Chef Somany "Nooror" Steppe is the central person behind the success of the Blue Elephant brand, where Thai heritage cuisine is her driving force.
For more than four decades, chef Nooror has been striving as an ambassador advocating Thai cuisine and culture worldwide. Her motto? "You cannot make good Thai food without good Thai ingredients!"
Having met her business partner and husband, Karl Steppe, while studying in Belgium in the 70s, chef Nooror opened the first Blue Elephant restaurant in 1980 in Brussels with partners Chai Wayno and Somboon Insuri.
When the chef returned to Thailand, she was personal assistant to Ajarn Sisamon, the legendary guru of Thai heritage cuisine. The Blue Elephant Restaurant and Cooking School opened in Bangkok in 2002, followed by a Phuket branch in 2010. The restaurant also has branches in Malta and Copenhagen, Denmark. But that wasn't all.
Chef Nooror's motto played a big role, and the Blue Elephant groups began to make their own spices and curry pastes at the Blue Spice factory. The manufacturing arm of the Blue Elephant group was inaugurated in 2006 and exports products to 45 countries.
Born in Chachoengsao, chef Nooror was ingrained in the culinary world since childhood by her mother and was renowned for her famous heirloom massaman curry paste.
"One of my earliest memories was attempting to make hor mok for my mother," she recalls. "I was about 11 and wanted my mother to be proud of me." The Thai fish soufflé turned out to be awful as chef Nooror forgot to fillet and debone the seabass.
"I am proud of my Thai heritage. Each dish has its own history, and I love creating as much as exploring the palace recipes of different eras or delving into the regional culinary heritage gems," says the chef.
In promoting the "Thai Kitchen To The World" for almost 40 years, chef Nooror was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree from Kasetsart University and a Prime Minister Exporter Award. For over 30 years, she has been recognised as one of Thailand's top chefs.
"I have been operating Thai restaurants in Europe for 45 years and have successfully expanded to multiple locations. Thai cuisine has always been popular. In recent years, the government has actively supported its global recognition through soft power initiatives led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Amazing Thailand campaign. These efforts have significantly enhanced the international visibility of Thai cuisine," the chef told the Bangkok Post.
In 2024, the Officer Of The Order of Leopold honour was conferred upon Chef Nooror for spreading the soft power of Thai cuisine and Thai culture from Belgium to Thailand. The honour is Belgium's oldest and highest honorary order of knighthood. Chef Nooror also holds the title of ambassador to the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer.
Despite wearing many hats, nothing seems to stop the chef. In 2019, she opened Thai Brasserie by Blue Elephant, along with Monkey Pod, restaurants under the same umbrella.
"Thailand has numerous culinary schools within various universities, providing the younger generation with the chance to learn and gain a deeper understanding of Thai cuisine. This strong foundation ensures it will continue to flourish. It will not merely persist but also be passed down and further developed by the new generation, adapting to modern trends while gaining even greater recognition on the global stage," says chef Nooror.