Benchawan Jabthong Painter

{{Short description|American Chef}}

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| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|29|2023|6|6}}

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| spouse = Graham Painter

| style = Thai street food

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• Street to Kitchen
• ThPrsv at eculent

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• Best Chef/Texas 2023 James Beard Awards

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| website = {{Official website|https://streettokitchen.com |name=Street to Kitchen}}

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Benchawan Jabthong Painter is a chef and restaurateur in Houston, Texas. In 2023 she was named Best Chef/Texas by the James Beard Foundation.{{Cite web |last=Shey |first=Brittanie |date=2023-06-06 |title=Houston's Benchawan Jabthong Painter named Texas' Best Chef |url=https://www.chron.com/food/article/james-beard-best-chef-texas-18136981.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611172442/https://www.chron.com/food/article/james-beard-best-chef-texas-18136981.php |archive-date=2023-06-11 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Houston Chronicle |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ong |first=Bao |date=2023-06-06 |title=Chef at Houston Thai restaurant Street to Kitchen wins James Beard Award |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/houston-james-beard-winner-2023-18135609.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606180439/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/houston-james-beard-winner-2023-18135609.php |archive-date=2023-06-06 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Houston Chronicle |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Garley |first=Brittany Britto |date=2023-06-05 |title=Houston's Benchawan Jabthong Painter Wins James Beard Award For Best Texas Chef |url=https://houston.eater.com/2023/6/5/23750268/houston-benchawan-jabthong-painter-street-to-kitchen-wins-beard-award-best-chef-texas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612103459/https://houston.eater.com/2023/6/5/23750268/houston-benchawan-jabthong-painter-street-to-kitchen-wins-beard-award-best-chef-texas |archive-date=2023-06-12 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Eater Houston |language=en}}

Painter was raised in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand and learned to cook in her grandmother's restaurant there, starting at age 6.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-07 |title=Benchawan Jabthong Painter |url=https://www.southernsmoke.org/chef/benchawan-painter/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Southern Smoke |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721023912/https://www.southernsmoke.org/chef/benchawan-painter/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-19 |title=Benchawan Jabthong Painter |url=https://louisianafoodandwinefestival.com/talent/benchawan-jabthong-painter/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Louisiana Food & Wine Festival |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016102551/https://louisianafoodandwinefestival.com/talent/benchawan-jabthong-painter/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Garley |first=Brittany Britto |date=2023-06-06 |title=How Houston's James Beard Award-Winning Chef G Is Helping Make the World 'A Little More Thai' |url=https://houston.eater.com/23750465/houston-chef-benchawan-jabthong-chef-g-painter-street-to-kitchen-james-beard-winner-texas |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Eater Houston |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019010833/https://houston.eater.com/23750465/houston-chef-benchawan-jabthong-chef-g-painter-street-to-kitchen-james-beard-winner-texas |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Sussmann |first=Robin Barr |date=7 July 2023 |title=One of CityBook's 'Coolest' Makes James Beard History |url=https://www.houstoncitybook.com/benchawan-painter/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Houston CityBook |language=en |archive-date=2023-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608063609/https://www.houstoncitybook.com/benchawan-painter/ |url-status=live }} She worked in Bangkok restaurants before meeting her husband and moving to the United States with him.{{Cite web |last=Oliveros |first=Beatriz |date=2023-06-26 |title=Meet chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter: Houston's newest James Beard Award winner |url=https://www.click2houston.com/houston-life/2023/06/26/meet-chef-benchawan-jabthong-painter-houstons-newest-james-beard-award-winner/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=KPRC-TV |language=en |archive-date=2023-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629013756/https://www.click2houston.com/houston-life/2023/06/26/meet-chef-benchawan-jabthong-painter-houstons-newest-james-beard-award-winner/ |url-status=live }}

Painter moved to Houston in 2015. She worked at SaltAir and at Justin Yu's Theodore Rex; missing food from Thailand that wasn't adjusted for American tastes, she started opening popups.{{Cite web |last=Zuvanich |first=Adam |date=2023-06-06 |title=Houston chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter |url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2023/06/06/453745/houston-james-beard-winner-benchawan-jabthong-painter-street-to-kitchen/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=KUHF |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920005921/https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2023/06/06/453745/houston-james-beard-winner-benchawan-jabthong-painter-street-to-kitchen/ |url-status=live }}

Painter and her husband, Graham Painter, opened Street to Kitchen, a restaurant serving Thai street food, in Houston's Greater East End neighborhood in 2020. The couple also co-owns [https://thprsrv.com Th Prsrv] in Kemah, Texas.