Thai flavour extravaganza

Growing up surrounded by delicious home-cooked meals, Chef Ton’s mother and grandmother’s flavours contributed greatly to his passion for cooking. After graduating with a degree in economics from Chulalongkorn University, he headed to the United States to pursue his dream and train as a chef at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. A top graduate, he went on to earn an MBA in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University. During his time in New York, Chef Ton worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants, including Eleven Madison Park, The Modern and Jean-Georges.

In 2013, Thitid Tassanakajohn returned to Thailand, where he soon opened his own restaurant, Le Du, together with a business partner. The two owners wanted to prove to the world that Thai food could be nouvelle cuisine, with a modern touch and local ingredients. In the following years, they opened several well-known restaurants and won numerous awards. Chef Ton is also regularly featured on Thai television in various cooking programmes.

From the outset, the team at Le Du have worked tirelessly to source the very best ingredients from suppliers and producers across the country and bring them to their kitchen. “For a long time, Thai produce has been undervalued. At Le Du, we believe that Thailand is one of the best places in the world to find the finest ingredients. We source only the highest quality from local farmers who grow their amazing produce with love and care. Then we add modern cooking techniques and create something tastefully imaginative and extraordinary,” explains Chef Ton.

Thitid Tassanakajohn is currently the rising young chef running one of Bangkok’s most exciting kitchens, which has been awarded one Michelin star since 2019 and has risen to the astonishing number one spot in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023. In the same year, there were even two of Chef Ton’s restaurants on the winners’ podium, with Nusara coming in third. Nusara is also Michelin-listed, along with the restaurants Baan, Samut, Lahnyai and Niras. And there’s even an experimental wine bar, Mayrai, in the entrepreneur’s portfolio.

Experience a modern, self-confident Thai cuisine that has emancipated itself from European products and techniques. As the culinary year comes to a close at Restaurant Ikarus, take yet another trip around the world and let Thitid Tassanakajohn introduce you to his amazing compositions and the best Thai ingredients the season has to offer.