Passion Thailand
Sitting down, if only for a moment, with Sandrine Pally and Yuttakan Pongkunsup is more effective than any spiritual awakening session deep in the Vercors mountains. An incredible energy emanates from this enchanting duo. It’s on the terrace of Suahoy, their second restaurant, that we take the time to talk about the world of cooking, to listen to their life paths – which began in the teeming streets of Bangkok for Yuttakan and in the Geneva countryside for Sandrine – and finally to discover two personalities that fate had the good idea of bringing together. While highlighting some of their differences, the thread of the discussion reveals the complementary nature of this pairing who, in the space of a few years, have managed to rekindle the flame of Thai cuisine in Geneva.
© Suahoy
Military camp
It’s hard to hide Yuttakan Pongkunsup’s smile, so sunny and jovial is the character. Good humor is his trademark, enabling him to move through life with lightness and a certain almost childlike innocence. A little more reserved, Sandrine seems to be the sensible part of the couple, but is just as endearing as her husband. Discreetly, but with a hefty dose of savoir-faire and masterful knowledge of the trade, they both seduce their guests with rice sautéed with crab, beef entrecôte known as “Le Tigre qui pleure”, clams with sweet pepper jam or lamb mouse confit overnight, accompanied by its massaman curry.
The grandson of a pastry chef, Yuttakan used to sample his grandmother’s sweet creations in the bustling streets of the South Asian capital. “I still remember tasting her sweet delights sitting on a newspaper in the house. I’m glad I grew up like that,” recalls the cook. The son of a soldier, the young boy grew up in an army camp in the Thai countryside. It was an experience that forged his character without detracting from his disconcerting joie de vivre. A thousand miles away, Sandrine spent her childhood in the countryside… of Geneva. The great-granddaughter of a hotelier, she quickly cultivated a sense of service and hospitality. Fascinated by world cuisine, her parents introduced her to Asian cuisine. It was during her second internship at theÉcole Hôtelière de Glion that she discovered Bangkok and met the man who would turn her life upside down.
© Suahoy
Love at first sight
Before he conquers his sweetheart’s heart, the aspiring chef leaves his hometown for Paris, where he discovers the culinary world of a typical French bistro. While he fell under the spell of French gastronomic culture, he also realized that he had to prove himself. “In addition to rigor and technique, I learned to worship and respect the product. Whatever the cultural origin of a dish, I like its traditional side. On the other hand, I don’t like fusion cuisine,” he reveals. On his return to Bangkok, he joined the brigade at the
Initially, Geneva was not on the couple’s radar, but Sandrine’s charm persuaded her beloved to come to the shores of Lake Geneva. “We didn’t have any specific career plans, but our priority was to be together,” admits Sandrine. After some experience in a major hotel, the path to entrepreneurship began to take shape. The Soï restaurant was the first to open its doors in the heart of the Pâquis district. Success was not long in coming, and to this day the two partners continue to be surprised by the response. Despite the vagaries of the health crisis, they stayed the course and opened Suahoy, their second business not far from Geneva University Hospital. “From the outset, we didn’t want to offer Europeanized Thai cuisine. On the contrary, our dishes are a true reflection of Thai gastronomy,” Sandrine reminds us. How not to succumb…!
