Jay Fai has been a local legend for decades. But the award of a Michelin Star has made her into an overnight celebrity.

The 72-year-old usually opens her shop at around 3pm. But these days, no matter how early you get to Mahachai Road, you'll find a long line of people waiting for a seat. An army of customers stand in front of the kitchen and tables, hoping to catch a glimpse of the "omelette queen" herself.

A week after the unveiling of Michelin Guide Thailand, this old-town eatery, which was the only street-side venue to be awarded a star, attracts a diverse crowd of foodies, bloggers, curious onlookers and critics. Now you can even add the officials from the Revenue Department to the list.

In the small alley adjacent to the restaurant, a square table has been laid out, officials discuss pricing and revenues with Jay Fai's husband over cold drinks.

"It's because of all the media attention," he says. "Suddenly, the Revenue Department became interested in who we are and how much we make," he adds with some anxiety.

"For years and years, I've been struggling to keep this business afloat. Now that we've been singled out and interviewed by journalists, they're coming at us," Jay Fai complains.

But she has little time to be preoccupied by these matters. She cooks for a growing number of customers, some of whom have been waiting for over an hour.

Jay Fai is just as interesting as her cuisine. Petite, she wears a balaclava and ski goggles to protect herself from the oil. She shows superhuman energy, preparing one crab omelette after the other.

So how does she feel to be awarded a Michelin star?

"I wish I could give it back," she replies.

Jay Fai took over the business from her father, who started it nearly 70 years ago.

In recent years, as the economy declined, she attracted fewer and fewer customers due to her high prices. She could often be seen napping in the afternoon. Today, she hardly has time to breathe.

"She seems fine now, but in the evenings, she slows down and gets tired easily," Jay Fai's daughter Varisa Junsuta explains.

Her famous dishes are prepared using ingredients that could easily find their way into the kitchens of fine dining restaurants.

A single dish with abalone could easily end up costing 10,000 baht, but most of her customers come for her signature crab omelette (800 baht) or seafood rad naa noodles (400 baht).

Since being awarded the Michelin star, Jay Fai hasn't raised her prices but she has stopped offering several dishes that used to be on the menu.

"They take too long to prepare. With the number of customers we have, it's impossible to keep up," her daughter says. 

Currently, it seems as though every single person in the room has a crab omelette in front of them.

"The ingredients are so fresh and Jay Fai herself is so generous that it's really worth the price," says one customer.

The food may be worth the price, but is it worth the wait?

Jumpol, an old customer at Jay Fai's, enquires about availability but waves sadly, saying he won't be waiting.

"I used to come often for Jay Fai's noodles. I'm really happy for her success. But the queue is too long," he adds before leaving.

The success is such that Jay Fai's family members -- sister, husband, daughters -- are running around the tiny restaurant to meet the needs of each customer.

"Next year, my sister will leave her job to come and help us," Varisa says.

"It's been great so far, but at the end of the day, we just want to continue selling food like before."