Ladies First: Gourmet trip Bangkok

Bangkok has become a gourmet hotspot. 39 Michelin stars shine above the metropolis, six locations are on the list of "The World's 50 Best Restaurants". More than anywhere else, it is female chefs who wield the sceptre in the kitchen. CC author Kiki Baron took a look into their pots.

Bangkok in September: the air is unusually clear. The rain in the summer months has washed away the thick smog that usually hangs over the city. And so I enjoy the fantastic view from my suite at The Peninsula. From the heliport on the roof, the 360° panorama even extends to the horizon.
Since my last visit around eight years ago, the number of skyscrapers has increased significantly. Next door is now the bold terrace structure of the Iconsiam shopping mall. Most of the international no-frills labels are gathered there and numerous street food stalls beckon in the basement. If you don't dare go to the cookshops on Bangkok's streets, you can find hygienically prepared local specialties here in an elaborately designed and air-conditioned hall. One of the most famous is green curry, a soupy mix of chicken or prawns bathed in coconut milk. Other ingredients include vegetables, chili, lemongrass, Thai basil and coriander. The flavor base is green curry paste. Chef Ying, head of the hotel restaurant "Thriptara", demonstrates what she needs to prepare the dish during a cooking class. I admire the delicate woman who uses the heavy pestle in the stone mortar to pound everything into a homogeneous mass in a maximum of two minutes. My arm feels exhausted after just a few seconds of imitating her. "It also works with the Thermomix", she says, "but the taste isn't the same".

HOMEMADE chef Ying and author Kiki preparing a green curry

POTONG The culinary empire of Pichaya Soontornyanakij





NAHM gourmet hotspot in the COMO Metropolitan

Starred kitchen in an old pharmacy

At sunset, I board the express ferry to Chinatown and get off at Ratchawong station. Not far from the pier, I discover Bangkok's newest trendy district, Song Wat. Formerly a hodgepodge of ramshackle stores and warehouses, cool cafés, galleries and chic boutiques have now established themselves here, providing attractive Tik-Tok and Instagram motifs for influencers from the Far East. The Potong restaurant is hidden a few alleyways away. Head chef Pam, whose full name is Pichaya Soontornyanakij, is one of the most awarded women in the global culinary scene. Michelin star, world's best female chef at "World's 50 Best Restau- rants", three knives at the "Best Chef Awards 2025", to name but a few. Their business is spread over four floors. From bottom to top, they exude a cozy, almost mysterious flair. Dark wood dominates and Asian antiques transport me to another era. The house is 120 years old and once housed Pam's family's Chinese pharmacy - opium den included. It has been converted into a bar. The playful and artistic presentation of the dishes is avant-garde. They quote Thai-Chinese culinary culture, which has been passed down from one generation to the next. Like the Peking duck recipe, for example: Here before me is a matchbox-sized piece of crispy roasted duck breast, the meat aged for 14 days, on rutabaga cake. Smooth peanut butter sauce coats it. The plate, shaped like a duck's beak, is original.

Pichaya Soontornyanakij is one of the most awarded female chefs in the world

Salad with leaves from the rose apple tree

In the Thai restaurant "nahm", crowned with a star, I also encounter a woman as the leading force in the kitchen - Pim Techamuanvivit. And experience a contrasting program, so to speak. Puristically designed in light brown and black natural materials, the colorful salads and curries catch the eye. Chef Pim's concept is based on traditional service. This means that the fragrant dishes are not served one after the other, but at the same time, and each dish is meant to be shared. "Flavors through time - 15 years of authentic Thai Cuisine" is written on the menu. But "nahm" wouldn't have a star if the old was repeated. Here, the best seasonal ingredients are used in innovative ways. The Yam Pak Yang Tawai salad, for example, consists of various different tasting leaves, sweet and tart from the rose apple tree and sour from the wild pepper below. The creamy turmeric curry with blue swimmer crab, a soft-shelled crab, is flavored with calamansi juice and bitter-peppery betel leaves. Not forgetting the red curry with wagyu, coconut shoots and green pepper. The delicate abundance of flavors explodes in your mouth with every bite. The restaurant is part of the COMO Metropolitan, which has just reopened after a complete refurbishment.

PIM TECHAMUANVIVIT cooks at "nahm".

In seven courses through Thailand

And another enchanting chef: Chudaree "Tam" Debhakam, owner of "Baan Tepa", received the "Asia's Best Female Chef 2025" award. Her restaurant also has two regular stars and a Green Star. Chef Tam's stage is her grandmother's former house. The tables are arranged loosely so that all guests have a view of the show kitchen. The seven-course menu resembles a journey through Thailand. The first two courses, each with three creations, are based on two products: Kapi (shrimp paste) and Crab. In the "River and Land" composition, they are served with crayfish, matured pork belly and tropical fruit salad. Anyone who has not been to Bangkok for a long time will be surprised at the range of gourmet temples that the metropolis of ten million people now has to offer. There are 39 Michelin stars here, including the "Sorn" and "Sühring" restaurants, each with three for their German cuisine. Both are also on the list of the "World's 50 Best Restaurants", along with four others. One of these is "Nusara", which has just been awarded a star. Chef Thitid "Tonn" Tassanakajohn is one of the hottest chefs in Asia. Together with his brother Tam as sommelier, he runs the 20-seat restaurant.

TONN TASSANAKAJOHN The chef of "Le Du Kaan" is one of the 50 best chefs in the world.




I've managed to get a table by the window and start by enjoying the view of the beautifully illuminated ensemble of the Royal Palace with Wat Pho. Better not to get too distracted. The dishes on the 12-course menu are based on the culinary art of the brothers' beloved grandmother Nusara - hence the name of the restaurant. The innovative creations are perfect in terms of the harmony of flavors and textures and are indescribable in their complexity. Be it the salad of fern tips and smoked sea almonds, a type of mussel, the spicy-tropical fruit salad with squid or Wagyu short rib with "holy basil". The latter is a fruity-fresh version of the herb with a delicate touch of clove spice. Chef Tonn is also the owner of "Le Du", making him the only chef in Thailand to have two restaurants on the World's Best List at the same time, and both have a Michelin star. There is also a sensational rooftop eatery with a sky bar - "Le Du Kaan". Although the terrace on the 56th floor of The Empire skyscraper is secured by a three-metre-high glass wall, guests with a fear of heights are likely to catch their breath.

Crispy pork belly meets cream cake

Thanks to a tip from the Peninsula concierge, I settle down at the newly opened "e-ga". A neighborhood Thai restaurant near the Saint Louis Skytrain station - something down-to-earth with comparatively reasonable prices. The décor has a rustic country feel, the guests are young, attractive and, as you can tell from their dress, from the upper echelons of society. I order the recommended specialty: e-ga Crispy Pork Belly & Sweet Soya Sauce. And I am really impressed by the quality. The restaurant has also made a name for itself for its patisserie. A dozen tempting custard and cream cakes beckon.

The crowning finale of my culinary journey is the "World Gourmet Festival" at the luxury hotel Anantara Siam. On four evenings, Bangkok's star chefs, each working hand in hand with a famous chef from the rest of the world, prepare an 11-course menu. This gives me the opportunity to also enjoy the 2-star Indian cuisine of "Inddee". Chef Sachin Poojary comes with cooking partner Peter Cuong Franklin from "Anan" in Saigon. Needless to say, the experience is outstanding. Foodies who want to visit Bangkok in 2026 should perhaps make a note of the next date of the culinary festival. By then, the Anantara Siam - opened as the Peninsula 42 years ago, later managed as the Regent, then as the Four Seasons - will have long since completed all its renovation work.

BIG IMPRESSION at Anantara Siam, a classic near Lumpini Park



GREETING FROM SAIGON Sachin Poojary from "Anan" in Saigon was a guest at the World Gourmet Festival.






THE SIAM boutique hideaway from the pen of Bill Bensley


THE PENINSULA Dream view over the river



AMAN NAI LERT Oasis in the urban jungle




ARRIVAL

With Turkish Airlines via Istanbul. Fine Business Class with side-separated seats. So you can enjoy plenty of privacy with excellent service and delicious food.
www.turkishairlines.com


LIVING

AMAN NAI LERT
Hidden behind the high walls and greenery of Nai Lert Park, the hotel feels completely isolated, despite the bustling atmosphere around it. The interior design, the work of Jean-Michel Gathy, contains charming allusions to the history of the property and its surroundings. The centerpiece of the lobby, for example, is a sculptural tree towering towards the sky. It is reminiscent of the Chamchuri trees outside. Of the 52 rooms and suites, the smallest retreat measures 92 m2.
www.aman.com

ANANTARA SIAM BANGKOK
In the grandiose hotel lobby with its open staircase, it is easy to recognize its origins as the Peninsula, built on a large plot of land opposite Lumpini Park. The current Anantara benefits from this, as it has a beautiful inner garden and was also able to extend the outdoor pool area with cabanas and garden villas. The "Spice Market" restaurant offers a new concept, namely modern Thai cuisine. In September 2026, the hotel will once again host the World Gourmet Festival.
www.anantara.com

COMO METROPOLITAN BANGKOK
Having just reopened, the cool hotel now bears the signature of Milanese designer Paola Navone. Also new are the "COMO Cuisine" restaurant and an expanded COMO Shambhala Wellness Center with yoga studio, fitness area, hydro pool and a 25-metre outdoor pool. The culinary highlight remains the Michelin-starred restaurant "nahm" under the direction of Pim Techamuanvivit.
www.comohotels.com

THE PENINSULA BANGKOK The riverside location, coupled with
first-class hospitality and top-class gastronomy make this hotel with its large garden a top address in the Thonburi district. Apart from the feel-good factor in all areas and the stylish spa, you can also enjoy the view of the Bangkok skyline. Free boat shuttles take guests to the other side of the river and to the new ICONSIAM shopping center, which can also be reached on foot in just a few minutes.
www.peninsula.com

THE SIAM
Designed by Bill Bensley, this luxury boutique resort with 39 suites and villas on the banks of the Chao Praya is a throwback to Bangkok's Art Deco period. The detailed décor of old and antique furniture is reminiscent of Indochina's colonial era. Worth seeing: the private museum in the building. The smallest suite covers around 80 beautifully styled square meters, including a spacious bathroom. Each one is looked after by a butler.
www.thesiamhotel.com


RESTAURANTS

POTONG
Chef Pam has now joined the top ranks of the culinary world. She playfully creates artful Thai-Chinese dishes from traditional recipes.
www.restaurantpotong.com

BAAN TEPA
The dishes prepared by Chef Tam, "Asia's Best Female Chef 2025", are each based on typical local products. In a way, you can enjoy an innovative culinary journey through Thailand.
www.baantepabkk.com

SORN
Almost a miracle: Chef Supaksorn Jongsiri taught himself how to cook and various kitchen techniques and managed to achieve the highest Michelin award - 3 stars! Outstanding southern Thai cuisine with a focus on fish and seafood.
www.sornfinesouthern.com

SÜHRING
A Relais & Chateaux restaurant with 2 stars: the twins Mathias and Thomas Sühring have established themselves in a sophisticated villa with top German cuisine. Trout, game pâté and duck with beetroot demonstrate their homeland. Especially Grandma Christa's egg liqueur with fine pastries.
www.restaurantsuhring.com

NUSARA
The view of the Wat Pho temple through the large windows is inspiring - the colorful dishes even more so. They represent, as they say, the character of Chef Tonn's and sommelier Tam's grandmother - old, but full of joy. Nothing is old here, but it is unique and highly star-worthy.
www.nusarabkk.com

LE DU
Chef Ton's older restaurant already has one star. The black walls make it feel a little cave-like. The small show kitchen, from which farm-to-table dishes are served, shines all the more brightly.
www.ledubkk.com

LE DU KAAN
Chef Tonn's contrasting program is a rooftop eatery on the 56th floor of the Empire Tower with a spectacular outdoor terrace. The dishes are imaginative, modern variations on Thai cuisine.
www.ledukaan.com

E-GA
The unpretentious Neighbor- hood Restaurant is hip, the Thai cuisine rustic "with a twist". It is also popular for its patisserie, which produces delicious cakes and pastries.
www.facebook.com/egabangkok