One of the most recognisable faces in the Asian culinary world is chef Thidtid “Ton” Tassanakajohn, chef and co-owner of Le Du, Asia’s No.1 restaurant, as voted by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list.
Easily one of the more approachable and friendly chefs, chef Ton isn’t just a pretty face (check his IG). The first Thai chef to take home the coveted No.1 spot, chef Ton is also the only chef to achieve the top spot and have two restaurants in the top five on the Asia’s 50 Best 2023 list. His other fine dining restaurant, Nusara, is No.3.
“The day after we won, Le Du’s inbox had almost 1,000 emails for reservations, which is something we have never seen before. This led to us to open reservations three months in advance. Everyday we have about 80 people on the waiting list and we haven’t added any more seats. Le Du can seat around 36 people and can only do about 60 covers, maximum. Though we don’t actually do two covers a night because we want people to enjoy and take their time. We don’t want to rush them through the experience,” says chef Ton.
A view of the famous Wat Pho from Nusara restaurant.
He isn’t worried about financial gains at this point, clearly. “Popularity is a good thing but that comes with a lot of expectations,” he adds. The Michelin-starred Le Du, which celebrates its 10-year anniversary in October, maybe numero uno, but it isn’t luxury in terms of fine dining when compared to Nusara, which recently moved to a new location with swankier interiors. “We have never tried to be anything we are not. Even Le Du’s price is still one of the cheapest in Bangkok, despite being No.1, though we may have to increase it slightly because of inflation,” says chef Ton.
The menu at Le Du remains the same, along with its philosophy and the seasons. To chef Ton, being number one “comes and goes”, what matters most is that people support his restaurants. “It's something that I'm very grateful for. We did not expect to be voted No.1, despite being in the top 10 for the last three years. This is a big deal and it has opened plenty of opportunities for Thai chefs and Thailand.”
However, the two restaurants are a small part of chef Ton’s growing empire. Last month, he opened his newest restaurant abroad. Le Du’s first sister restaurant, Niras, opened at K11 Musea in Hong Kong and is another feather in his cap. The chef also co-owns Lahnyai Nusara; Baan, a casual Thai restaurant, with a branch in Taipei, Taiwan; Mayrai; Thepnakhon, a boat noodle shop; Samut in Phuket; Samyan, which serves Thai streetfood in Manila, the Philippines; and a commercial dipping sauce called ton cha bub, which also features him on the bottle. He is also opening another casual Thai restaurant in Bangkok.
Le Du's signature dish.
Managing eight restaurants, a few in different countries, with very different cuisines can be a challenge for most chefs. But not for chef Ton.
“All these restaurants were opened intentionally. To open another one of the same in Thailand isn’t an option for me. There is simply no point.” he emphasises. Despite being popular and with space constraints, there are no plans to move Le Du. But later this year, a big renovation is planned, with a lunch service on the table, as well.
“Just because we are No.1 doesn’t meant go bigger. Next year, we may slip down the list and it’s never a guarantee, so it is better to serve quality rather than quantity,” says the chef.
Nusara
Nusara has achieved a lot since it opened its doors in 2020, making Asia’s 50 Best list since 2021. A tiny shophouse in the Ta Tien area, seating only 15 diners and with a side view of Wat Pho, the restaurant moved in May. A few doors down to the main street offering unobstructed views of Wat Pho in all its glory. While the downstairs houses Nus Bar, the top floors, including a terrace, have large, wide windows offering each table dinner with a view.
Niras Hong Kong.
“It’s a restaurant me and my brother have built to honour our grandmother. I am not shy to say that despite being popular and making it to Asia’s 50 Best list, it has yet to achieve a Michelin star, which is something I promised her. I want to make that happen, since it’s already been delayed for three years,” the chef adds, cheekily.
The experience at Nusara 2.0 makes clever use of the space. Diners go through the entire building during their dinner, which showcases it in its entirety. A course is served in the kitchen, which is a dream, considering in the old space it was more of a kitchenette. Even on the highest level of the building, diners are given a full plate, so to speak, of everything Nusara 2.0 has to offer. There is a wall dedicated to chef Ton’s grandmother, who was a seamstress.
“I want Nusara to be a showcase for something special, representing not only Thai food, but also Thailand’s culture and heritage. I want to make Nusara a landmark in Bangkok, where people have to visit if they are in the city,” says the chef, emphatically.
Samut, Phuket
Stuck in Phuket for almost two months during Covid, chef Ton realised that good Thai restaurants were few and far between. “It also occured to me that though we paid so much for the Michelin Guide to come to Thailand and not one Thai restaurant was awarded a star in Phuket, Chiang Mai or Udon Thani. This meant that no Thai restaurants in these places are considered good enough and this is precisely how the idea of Samut was born,” says chef Ton.
The main course at Samut, Phuket.
Samut in Nai Harn is small, with only 15 seats, and offers a dinner degustation menu. Samut, which means ocean in Thai, brings a fresh take to Phuket’s dining scene by combining ingredients from the coastal seas of Thailand in a modern interpretation. “I visit Samut every three months, but I am in touch with the chef daily. Though we are losing money, this is my passion project. I want to get a Michelin star here, too. I don’t mind saying this out loud because it is what I am expecting; it’s the work me and my team have put in. This is the goal,” says chef Ton.
Niras, Hong Kong
Named after the poems written by poets who were inspired by the places they travelled to, Niras seats 60. However, during its soft opening it will only be serving 24. “The concept is similar to Le Du; the technique being French and Thai. The ingredients will be sourced from Thailand but also from Japan or locally,” explains the chef. It will serve lunch (four courses) and dinner (six courses).
Restaurant empire
The space that once occupied Nusara still houses Mayrai Phad Thai and Natural Wine Bar on the ground floor, but will soon be home to the boat noodle shop. Thepnakorn can also be tasted at KingPower Rangnam, CentralWorld and soon at Emquartier.
While Baan will undergo a refurbishment next year to celebrate nine years, Mayrai, which has its second branch next door to Baan, will also go a transformation. Both restaurants may see a new direction in terms of the food. Lahnyai Nusara has currently launched a new menu, making chef Ton’s basket quite full, to say the least.
Also, opening on Sathu Pradit will be a 40-50 seater casual Thai restaurant (the cuisine of which has yet to be determined) in Q3 of 2023.
A people person
If you’ve been through chef Ton’s IG, you’ll see that he travels a lot (more this year due to the recent accolade) and perhaps, is rarely seen at his restaurants. This comes down to his excellent people skills (in and out of the kitchen), where he knows how to pick the right people for the job. This also means that he doesn’t have to micromanage and knows at any given time, all of his restaurants are in good hands.
“I think it's very important to have the right people because the team is very important. Even my business partner at Le Du and my brother are always on hand while I travel for pop-ups around the world. Most of my team have been with me for many years and have learnt the way I function and like things. They all emulate that in the kitchen and on the floor.”
“This year, Le Du celebrates 10 years and this is a testament to the strong DNA that my food and my team have. Even if my food isn’t the best, you know it is mine the minute you see the plate. It is unlike any other restaurant,” says the chef.
Soft power
Winning No.1 isn’t simply for chef Ton, his business partners, team and his empire. It is, as he says, for the promotion of Thai cuisines. “I want to promote Thai cuisine as we know that soft power is very important these days. Though this comes with a lot of pressure. I don’t want people to say: ’Ton’s food is not good so Thai food isn’t good’. I don't get too offended if people don’t like my food, because there have been times where I don’t like other people’s food. Taste is a personal thing and one cant please everyone,” says the chef.
“I try to find peace in owning restaurants. You cannot own restaurants and care about people judging you because they will,” says the chef. A strong trait is that chef Ton has the ability to laugh at himself, evident in most IG captions and comments. “People will come for you when you are at the top but I have been in the game long enough to know that next year it could be someone else’s turn and that’s just life.”
Insider’s tip: In August, chef Ton travels to Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore in India for pop-ups. To order ton cha bub, soon available in Gourmet market, Line: @tonchabub.
