranon particularly drew their praise.

"As beautiful and evocative as Kalaya's ambiance is, the most luminous part of it is Suntaranon herself," 50 Best's entry reads. "She's the charisma magnet that powers the whole restaurant, as comfortable handling a searing hot wok as a Birkin bag, she understands hospitality is about making guests feel special."

Suntaranon spent three decades as a flight attendant before opening the first iteration of Kalaya in 2019 in a small space in the Italian Market. She was 50 at the time and named the restaurant after her mother, who sold curry pastes while raising Suntaranon in southern Thailand.

Within its first year, Kalaya won the James Beard Award for best new restaurant. This year, it was named a James Beard semifinalist for outstanding restaurant. Suntaranon also was named to the Time100 list, garnering praise for her "wild, whimsical" nature.

"Kalaya is a place where every detail is deeply personal," Suntaranon said in a statement. "I named the restaurant after my mother. This restaurant was built with love and pride to preserve the flavors and memories of my childhood. I'm so grateful to my team and partners who work tirelessly to deepen their understanding of Southern Thai food and culture and, in turn, share that passion with guests."

Friday Saturday Sunday, an American restaurant in Rittenhouse, was lauded for its infusion of classic French technique with African diaspora influences and for its Lovers Bar's "extraordinary" cocktail menu. Earlier this year, head bartender Paul MacDonald was named among the most innovative bartenders in the country by Wine Enthusiast.

Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Queen Village, was recognized for its casual but energetic atmosphere and nigrini entrees prepared with "texturizing knifework as fine as calligraphy."