SO/ Hotels are renowned worldwide for avant-garde design, distinctive style and culinary experiences. Behind the brand’s various restaurants lies a wealth of talent, including a growing number of female chefs. These women inspire with their expertise, finesse and dedication, and play a key role in shaping SO/’s culinary profile. With innovative and inspiring female chefs around the world, SO/ is not only redefining hospitality but also playing the future of haute cuisine.
SO/ Maldives opened in November 2023: with two restaurants, a beach club and a bar, every culinary desire is fulfilled on the hotel’s own island. Kanjana Suksrinuan has been a permanent member of the SO/ Maldives culinary team since the opening. As a specialist in ‘Asian Wok’, she creates vibrant and balanced flavours and also demonstrates her versatility through her support in the area of Western cuisine. With her background in food science and nutrition, Kanjana is dedicated to developing contemporary, health-conscious dishes inspired by traditional Asian cuisine. Her culinary approach embodies a harmonious balance of creativity and freshness.
For the chef, who hails from Thailand, Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine is characterised by its rich use of spices and abundance of natural ingredients. Kanjana Suksrinuan says: “As a chef, it is essential to continually discover new things and embrace innovation, with the courage to experiment, in order to create dishes that are both refreshing and appetising. Driven by inspiration and craftsmanship, there is a constant commitment to diversity and creativity in menu development. Through these culinary creations, chefs not only create delicious dishes but also convey to a global audience the cultural heritage behind every cuisine. I hope that this passion continues to flourish and inspires the younger generation to develop their skills and refine their culinary artistry in the years to come.”
SO/ Hotels operates two of its eleven hotels in Thailand – SO/ Bangkok and SO/ Hua Hin, located 170 kilometres from the Thai capital. The chef de partie at the White Oven restaurant is Naiyana Phuengsanoi, known as Chef Na. Chef Na has spent over 20 years in hotel kitchens across Thailand, focusing on what she does best: authentic, honest and flavourful Thai cuisine. Hailing from Phetchaburi, the chef grew up surrounded by local dishes and ingredients, which has naturally shaped her culinary art today. At White Oven, she brings this local perspective to the kitchen, creating Thai dishes that remain true to their roots yet blend effortlessly into the modern resort setting. Chef Na explains her passion: “I simply love seeing people enjoy my food. If they’re happy eating something I’ve prepared, I’m satisfied.”
The flavours Naiyana Phuengsanoi creates are inspired by the kind of food she grew up with: simple, balanced and full of character. The chef brings these local flavours to every dish, blending them naturally into the restaurant’s menu so that everything feels familiar yet fresh. Her style is all about balance: nothing complicated, just good ingredients, authentic flavours and dishes that guests will want to eat again. One of her favourite dishes is the grilled prawn and toddy palm salad. It combines ingredients from across the province, each carefully selected for its flavour and character: toddy palm and palm sugar from Ban Lat, fresh limes from Tha Yang, sea salt from Ban Laem and freshly caught prawns from the waters off Cha-am.
A love of Thai cuisine brings Kanjana Suksrinuan and Naiyana Phuengsanoi together with Lorena Pimentel Cabello, head chef at the Society Club House at the SO/ Sotogrande in Andalusia. Lorena’s favourite dish is Thai ramen. She is a chef who has been passionate about gastronomy since childhood. Lorena trained at the Escuela de Hostelería San Roque and has worked in restaurants and hotels. She specialises in Mediterranean, Japanese, fusion and traditional cuisine. Her approach combines technique, creativity and respect for ingredients, and is characterised by her ability to be innovative without losing the essence of the flavours. Typical for her cuisine is the use of seasonal and regional ingredients and follows a sustainable and mindful approach. Currently, the Spanish chef continues to explore new techniques and trends, whilst always maintaining a unique identity in each of her creations: “Cooking is a way of telling stories. Every dish reflects my roots, my experiences and my emotions, which I want to share with those who taste it.”
Two exceptional culinary talents are at the helm of the kitchen and oven at SO/ Uptown Dubai. Yu Lin is Chef de Cuisine at Citronelle on the first floor of the hotel, the restaurant specialising in modern Asian cuisine. As the hotel’s head pastry chef, Laure Dumas is responsible for managing and designing the entire range of pastries and desserts across all restaurants, as well as for banquets and events. She currently heads the patisserie at SO/ Uptown Dubai, combining French tradition with global inspiration.
Yu Lin was born in Taiwan, where she grew up surrounded by the rich Asian culinary traditions shaped by Taiwan’s multicultural heritage and historical Japanese influence. She developed a passion for blending diverse Asian flavours into an innovative, contemporary cuisine. After studying Western culinary arts at the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality & Tourism, Yu Lin began her culinary career with an internship at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Taipei. She subsequently worked her way up to chef de partie in Michelin-starred kitchens, playing a key role in L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Taipei being awarded first one and then two Michelin stars in 2020. The chef brings in-depth expertise in Pan-Asian and French-inspired cuisine to a luxury dining setting, combining Michelin-worthy discipline with innovative gastronomy and modern plating techniques. Her aim is to create sophisticated culinary experiences that celebrate both tradition and creativity. She is particularly passionate about storytelling through food, with a strong focus on cultural heritage and flavour integrity. This is also evident in Chef Yu Lin’s roasted duck. It is a tribute to patience, precision and poetry, and embodies the spirit of Citronelle. The duck is marinated in 13 carefully selected spices, each carrying its own story and aroma. The addition of Earl Grey tea and a hint of 佛手柑 (Buddha’s Hand) lends the duck an elegant, almost perfumed fragrance that lingers long after the first bite. Served with homemade guava hoisin sauce, enhanced with lemongrass that has been gently sautéed and left to infuse for an hour, this dish unfolds into a symphony of balance: sweet, spicy, with a zesty citrus note and wonderfully crispy. No wonder Yu Lin calls it Citronelle’s speciality – a real favourite and the pride of the restaurant.
Laure Dumas hails from the Rhône-Alpes region of France, which is renowned for its rich culinary and gastronomic heritage. She completed a pastry apprenticeship under chef Hervé Defaye, thereby acquiring a solid foundation in classic French cuisine. To further hone her technical precision and refine her pastry-making techniques, Laure undertook further training with chef Nicolas Pépin in Lyon. After a stint in Hong Kong as a sous-chef, where she discovered South-East Asian flavours and began to incorporate bold and diverse influences into her pastry style, the Frenchwoman continued her career in Dubai, working in leading restaurants and honing her craft in luxury hotels. She has earned a reputation for innovation, precision and the creation of high-quality patisserie in competitive, fast-paced kitchens. Laure pays close attention to detail, as seen in her famous apple and ginger gyoza, and is particularly passionate about artistic expression and the creative process behind dessert design: “I focus on developing contemporary dessert concepts that harmonise artistry, flavour and storytelling. I am naturally curious and a ‘gourmande’, with a deep passion for exploring flavour, texture and culinary creativity.”
Just over 100 kilometres from SO/ Uptown Dubai lies SO/ Ras al Khaimah – the first SO/ all-inclusive resort in the United Arab Emirates, which opened in November 2025. Since January 2026, the hotel has been the culinary home of pastry chef de partie Betul Tosuncuk. Betul’s culinary journey began at home in Turkey, where she learnt to cook from her mother. Growing up in a supportive family environment, Betul was encouraged to pursue her passion for cooking. She began her professional training in the field of luxury Italian à la carte desserts and honed her skills under the guidance of Spanish chef Rafael Charquero, who taught her a wide range of baking and pastry techniques. She later worked in Qatar, where she created bespoke creations for five-star hotels and contributed to productions on a par with two-Michelin-starred restaurants. For the SO/ Ras al Khaimah, Betul developed, among other things, a black hazelnut mousse with gold and a white chocolate, vanilla and lychee dessert. Speaking about the two creations, Betul Tosuncuk says: “In patisserie, precision meets emotion. Every dessert tells a story – not just through flavours, but also through contrasts, textures and balance. For me, creating patisserie is an art form in which technique and creativity come together to evoke a feeling. I chose a black-and-white dessert because contrasts inspire me: the depth and intensity of dark chocolate, paired with the lightness and elegance of white elements, create harmony on the plate. This reflects the balance between boldness and delicacy, richness and freshness. It is this duality that makes a dessert not just beautiful, but unforgettable.”
Austria is internationally renowned for the variety and quality of its sweet treats and desserts, and Vienna is at the heart of this tradition. At SO/ Vienna, patisserie is more of a statement than a sweet finale. The person responsible for this is Annette Fauma, executive pastry chef. A woman who not only creates indulgence but also stages it – somewhere between art, craftsmanship and radical innovation. Annette represents a new generation of female pastry chefs who are consciously breaking down boundaries. Sweet and savoury, classic, floral and experimental, regionally rooted and globally inspired – her creations are an expression of a culinary philosophy that defies categorisation. Her culinary repertoire ranges from wedding cakes and banquet buffets to afternoon tea and the dessert compositions at Das LOFT, Vienna’s iconic rooftop venue with views across the city. The fact that Annette Fauma found her way into the restaurant industry was no coincidence, but, as she herself puts it, “an anatomy of fate”. Growing up in a family where cooking was part of everyday life, and influenced by summers spent on an organic farm, the Viennese chef developed a keen sense of taste, product quality and sustainability from an early age. Yet it was her connection to her mother and to art that shaped her career. Colours, textures, structures – Annette thinks in terms of compositions, not recipes. Her training at the “Hotelfachschule am Judenplatz” took her through renowned establishments such as the Hotel Sacher Vienna, Szilvio Nickol Restaurant and the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, complemented by international training courses from New York to India, where she delved deeply into spices and their origins. Today, Annette heads the patisserie at the SO/ Vienna with a clear vision: uncompromising quality, creative freedom and a deep understanding of ingredients. Annette’s style is characterised by a radical openness to new approaches. Vegetables, herbs, fermentation, alternative sweetening methods – her desserts reflect a cuisine in transition. Instead of refined sugar, she relies on natural processes, such as homemade concentrated fruit syrups made from fruits. Instead of exotic ingredients, the focus is increasingly on regional alternatives – from Austrian rice to pawpaw fruits, which bring mango flavours to local shores. For her, sustainability is not a trend, but a conviction. Close collaboration with producers and a mindful use of resources are integral parts of her work. “In a large establishment, you also have a large footprint – and with that comes responsibility,” says the chef. What sets her work apart is the pursuit of good taste. It is not about following trends, but about constantly reinventing oneself – and creating trends that others will later adopt. “The moment of creating edible art is so real, honest and beautiful, so fleeting and precious. It celebrates life itself. I am a designer who works with food, colours and flavours. I play with flavours – sweet and savoury. In the end, it is always a question of balance. An outstanding dish thrives on that one fleeting moment when flavours, textures and aesthetics merge effortlessly.” This approach is evident in every one of her creations: celery meets rhubarb and sour cream, chocolate meets silken tofu and papaya, classic desserts meet unexpected textures. Her work deliberately navigates the space between traditional techniques and innovation. Whilst she likes to rely on timeless classics for her confectionery, she simultaneously creates entirely new worlds of dessert – right up to multi-course dessert menus featuring blue cheese ice cream and swirled sour cherry brioche, which surprise and challenge guests. Standing still is not an option for Annette. At SO/ Vienna, Annette Fauma is a woman at the helm of the patisserie who stands for a new definition of culinary excellence: self-assured, multidisciplinary and visionary. Her work is a clear commitment to the idea that cuisine today can be more than just a craft – namely an expression of personality, attitude and the spirit of the times. Or, as she herself puts it: “I am not a traditional master confectioner. I am an artist who works with flavour.”
