Food has been the predominant factor throughout Nooror Somany Steppe’s life. Growing up in Chachoengsao 80km east of Bangkok, she was the youngest of seven children of a father who owned a series of slaughter houses and mother who was a talent in the kitchen and known for her curry pastes. From an early age Nooror was enlisted to perform odd kitchen jobs. “One of my earliest memories is of attempting to make the Thai fish souffle hor mok for my mother,” she recalls. “I was about 11 and so wanted her to be proud of me.” The souffle turned out to be awful because “I forgot to fillet and remove the bones from the seabass!”
When Nooror was 17 one of her older brothers who was studying hotel management in Brussels got a job working for an antique dealer. Wanting to see the world, Nooror followed him to Belgium and ended up working for the same antique business, helping out…
