Thailand

Where chefs eat: The foodie’s guide to eating in Bangkok

Chef Thitid Tassanakajohn, otherwise known as Chef Ton of 1-Star Michelin Le Du in Bangkok shares some of his favourite food and drink hangouts.

  • Lee Sihan
  • January 2020

Chef Thitid Tassanakajohn of Michelin-starred Le Du opens in new window may look like your starry-eyed thirty something year old, but he touts a mini empire of F&B businesses from Baan and Baa Ga Din. He tells us what his top picks are for restaurants and where he would head to to soak in the local bar culture.

Top fine dining restaurant: Le Normandie

Set against the gorgeous Chao Phraya River, Le Normandie exemplifies seasonal tastes through top quality produce.

“It’s elegant with dramatic views. The service is top notch too,” Chef Ton shares. Le Normandie established some 40 years ago, stands the test of time. It is generally still considered as the go-to restaurant for modern French cuisine.

Address: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue
Telephone: +6626599000
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Favourite local street food fix: Rung Ruang Noodles on Sukhumvit Soi 26

Do not miss out the noodles with ground pork and fish balls at this family-run business.

“You can’t visit Bangkok and not have had a bowl of their noodles.”

Address: 10/3 Sukhumvit Soi 26
Telephone: +6622586744

Best supper joint: Lerdtip by Chef Gigg

Open till 3am, Lerdtip is great for satiating late-night hunger pangs.

Helmed by Iron Chef Thailand winner Gigg Kamal, you can expect Thai food with Chinese inflections such as grilled pork shoulder with spicy sauce and fried duck with crunchy basil.

Address: 3/151 Lat Phrao
Telephone: +66826062477
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Favourite bar: Vesper

Vesper exemplifies Bangkok’s sophisticated and mature cocktail bar scene — expect unconventional and imaginative flavours.

Discharging some seriously cool Art Deco vibes is cocktail bar Vesper opens in new window in Silom, which takes inspiration from the James Bond’s favourite martini.

Address: 10/15 Convent Road, Silom
Telephone: +66 2235 2777
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Restaurant to watch out for: 80/20

80/20 uses 100 percent locally-sourced ingredients.

80/20 is a welcome break from fine-dining or street food when visiting Bangkok. It’s a hipster hangout with a tasteful menu that injects modernity and playfulness into Thai dining.

Address: 80/20, 1052 - 054 Charoen Krung Soi 26
Telephone: +6626391135
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Top dish to order at Le Du: River Prawn, Mountain Rice and Shrimp Paste

Having cut his teeth at world-class establishments such as Eleven Madison Park and Jean Gorges, Chef Ton successfully marries French and Thai culinary traditions.

“There’s a delicate balance between sweet, sour and spice in this creation. With the mountain rice risotto, it represents my focus on progressive French techniques yet still rooted in indigenous ingredients.”

Address: 399/3 Silom Soi 7
Telephone: +6629199969
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READ MORE: The fine-dining restaurants in Bangkok championing local flavours

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