yai & nonna

get to know ben Plyraharn, Mom’s next guest chef :

Chef Ben Plyraharn hails from Takoma Park, Maryland. 

His restaurant career would begin at an early age. When his mom would bring him to work with her every day, Ben would watch her cook and then get involved with helping out, such as washing dishes and preparing food. Working at the restaurant would set Ben's path to becoming a chef. 

After finishing high school, Ben immediately enrolled in Culinary School at the Art Institute of Washington, D.C. After graduating, he went on to work in several notable restaurants in D.C., including Bibiana, Toki Underground, Maketto, and Michelin-starred restaurants Masseria, Bresca, and Reverie. After 13 years of working in different restaurants, Ben decided it was time to open his own restaurant. He named it Urai after his mom, as a tribute to her role in his upbringing and love for cooking.

Urai serves New-American cuisine that is inspired by Thai flavors. The food is a combination of Ben's favorite Thai dishes from his childhood and modern cooking techniques that he has learned throughout his career while focusing on locally sourced produce. Chef Ben has continued to showcase his culinary talents through Urai pop-ups at Rice Market’s test kitchen. He also helped spearhead South by Southeast Asia, a collaboration dinner experience celebrating Southeast Asian cuisine. The event featured renowned chefs such as Chef Seng, Chef Nyi Nyi of Thip Khao, Padaek, and Baan Mae, alongside Chef Erik Bruner Yang of Maketto and Bar Providencia.

Ben wants to show that there is more to Thai cuisine by presenting a new approach to classic Thai dishes without losing their integrity and maintaining the same flavor profile.  Currently, Urai has been doing pop-ups around the DMV area and, in 2023, was part of the New Kitchen On The Block as an up-and-coming restaurant to look out for in the future.