"I put my character in the food," the chef says.

"I like something pretty but that's not only pretty and has something strong behind it. It represents a woman. I put the spice in the (gac) sauce on purpose, as it's the signature of Thai cuisine and it makes you feel you need more food coming."

Theeraphong became Thailand's Iron Chef Challenger's first female winner in 2012.

Her culinary journey started when she was studying English in Sydney and worked part time in a Thai restaurant 25 years ago.

"I noticed people love Thai food, and I was wondering why and how. I thought there must be something about Thai food that attracted so many people," Theeraphong recalls.

She then started to learn basic Western cooking methods before focusing on Thai cuisine.