Where do Michelin-starred chefs usually brush shoulders?
If you answer "in the kitchen" then you might be inadvertently underestimating these cooking wizards.
At this point in time, the airport is the place where you would find a non-stop parade of star-studded culinary masters bump into one another as they jet-set across the world to showcase their cuisine identity in cities thousands of miles away from home. Surprisingly, whether they embark on their journeys from Europe, America, North Asia or Australia, this month the world-class kitchen authorities happen to share the same destination -- Bangkok.
In September, the City of Angels is becoming a sanctuary for prestigious men in white thanks to the arrival of 23 out-of-town celebrities, who together officially hold a total of 29 Michelin stars. This is not including more than 20 visiting master chefs and epicurean experts to grace the tropical city at the same time.
Unless you plan to catch one of them at the airport, here are six fine-dining events where avid food connoisseurs can meet, greet and eat their culinary idols.
ANANTARA SIAM
The 18th World Gourmet Festival (WGF) is currently ongoing at the Anantara Siam Bangkok.
This year the week-long, annual event of fine gastronomy is wowing local and international epicures with a total of nine Michelin stars under one roof.
Being held until Sunday, the WGF has a profound showcase of culinary excellence from across the globe in a series of sumptuous dinners, Sunday buffet brunch, afternoon tea, wine tasting and masterclasses.
Key personalities include Guillaume Galliot of two Michelin-starred Caprice restaurant at the Four Seasons Hong Kong; Shinichiro Takagi of the two Michelin-starred Zeniya kaiseki cuisine restaurant in Japan; and Miguel Laffan of the Michelin-starred L'AND Vineyards in Portugal.
There are also Cristina Bowerman of the Michelin-starred Glass Hostaria, and brothers Christian and Manuel Costardi of the Michelin-starred Ristorante Christian e Manuel in Italy; Jason Tan of the Michelin-starred Corner House in Singapore; and Hiroaki Ishizuka of Michelin-starred Kien restaurant in Japan.
Master chefs Shinichiro Takagi, Anatoly Kazakov, Jock Zonfrillo and the Costardi brothers at the World Gourmet Festival.
Equally dexterous yet from countries not-yet-reached by the Michelin Guide are chef Anatoly Kazakov of innovative Russian cuisine restaurant Selfie, ranked the World's 88th Best Restaurant by Sanpellegrino, in Moscow, Russia; chef Jock Zonfrillo of multi-award-winning Restaurant Orana in Adelaide, Australia; and celebrity chef and entertainer Bobby Chinn of Restaurant Bobby Chinn in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The Anantara Siam's dining outlets, lobby and courtyard bar are turned into venues for wine tasting, whiskey and cocktail sessions and a fragrance-pairing masterclass.
The 2017 WGF runs until Sunday with master chefs Takagi, Kazakov, Zonfrillo and the Costardi brothers scheduled to present.
Dinner prices range from 5,900 to 8,500 baht per person. Prices for Sunday buffet brunch start from 3,500 baht per person. The afternoon tea buffet costs 1,200 baht per person.
For reservations, call 02-126 8866 or email reservations.asia@anantara.com.
Master chefs Shinichiro Takagi, Anatoly Kazakov, Jock Zonfrillo and the Costardi brothers at the World Gourmet Festival.
Hervé Rodriguez of Paris' Michelin-starred MaSa restaurant is at Dusit Thani Bangkok.
DUSIT THANI
Also cooking up storm in the Big Mango is chef Hervé Rodriguez of Michelin-starred MaSa restaurant in Paris, France.
The Dijon-native chef took over Dusit Thani Bangkok's 22 Kitchen and Bar for three days -- today being his last.
Rodriguez is highly treasured for his vibrant and playful cuisine, which blends influences from France, Spain and the East. His MaSa restaurant is reported by the Michelin Guide inspectors to serve up "creative, eye-catching modern dishes ... capably prepared with fresh ingredients".
Using the finest produce from across the globe, his signature creations include tuna sashimi with meli-melo bean and cherries; pan-fried duck liver and smoked eel with black ink; lobster in leather skin with elderberries; Challans duck with sweet purple plums, eggplants and black olives; La Croix Saint Gilles cod with pumpkin, passion fruit and Tonka beans and jasmine gel; and free-range chicken breast with kimchi of oysters, kumquat and potato gnocchi.
Exclusive for the event, Rodriguez's cuisine is paired with exquisite br
Hervé Rodriguez of Paris' Michelin-starred MaSa restaurant is at Dusit Thani Bangkok.
ead by French master baker Bruno Dinel.
Today is the last day to indulge in Rodriguez's cuisine. The four-course creative set lunch is priced at 1,950 baht per person, while a six-course set dinner costs 3,750 baht per person. Additional wine pairing packages are also available.
For reservations, call 02-200-9000 or email dtbkdining@dusit.com.
ST. REGIS
Ronny Emborg of two Michelin-starred Atera restaurant in New York will delight diners at the St. Regis Bangkok.
Culinary hotshot Ronny Emborg is another star-studded out-of-towner to join Bangkok's dining scene in the next 10 days.
From Sept 18-23, the young and talented Dutch executive chef of two Michelin-starred Atera restaurant in Tribeca, New York, will be fronting the team at Jojo in the St. Regis Bangkok.
Renowned for his "sensory kitchen" concept, the internationally-acclaimed Emborg has been classically trained and is at the vanguard of the Nordic culinary movement.
He manifests his epicurean excellence through an exquisite, interactive visual art that always inspire diners to utilise all their five senses.
Here in the City of Angels, Emborg promises to mesmerise your senses with ingenious degustation menus available for lunch and dinner.
His expertly crafted dishes include Scottish langoustine, marinated in lemon juice, with lemon gel and Granny Smith apple rolls; poached cauliflower with black truffle purée and Parmesan cheese sauce; scallop seared and served with celery root purée, daikon sheet and brown butter, nut and soy sauce; rib-eye steak with broccolini, wasabi and Bordelaise sauce.
The menus are complemented by optional, but carefully selected, pairing beverages.
Prices are 3,800 baht per person for a seven-course lunch and 5,800 baht for an eight-course dinner. Additional wine pairing packages cost 2,500 baht to 3,000 baht.
For reservations, call 02-207-7777 or email fb.bangkok@stregis.com.
Ronny Emborg of two Michelin-starred Atera restaurant in New York will delight diners at the St. Regis Bangkok.
Three Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux is to visit Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok's Le Normandie restaurant.
MANDARIN ORIENTAL
Le Normandie at the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, is often on the list of prestigious chefs from out of town when it comes to a cooking destination.
From Sept 25-30, the fine-dining French restaurant is to welcome once again the gastronomic excellence of the UK's three Michelin-starred Waterside Inn chef Michel Roux.
Three Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux is to visit Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok's Le Normandie restaurant.
On the bank of the Thames, in the 16th century village of Bray, the legendary "restaurant with bedrooms" led by Roux has been serving inspirational French cuisine since 1972.
The Waterside Inn gained its first Michelin star when the Michelin Guide debuted in the UK in 1974. One more star followed in 1977 before the ultimate accolade came in 1985 when the establishment achieved three stars.
Today, under the leadership of Michel's son, chef-patron Alain Roux, The Waterside Inn remains the only restaurant in the world outside France to have retained the coveted stars for more than 30 years.
Roux's seven-day Bangkok epicurean showcase is guaranteed to enchant your palate with the exquisitely crafted multi-course menu available for lunch and dinner.
Among his highly celebrated creations to be served are flaked crab salad with ginger scented cucumber jelly and oscietra caviar; turbot meunière with croutons, green vegetables and grape emulsion; pan-fried lobster medallion with a white port sauce and vegetable julienne; pan-roasted beef tournedos "Zingara" style; pan-fried escalope of foie gras Grenoble-style with a caramelised orange; pan-fried fillet of sea bass with salt baked swede, bouillabaisse-style broth and rouille; roasted Challandais duck with a puff pastry case, peanut flavoured celeriac purée and grape sauce; warm golden plum soufflé; and blood orange Norwegian omelette with iced bourbon whisky parfait.
The five-course lunch is priced at 4,900 baht per person and seven-course dinner 8,900 baht per person. A seven-course wine dinner with a matching selection of fine French wine from Alsace, Bordeaux and Burgundy, which will be held on Saturday, Sept 30, costs 12,900 baht per person.
For reservations, call 02-659-9000 or email mobkk-restaurants@mohg.com.
Twelve Michelin stars will be showcased from Sept 26 onward at So Amazing Chef event.
SO SOFITEL
A dozen stars will be gathering at SO Amazing Chefs, the six-day culinary affair at SO Sofitel Bangkok from Sept 26-Oct 1.
This 2017 edition of the annual event will host a line-up of 12 award-winning master chefs and food experts.
Headliners include French maestros Jacques Pourcel, chef-owner of three Michelin-starred restaurant Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier; Patrick Jeffroy of two Michelin-starred Restaurant Patrick Jeffroy in Brittany; and Thierry Drapeau of two Michelin-starred Thierry Drapeau Logis de Chabotterie restaurant in Saint-Sulpice-le-Verdon.
Also from France are Laurent Peugeot of the Michelin-starred Le Charlemagne in Burgundy; Nicolas Isnard, chef-owner of the Michelin-starred L'Auberge de la Charme in Prenois; Jean-Baptiste Natali of the Michelin-starred Restaurant Natali at Hostellerie La Montagne in Haute-Marne; and Hervé Rodriguez of the Michelin-starred MaSa restaurant in Paris.
The star-studded repertoire also presents a German master chef Michael Dyllong of Michelin-starred Palmgarden restaurant in Dortmund, Germany.
Meanwhile the festival will enjoy a participation of celebrity Dutch chefs Alain Caron and René van Empelen from Amsterdam, Netherlands; world-renown French oyster farmer Jacques Cocollos from Marennes-Oléron; chef Sakal Phoeung of the acclaimed Le Corto restaurant in Saigon, Vietnam; and Christopher Lecoutre, a French artist who brings gastronomic creations to life on his canvas.
Joining also are spice master Didier Corlou from Hanoi, Vietnam, cheese-makers Patrice and Philippe Marchand from Nancy, France; and chocolatier Stéphane Bonnat from Voiron, France.
The six-day programme is represented by a series of degustation dinners, private chef's table meals, weekend brunch and hands-on cooking classes.
A culinary showdown competition, in which the master chefs are to compete against one another in the name of charity, followed by a gala dinner on Sept 27 is the main highlight of the festival. Part of the proceeds will go towards the CCF Foundation under Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
For reservations, call 02-624-0000 or email H6835-FB3@sofitel.com.
VIE
Visiting French chef Stéphane Buron of the two-Michelin starred Le Chabichou will be at Vie Hotel Bangkok.
From Sept 27-30, Vie Hotel Bangkok and V Villas Hua Hin will become a cooking atelier of the acclaimed French chef Stéphane Buron of the two Michelin-starred Le Chabichou at a Relais & Châteaux hotel in Courchevel in the French Alps.
With his distinct talent, Buron bears the coveted "Meilleurs Ouvriers de France", the highest and most prestigious award for all professional craftsmen in France. Only those who have earned it are allowed to wear the red, white and blue collar.
Thanks to his exceedingly beautiful and delicious French cuisine, he has also been regarded as one of the best chefs in France.
The skills of Buron are not only praised among discerning gourmands and synonymous with the highest arts of cooking, they also express his particular Alpine style which is at once inventive, refined and generous. His food is represented by fresh and natural seasonal products throughout all four seasons in the Alps.
The rarefied creations will be showcased at Vie Hotel Bangkok's La Vie Creative French Cuisine restaurant and V Villas Hua Hin's Villazzo restaurant during the four-day affair.
His highlighted creations are such as langoustine carpaccio with Mandarin sorbet; pike fish quenelle with crayfish; roast beef with liquorice, red wine and black fruits sauce; and chocolate craquelin.
Buron's three-course set lunch is priced at 3,000 baht net per person or 4,500 baht inclusive of wine pairing. A seven-course dinner menu costs 6,000 baht net per person, or 8,000 baht with wine pairing.
For reservations, call 083-820-4224 or 081-910-0280 or email afbm@viehotelbangkok.com.
Visiting French chef Stéphane Buron of the two-Michelin starred Le Chabichou will be at Vie Hotel Bangkok.
