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Koktail Magazine
31 Oct 2023
Governor Chadchart opened the event prior to the awards being handed out welcoming a large gathering of over 400 chefs, restaurant owners and members of the hospitality industry plus other VIP guests. He congratulated Thailand’s Favourite Restaurants and Koktail magazine, and all the sponsors for helping to highlight the importance of this event in highlighting, from a Thailand perspective, just how far Thailand, and Bangkok in particular, has come to be considered a genuine global culinary destination. He took time to praise Koktail magazine and all of the participating chefs and restaurants for taking the initiative to highlight the plight of migrant and underage workers in the Thailand fishing industry and for working with the Thailand Labour Protection Network to help raise funds for their efforts through this event.
60 awards in total were presented over the course of the evening to chefs and restaurants from across Thailand who had gathered to hear the results and congratulate the winners. As in 2022, the first year of the awards, there were many new restaurants and chefs that have not been previously recognised by other awards organisations again clearly showing how Thailand’s Favourite Restaurants is ahead of the pack in recognizing culinary excellence in Thailand where it is most deserved.
Here are just some of the awardees.
- Potong, Bangkok and Haoma, Bangkok: Restaurants of the Year
- Wilfrid Hocquet, Executive Chef of Blue by Alain Ducasse, Bangkok and Riley Sanders, Chef of Canvas, Bangkok: Chefs of the Year
- This year more award categories have been added for recognition, including Neighborhood Favourites of the Year for each region, Soft Pairing of the Year, Wine List of the Year, Vegan Restaurant of the Year, Halal Restaurant of the Year, Opening of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, and Exceptional Culinary Contribution.
- A sizeable charitable donation will be made to the LPN Foundation, combatting slavery at seas in Thailand, through two auctions with the generousity of the chefs and restaurants participating.
This event, 'Thailand's Favourite Restaurants by Koktail,' presented by Siam Paragon' took place from October 27th to 29th at Parc Paragon, featured two unforgettable Chef’s Charity Dinners and the second annual top chefs’ food festival at Parc Paragon, providing a unique opportunity for culinary enthusiasts to savour the creations of 40 of Thailand's most exciting chefs, with 20 different restaurants participating each day from 11 am to 4 pm.
Highlighting the event were two sold-out charity dinners held on Friday, the 27th, and Saturday, the 28th. Fifteen highly acclaimed chefs from Thailand, Singapore, Japan and Belgium collaborated for two exceptional evenings, presenting an incredible 10-course dining experience. This culinary endeavour was undertaken in support of the LPN Foundation's mission to combat sea-bound slavery and to bolster Thailand's global reputation as a distinguished destination for sustainable dining.
Over the course of three days, attendees were treated to culinary experiences, where Thailand's finest restaurants, alongside exciting guest chefs from overseas, showcased their culinary talents. This event allowed patrons to savour exquisite cuisine, extend their support to a noteworthy cause, and join in celebrating Thailand's remarkable culinary excellence, all within one extraordinary event.
The rating of each restaurant will be featured in Thailand’s Favourite Restaurants by Koktail, 2023/2024 guidebook. Thailand's best-selling restaurant guide has doubled in size this year and will feature over 350 restaurant reviews with exciting newly discovered gems visited by expert food writers and rated for food, setting, drinks and service. The release date for the guidebook is set for early December this year.
“We were honoured to have the Awards Night opened by Chadchart Sittipunt, the Governor of Bangkok. We have been blown away by the support we have received from Siam Paragon, The Tourist Authority of Thailand, UOB and Jagota and many others. In particular to have received the generous services, over two nights of charity dinners, of ten of the very best, and busiest, of Thailand based chefs along with 5 other multi-awarded chefs from abroad, was beyond our wildest dreams when we set out to showcase Thailand’s great culinary scene from the privileged position of being based in Thailand. Thailand is making efforts around sustainable dining and we wanted to honour those at the forefront as well as to bring awareness, and help raise funds, for those less fortunate who have not been properly rewarded for their labour in bring the bounty of the seas to the tables of the world.”
stated Nigel Oakins publisher of Thailand’s Favourite Restaurants by Koktail
Khun Nithee Seeprae, the deputy governor for marketing communications the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), offered the following words to the packed audience of chefs and members of Thailand’s hospitality industry, prior to the awards presentation:
“Welcome to the Awards Night! Tonight, we gather to celebrate the creativity and passion of the chefs and restaurants that define the world of gastronomy in Thailand. From the street food stalls to the elegant fine-dining, Thailand's chefs and restaurants have always offered unforgettable flavours that resonate deeply with both the locals and the memories of those who visit. Each plate, each dish, and each meal tells a story of dedication, innovation, and a deep respect for the ingredients and labours that make up our rich culinary heritage. We are happy to partner with Thailand’s Favourite Restaurants by Koktail to help make this event a great success”
Thailand’s Best (30 restaurants awarded this year in alphabetical order)
Neighbourhood Favourites of the Year (10 restaurants awarded this year)
Individual Awards
Chefs of the Year
Wilfrid Hocquet, Executive Chef, Blue by Alain Ducasse, Bangkok
Riley Sanders, Chef, Canvas, Bangkok
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