Chef Thitid Tassanakajohn from Thailand brings modern Thai flavours from his Michelin-starred restaurant Le Du, to India

Award winning Chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn from Thailand brings modern Thai flavours from his Michelin starred restaurant Le Du to India

Chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn grew up watching his mother and grandparents cook. Yet he didn’t follow the only piece of advice they gave him.

“They asked me not to open a restaurant,” laughs the chef, who now has six restaurants under his belt, including the one Michelin star Le Du in Bangkok. “But when my grandmother walked into my first restaurant Le Du in 2013, she was proud of me. She always said, food is about cooking for people you love. The meal should make them come together and they should be happy. I am glad I am able to do this,” says the Thailand-based chef.

Interestingly, before donning the chef’s whites, Thitid was an investment banker — for a month. Realising it was not the job for him, he quit and pursued an MBA in hospitality business, then studied at The Culinary Institute of America. He worked at formidable restaurants like Eleven Madison Park, The Modern, and the Michelin-starred Jean Georges, where it became apparent to him that top places in the world care about local produce. “They are very proud about what is grown there. I saw farmers making money from their produce... I wanted to do something similar for farmers in Thailand. The only way to do that would be to come back and start a restaurant,” says Thitid over a call from Bangkok.

Thitid uses “100% local ingredients”. Till about a decade ago, people thought Thai ingredients were not good enough, he says. In a bid to change that perception, he started working with farmers, giving them feedback, telling them what he wanted and how to level up their produce.

“For example, earlier, the beef wasn’t good enough to be served as steak to the guests. But now the quality has improved. After I started, this became a big trend. Even European restaurants in Thailand are using local Thai produce, which is a good sign. I am pleased to see many Thai farmers are able to raise their family well,” he says.

The 38-year-old chef is now travelling across India, bringing his culinary expertise and distinct flavours to the ITC hotels in Kolkata, Chennai, and Delhi. The chef and the hotel have similar ethos that highlight sustainability and culinary creations based on seasonal produce. The menu also draws inspiration from Thitid’s family recipes and cookbooks of the royal kitchens.

The six course meal will feature dishes and techniques that he incorporates at Le Du. “It’s a modern take on Thai cuisine. It is in the little details like how we cook the meat and fish, and at what temperature, how to make a stock and what to combine to make it complex with more flavours, how to present it...,” he explains.