Guest chef Ian Chalermkittichai in the Ikarus

In April 2009 at the Restaurant Ikarus: Ian Chalermkittichai

A different kind of curry

"Murmuri", Barcelona, Spain

The Murmuri Restaurant in Barcelona and the Kittichai Restaurant in New York are among the hottest eateries in those cities – thanks to Thai chef Ian Chalermkittichai, who has succeeded in showing the world that Thai cooking involves a lot more than just Pad Thai. Chalermkittichai fuses international flavours with Thai avant-garde. The result is as unusual in its flavour as it is in its composition: spice-rubbed organic chicken with shishito peppers and lime coconut sauce, or curry dishes such as pineapple-braised short ribs in green curry and Thai eggplant and sweet basil.

Chalermkittichai was born into a cooking family: as a young boy, he sold home-made curry in the streets together with his mother and seven sisters. However, after finishing college he decided he’d had enough of the popular Thai dish for the time being and went to London to study English – and there, in a country not exactly renowned for its cuisine, where Fish & Chips is the national dish, he rediscovered his love of cooking. He attended cooking schools in London and Sydney and, after completing his training, did a short stage in the renowned Darley Street Thai Restaurant under the watchful eye of David Thompson, who eventually became a close friend and even completed his last cookbook in Chalermkittichai’s Bangkok apartment. One of the next steps on the young chef’s career path was an apprenticeship in the renowned Claude’s in Sydney, which offered French Haute Cuisine.

In 1993, he returned to Bangkok to work as a Demi Chef in the distinguished Four Seasons Bangkok’s Regent Grill. Working in the hotel industry enabled him to gain experience in the world’s best restaurants: Chalermkittichai did stages at the Georges V in Paris, at French Laundry in Napa Valley, and at El Bulli in Spain. As a consequence, the young chef became an expert in a broad range of cuisines. French, Italian, Japanese - Chalermkittichai was able to explore the subtleties of each country’s cuisine. Eventually, building on the knowledge and techniques that he acquired on his travels over the years, he created his very own style of cooking.

In 2001, he was declared “Golden Boy” by the Bangkok Post. Around that time, he also began to host the cooking show “Chef Mue Tong”, which is broadcast in more than 50 countries. In 1998, Chalermkittichai was the first and so far the only Thai to be appointed Executive Chef of a five-star hotel, the Bangkok Four Seasons. This achievement is particularly impressive in light of the fact that most Executive Chefs of five-star hotels are Europeans.

In future, more “Modern Thai Restaurants in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Tel Aviv, will carry his signature. At the moment, Chalermkittichai commutes between Kittichai in New York, Murmuri in Spain, and Boqueria in Bangkok. The latter restaurant is actually the best place to get a glimpse of the chef, as this is where he spends most of his time creating new dishes. In addition, Chalermkittichai is the Advisory Culinary Director for the Pomodoro Group brand and Board Member of the Culinary Institute of America’s Asian Cuisines Advisory Council.

Chalermkittichai is an Ambassador of his country’s cuisine. He wants to show that Thai cooking involves a lot more than just curry. In his kitchens, the Golden Boy creates a unique and unmistakeable “High Thai Style” that is guaranteed to bring home his message.