Lee grew up in Hat Yai, a vibrant city in Southern Thailand where food was always at the center of life. Her parents were performers in a traveling opera, so from an early age she took charge of cooking for her younger siblings. She learned not just to feed a family, but to create meals that brought comfort and joy.

Her neighbor’s plantation became her second classroom. There, Lee picked vegetables, herbs, and fruits straight from the ground, discovering the magic of cooking with ingredients that were alive with freshness. This early connection to the land shaped her lifelong love of bold flavors and honest food.

At 35, Lee moved to Los Angeles. Before that, she had worked in Bangkok as a newspaper reporter and later in marketing, but food kept calling her back. She launched a food truck, Sanook Soi 38, named after Bangkok’s famous late-night food street. For five years she cooked tirelessly from that truck, winning recognition from DineLA as one of the city’s top food trucks.

Today, Lee’s dream has taken root in West Los Angeles. Her restaurant, Sanook Soi 38, is a chic, minimalist space where she shares the flavors she grew up with. Each dish carries a piece of her journey—from the bustling streets of Bangkok to the plantations of Hat Yai, and now to the tables of Los Angeles.

For Lee, food is not just cooking. It’s memory, family, and the joy of making people feel at home.