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Bangkok Post
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bangkok Post
A trio of chefs served with your Restaurant War
Four episodes of the cooking competition The Restaurant War Thailand Season 2 are now streaming on Netflix. It's a battle among fiery street food cooks who are joining the competition not only to win the cash prize of 1 million baht but also to learn culinary know-how and techniques from leading chefs. With chef Willment Leong as the competition's headmaster, the 10-episode cooking contest also sees three top chefs serving as head trainer for each team. Let's get to know more about them. Chef Supamongkol "Art" Supapipat A former national swimmer, chef Art was the first to introduce the concept of "Chef's Table" to Thai diners. He opened Chef's Table by Chef Art on Ekkamai Soi 10. The restaurant serves fine-dining French cuisine. Chef Art is also one of the judges for Top Chef Thailand. He is the head trainer for Team Orange in The Restaurant War Thailand Season 2. Chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn Executive chef and owner of Le Du, Baan, Nusara and Mayrai among others, chef Ton specialises in Thai cuisine, turning street food into fine dining. His restaurant Nusara is currently No.6 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list while Le Du is ranked 20. Chef Ton is the head trainer for Team Green in The Restaurant War Thailand Season 2 which has so far won two consecutive team challenges. He is also the head trainer behind the winning team on The Restaurant War Thailand Season 1. Chef Pichaya "Pam" Soontornyanakij The World's Best Female Chef 2025 and Asia's Best Female Chef 2024, chef Pam is the first Asian and Thai to receive the World's Best Female Chef status. She also earned Michelin star and "Opening of the Year" awards from the Michelin Guide. Also a television personality, chef Pam is the first and only Thai female who achieve 3-knife status at the World's Best Chef Awards. Chef Pam is also behind the success of her restaurant Potong, the No.13 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list this year.
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Rude Food by Vir Sanghvi: Why Bangkok is the world's food capital
Which city do you think has the largest number of the world's best restaurants? If you answered London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong or New York, you would be completely wrong. Gaggan Anand's eponymous restaurant came in sixth on the World's 50 Best list of restaurants. The correct answer is Bangkok, which has six of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World according to the organisation that makes these lists every year. The same organisation does a list of the 50 Best Restaurants in Asia, and there too, the number one restaurant was in Bangkok: Our very own Gaggan Anand. Michelin has not been very far behind. Bangkok now has the world's first Thai restaurant with three Michelin stars and a clutch of two-star restaurants, including the excellent Côte by Mauro Colagreco. Michelin has yet to come to India, but the 50 Best Restaurants in the World list does claim to cover India. And last week, when they announced the list, it was a little odd to find that not one restaurant in all of India made it to the list. So Bangkok: 6 vs India: 0. Not fair, is it? Chef Ton runs Nusara and Le Du in Bangkok. Both made it to The World's 50 Best Restaurants list. But that's not the only distinction Bangkok has won in the last few months. The World's 50 Best, the organisation that rates restaurants, also rates the best hotels. And on the current list, the number one, and therefore the best hotel in the world, is the Capella on the Chao Phraya River, another triumph for Bangkok. So, has Bangkok, which most of us know well and regard a reasonably priced holiday destination that is not too far away, suddenly become much more: The food and hospitality capital of the world? It sure as hell looks like it. Let's start with the World's 50 Best Restaurants, because that announcement was the most recent. Though Gaggan Anand has the reigning number one restaurant in Asia, I wondered how he would fare on the more significant international list. The announcement ceremony was in Torino, and just before he left for Italy, Gaggan came over to the brand new Aman where I was staying (I will do a separate piece on how the Aman group created niche super-luxury hospitality later). We spent three hours chatting and I was surprised by his quiet confidence. He knew he would be in the Top Ten, but what intrigued me was how confident he was about Bangkok's prospects. Capella, along the Chao Phraya River, topped the global hotel list. At first, I was a little disbelieving, because all the restaurants he was sure would make it were owned by his friends: Chef Ton who runs Nusara and Le Du, Chef Pam of Potong, and the Suhring twins who shine at their eponymous restaurant where Gaggan is a partner. As Sorn is the only Thai restaurant with three Michelin stars, Gaggan was sure it would also be high up on the list. (He was sort of right: Sorn came in at 17, but was way behind Gaggan and behind Pam's Potong as well.) Six restaurants? I told Gaggan he was nuts until I woke up two days later and saw the list. Gaggan had been absolutely right. Ton got both his restaurants on the list, and 50 Best rated Nusara higher than Le Du. That's the opposite of how Michelin sees it, but I think 50 Best got it right. The 50 Best Restaurants list can be controversial because it can be gamed by restaurants willing to spend money on agents and agencies that handle the so-called influencers who constitute many of the 1,100 voters who are the electorate for the list. As the New York Times noted sneeringly: 'Unlike lists that are reported by publications including The New York Times and Le Monde, or inspected anonymously by an independent entity like the Michelin Guide, the World's 50 Best list allows its 1,100 voters to accept free meals and other perks. The voters are supposed to remain anonymous, but many of the 'gastronomic experts' are chefs, food writers and public-relations professionals who are well known in the food world.' Côte, located at the Capella hotel, has two Michelin stars, and is gunning for a third. Yet, what nobody can deny is that the list makes a huge difference to the commercial performance of restaurants abroad, which is why so many of the world's top chefs attend the ceremony and long to get on to the list. As for manipulation, it's not always as easy as is often suggested. I know Indian restaurants that have spent lakhs trying to get on with no success; they have to be content with the lesser Asia list. On the other hand, while a place on the list can improve profitability abroad (in Bangkok, for instance) it makes no commercial difference to restaurants in India and remains a photo-op and ego trip for our restaurateurs. Not all great Bangkok restaurants made it to the list. I had dinner at Côte, the restaurant run by Davide Garavaglia for his boss, Mauro Colagreco. Mauro is one of the world's greatest chefs and it is to his credit that he has given Davide a free hand. For instance, Mauro's signature pigeon dish is suitably tweaked, and Davide creates big flavours while preserving the delicate nature of each dish. There is no printed menu. Davide customises the meal for each guest depending on their preferences and what ingredients are available that day. Côte has two Michelin stars, and now that Michelin has done its duty and given three stars to a Thai restaurant, Côte is finally in the running for a third star (with Suhring as the other European contender.) Côte missed out on 50 Best, but the hotel it is located in, Capella, topped the global hotel list. Forget about the enormity of the global achievement, but just in Bangkok terms, this is a huge coup. When the hotel opened, it was seen as the little brother to its neighbour the new Four Seasons, and further down, along the river, was the legendary The Oriental. It has now swept past them, surprising everyone in Bangkok. Chef Pam's Potong ranked 13th on the World's 50 Best list. I spent three days there and could see why it was voted the world's best hotel. It's not huge (around 100 rooms) so service is warm, efficient and personalised. The food is very good (compared to both the Oriental and the Four Seasons, certainly) and includes the Côte experience as well as a casual Thai restaurant that does non-five-star-hotel food. The rooms are huge and elegant and every one of them has a view of the river. It more than deserves its success. As I guess does Bangkok. And here's the irony. Because Chinese tourists have stopped coming, Bangkok's hospitality scene has suffered. You can get amazing deals at hotels, restaurants are never full and even as it gets so much global acclaim, Bangkok has never been better value for luxury. From HT Brunch, June 28, 2025 Follow us on
Korea Herald
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Thai celebrity chef Ton's first Malaysian eatery Sood features fun Thai cuisine
GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia (The Star/ANN) -- In Thailand, Thitid Tassana-kajohn, better known as chef Ton, is widely recognized as a national culinary icon. Ton has been instrumental in elevating Thai cuisine with his innovative Bangkok restaurants Le Du (one Michelin star) and Nusara. Both restaurants rank high on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list. Ton has also been featured on Netflix's Chefs Uncut series and is a judge on Top Chef Thailand. His reputation spans far and wide and yet in person, he remains incredibly humble, sweet and soft-spoken. Ton was in Penang recently for the launch of a new menu at his first Malaysian restaurant, "Sood By Chef Ton," which opened in January this year. In many ways, Sood represents Ton's love for Penang, a relationship that has been fostered and nurtured for well over a decade. "I've been going to Penang for more than 10 years and it reminds me of Phuket, where I have another restaurant. So when the opportunity came to open a restaurant in this mansion, I wanted to do something special and unique; I wanted to present real Thai flavors but in a modern and elevated way," said Ton. Sood is housed in a charming heritage mansion that dates back to the late 19th century and has been preserved to maintain its staid white aesthetic appeal. The interior meanwhile is more bold, with dark red color accents and rooms carved out into dining spaces. It is very evident that this is not a fine-dining space. Instead, Ton's idea was to create a fun dining space that Penangites and visitors to Penang alike would be able to appreciate. "I think trends have shifted and I see that in the next five years, this is the sort of concept that people will be very comfortable with. I call it casual fine-dining and I think it is very well-received even on a global scale." "And for our Penang restaurant, our target was to get people to come back regularly. We want people to come every two weeks or at least once a month, so it has to be a restaurant that fits into the community," he said. At Sood, Ton said he tries to incorporate as many Malaysian ingredients as he can. While this initially proved to be a challenge at the beginning as he was unfamiliar with suppliers and producers, he had a little help from fellow Michelin-starred chef Su Kim Hock of Penang's Restaurant Au Jardin. "The community here is very nice and the local chefs have become good friends. Chefs Kim Hock and Johnson Wong (of Gen Penang) helped me find contacts so that I could push local ingredients onto the menu as well," he said. While Ton does periodically pop into Sood, he is obviously a very busy man so the restaurant is ably led by Natthasak Prangthong, who previously worked with Ton at Le Du and has honed his craft at top restaurants around the world. Sood recently rolled out its new menu and there is plenty to whet the appetite. Start with the prawn toast with tobiko. The dish features a crisp toasted shard fashioned out of prawns, which is then topped with grilled prawn, cucumber and shallots in what proves to a riotously fun aquatic-themed sojourn. The toast holds all the flavors together and adds a deeply winning briny undercoat to the meal, which is then livened by the tobiko and cucumber in this assemblage. The dish exudes a fresh yet fishy vibe that is ultimately very flavorful. Up next, from the medium plates on offer, have a go at the shrimp paste relish with Thai crispy roll. The foundational structure of this meal is the shrimp paste, which is interspersed with fish sauce, chillies and young mangoes. The relish is spread over the paper-thin crackers provided on the side and topped with an assortment of fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, Thai eggplant and long beans. The result is a constellation of fresh flavors juxtaposed against the fiery funk of the shrimp paste in what proves to a wild, bombastic explosion on the palate. The only downside is that the crackers are a tad feeble and don't really hold all the ingredients together as well as they should. Then there is the steamed squid with red seafood sauce which as its name implies, is made up of steamed squid coated in a furiously spicy red sauce. The squid is steamed to perfection and retains a spring and bounce in its step and a tender texture that still yields easily on the palate. The red sauce meanwhile is a fiery vixen that lives up to its name and is intent on lacing your tongue with as much red-hot heat as it can. Be forewarned: water is a necessary accomplice in the quest to complete this dish. From the soup selections, try the young coconut tapioca chicken soup. This is an ancient Thai palace recipe that Ton said is rarely seen even in Thailand. "You won't see this in normal restaurants because it's a recipe that is hundreds of years old. And the interesting thing about it is there is no sugar added; the sweetness comes from coconut water, so it is considered very rustic," he said. The soup is very simple -- chunks of tender chicken breast and coconut water interlocked together in harmonious, soothing companionship. It won't blow your mind but it will soothe your soul. From the large plates on offer, look at indulging in the Panang curry tiger prawn. The Panang curry is roasted to thicken it and is then infused with coconut milk and peanuts. This is then layered across the plate, upon which local grilled tiger prawns are placed. The result is a lovely voyage through the fresh, fluffy sweetness of the prawns and the rich, robustly flavored curry, which is nutty and intensely flavorful. End your meal with an ode to banana in the form of the cheekily-named Banana Banana Banana. Here, banana cake, banana ice-cream, banana mousse and banana crumble vie for your attention in the ultimate culinary equivalent of going bananas! Each component exudes covert banana flavors that collude to provide a memorable banana-centric experience that no human (or monkey) can resist. Ton is now hard at work expanding his Malaysian empire to Kuala Lumpur where he will soon be launching another restaurant. "It's in the capital city so we will be opening one restaurant with two concepts. One will be a very small chef's table and the other will be a casual restaurant that won't be crazy expensive," he said, laughing.
Time Out
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Restaurants in Bangkok on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list
What is it?: Silom's Le Du raised eyebrows in 2023 as the number one restaurant in Asia. And while Gaggan Anand may have snatched the gold medal from them this year, they still hold a respectable number 20, the second restaurant run by Chef Thitid 'Ton' Tassanakajohn to make the list this year. Why it's loved: If Chef Ton's Nusara is a look back in time to his grandparents' day, Le Du is his more modern approach. The name is a bit of a key. Sure, it's a Thai word (reudu meaning 'season'), but it's spelled en français, and this was one of the first fine dining restaurants in Bangkok to take part in the international trend of local wisdom plus modernist technique. Seafood, in particular, is given priority, and expect dishes made with top-tier crab, squid, and grouper, and river prawn remains the one constant on the menu, served with brown rice risotto.
Korea Herald
28-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Meituan Black Pearl Restaurant Guide Makes Overseas Debut in Singapore: Record-High Southeast Asian Listings, Connecting Global Chinese Communities with World Cuisine
SINGAPORE, April 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Meituan, China's leading technology-driven retail company, hosted the first-ever overseas ceremony of its renowned "Black Pearl Restaurant Guide" (the "Black Pearl") at Marina Bay in Singapore on April 25. As it expands globally and embraces cutting-edge AI technologies, Meituan not only seeks to help users worldwide eat better and live better, but also to unlock new business opportunities for culinary brands across the globe. As the first international food guide rooted in Chinese dining standards, the "Black Pearl" has served approximately 130 million users since its inception. This year, the Guide shines a spotlight on 55 overseas restaurants, marking the fifth consecutive year of growth in international listings. Tokyo leads the way with 30 restaurants, while Singapore and Bangkok each achieved record highs since the guide's debut in 2018. Notably, two Singaporean restaurants earned the highest honor—the prestigious 3-Diamond rating this year. Wei Wei, Vice President of Meituan and the company's head of the in-store dining division, described the ceremony as a major milestone in the global expansion of Meituan's ranking products. He highlighted the platform's use of advanced AI technologies to streamline user decision-making. Moving forward, Meituan aims to integrate AI and expertly curated recommendations to seamlessly connect users with quality restaurants, hotels, and attractions, enabling efficient connections between consumers and premium businesses. Over Half of Chinese Tourists Show Strong Preference for Fine Dining When Travelling Abroad; Southeast Asia's "Black Pearl" Listings Hit a Record High In recent years, Chinese tourists have demonstrated a rising preference for premium dining experiences while travelling abroad. According to Meituan data, more than half of Chinese tourists opted for fine dining experiences during cross-border journeys in 2024. During the 2025 Spring Festival holiday, over 85% of Chinese domestic users browsed or searched for information on overseas Black Pearl restaurants ahead of their travels. Chinese tourists' growing appetite for elevated dining experiences highlights the increasing importance of the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide as a trusted reference for cross-border culinary exploration. For instance, daily average online visits to Bangkok's Black Pearl listings surged by 27% week-on-week in the lead-up to the May Day holiday. Southeast Asian restaurants featured in the Black Pearl have flourished amid rising demand. Le Du, a celebrated modern Thai fine dining establishment, has proudly retained its 1-Diamond rating in the Black Pearl Guide for two consecutive years. Chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn shared that Chinese guests now make up 20% of the restaurant's clientele, with this figure continuing to grow. Similarly, Potong, a Thai-Chinese fusion restaurant nestled in the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown, earned its first 1-Diamond rating this year. Chef and founder Pichaya "Pam" Soontornyanakij described the accolade as a significant milestone for cross-cultural cuisine and shared her excitement for welcoming more Chinese diners to experience Potong's unique offerings. A Powerful Catalyst for Global Culinary and Cultural Exchange The Black Pearl has evolved beyond a ranking system into a platform for fostering global culinary and cultural exchange. Its annual "Food Vision Summit"—a global culinary exchange platform held every summer—aims to promote collaboration and dialogue between Chinese and international chefs. Chef Ton described the summit as a window into China's increasingly globalized and open-minded culinary market, where innovative techniques are warmly embraced. "Chinese cuisine is one of the world's finest, yet globally, awareness of high-end, refined Chinese restaurants remains limited. However, I believe this is changing," he remarked. Les Amis, one of Singapore's most established French fine dining restaurants, has been awarded 3-Diamond rating in the 2025 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide. "Over the years, we've grown to really respect the guide — not just for its credibility, but for the cultural perspective it brings to the dining world. We love that it continues to grow its reach and push culinary standards, not just in China, but globally. It's also given us new ideas in how we run things — like hiring team members who speak Chinese." shared Chef Sébastien Lepinoy. Data-Driven Insights and Culinary Expertise Propel the Black Pearl's Global Ascent The Black Pearl Restaurant Guide follows a rigorous selection process that combines expert evaluations, anonymous visits by judges, and big data from Meituan and Dianping to ensure fairness and accuracy. Over 77% of the judging panel is made up of gourmand enthusiasts, with annual rotations to maintain fresh perspectives. Looking ahead, the guide plans to integrate AI technology with committee nominations, blending human expertise with intelligent systems to make the discovery of exceptional restaurants around the world even more effortless. After 15 years of remarkable growth, Meituan today connects merchants across over 170 countries and nearly 1,000 cities worldwide, offering a comprehensive ranking system spanning food, hotel, transportation, and travel. Wei Wei emphasized that as Meituan continues to expand its global footprint and as more Chinese culinary brands earn growing recognition among international audiences, the company's ranking products are gaining increasing prestige in new markets. This growing momentum underscores Meituan's broader vision to bridge global food cultures through innovation and champion the digital transformation of the dining industry, both within China and across the world. About Meituan Meituan (HKG: 3690) is a leading technology-driven retail company in China. With the mission of "We help people eat better, live better," the Company uses technology to connect consumers and merchants. Service offerings on its platform address people's daily needs for food and retail goods and extend further to broad lifestyle and travel services. Meituan is the world's leading on-demand food delivery service provider and China's leading e-commerce platform for in-store dining services. Meituan helps consumers discover merchant information, make informed decisions, complete online and offline transactions and enjoy on-demand delivery. The Black Pearl Restaurant Guide is a prestigious dining guide selected by food enthusiasts, culinary experts, and gastronomy researchers. Anonymous judges evaluate based on culinary presentation，service and environment, and heritage and innovation. Restaurants are ranked into three diamond levels, with three diamonds being the highest. The guide celebrates exquisite cuisine through the "Chinese palate," reflecting Meituan's mission: "We help people eat better, live better."
