Potong

Bangkok

Progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine from one of Asia’s hottest chefs

On the Pass

Pichaya 'Pam' Soontornyanakij

Pastry Chef

Kanin Buntanbut

What’s the hype? Winning a constant stream of awards since opening in 2021, Potong is the fine dining restaurant in a narrow multi-floor building from chef Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij, which offers a 20-course tasting menu of innovative Thai-Chinese cuisine in the heart of Bangkok’s Chinatown.

On the menu: The food at Potong focuses on five elements: salt, acid, spice, texture and Maillard reaction (the chemical process of reducing sugars that brings distinctive flavour). The degustation starts with house-made charcuterie and a symbolic mandarin orange, before moving through oyster with black squid and black pearl, and a Thai-Chinese duck leg with Sichuan pepper. The tasting takes diners through Chef Pam’s culinary memories and emotions.

An historic setting: Potong is located on the second floor of a generations-old five-storey building that housed the family’s Chinese herbal medicine business since 1910. Restored over two and a half years in a major architectural project, the site now houses late-night cocktail haven Opium Bar on its fourth and fifth floors, the main dining room on the second floor, and on the third, an original room filled with hand-painted tiger drawings. Soon, the former first-floor apothecary will be home to Sino House: a ‘funky Thai-Chinese’ restaurant with live music.

Meet the chef: With Thai, Australian and Chinese heritage, Chef Pam grew up in Bangkok before moving to the US, where she honed her skills at the legendary Jean-Georges. She went on to win multiple awards and became a judge on Top Chef Thailand. Since returning to her hometown, she has quickly become one of the most influential chefs in the country and beyond, winning the Asia’s Best Female Chef Award 2024.

If you like this, you’ll love: Chef Pam also runs the Texas barbecue-inspired Smoked, and beef omakase restaurant The Table by Chef Pam.