Budina Pan Asian Cuisine

Mali Lumsum is the head chef and owner of Budina. She was born in the small village of Mae-Grong, in the Samut Songkham district of Thailand. As soon as Mali could walk, her mother began teaching her how to cook. At that point in time, it was discouraged for girls to have a formal education and Mali's mother knew she needed skills in order to be successful. Instead of attending a formal school, Mali spent her youth working in Bangkok's China Town, learning to create amazing Thai and Chinese dishes. At the age of 25, with only a 4th grade education, Mali opened her first restaurant in the Sirom District of Bangkok. Her restaurant was very successful, attracting people from all over Thailand to partake in Mali's culinary creations.