Dream Teams

BY AIDEN JEWELLE GONZALES AND AMORNRAT SACHDEV

Just when we thought Thailand’s culinary scene has found its recipe for success, the trend of restaurant collaborations and residencies has started sizzling and popping, driving the country’s innovation to a new peak and providing gourmands everywhere with new and exciting culinary experiences.

In the last few months alone, Thailand has seen collaborations between some of the biggest names in the country, while world-renowned Indian restaurants have found their way to the Land of Smiles. To name just a few, Indian Accent, one of India’s foremost restaurants, hosted a residency at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel. Chef Bright and Chef Nanang from Ad Lib Khon Kaen and Ad Lib Bangkok, respectively, also collaborated, while Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort hosted a culinary journey from Yantra, one of Singapore’s premier Indian restaurants. Additionally, Amari Bangkok saw Chef Bharath of NILA join forces with Chef Saurabh of Tambu in Phuket for a 4-hands ‘Iron Chef’ dining experience, while Chef Sanket of Jharokha by Indus and renowned restaurateur and TV personality Chef Ian Kittichai collaborated on a 7-course dinner.

Now that these collaborations are cooking with gas, we’re sure both Thailand and India are ready to take things to the next level. We’ve asked Thai-Indians which two restaurants they would like to see work together to feed their cravings, and we’ve also talked to some of the community’s most beloved chefs to ask who they’d love to collaborate with – hint, hint! 

CHEF DEEPANKER ‘DK’ KHOSLA – Managing Director and Chef Patron, Haoma

In Thailand, I’d love to collaborate with Cadence by Dan Bark. Chef Dan Bark is a very dear friend of mine, and I love how committed and professional he is in his approach. His love for ingredients and cooking, and his focus in the kitchen, have always inspired me.

I would also love to work with Chef Vicky Ratnani from India. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and his commitment to cuisine, his love for food, and how he cooks is mind-blowing, and inspire me every day. He’s a force to reckon with, and it would be absolutely phenomenal to work with him – if I could cook with anyone in India, it would be him.

TEJALE BELLANI – Early Childhood Teacher

When I imagine an exciting culinary collaboration in Bangkok, my mind instantly pairs Indian and Japanese cuisine together. Both are my go-to comfort foods, and two restaurants that excel in these cuisines are Punjab Grill and Isao. Punjab Grill serves some of the city’s finest Indian dishes, while Isao is renowned for its inventive sushi and maki rolls. A dream dish? A Butter chicken maki roll – where the bold, spiced flavours of butter chicken blend perfectly with the freshness of rice and seaweed.

Whenever I’m in Bangkok, these two restaurants are must-visits, whether dining solo or with a group. Both consistently deliver, making them crowd favourites. A collaboration between these culinary stars would be a thrilling addition to the city’s vibrant food scene!

JASPRIYA NARULA – Creative Director at Indian by Nature, Pattaya

Imagine combining the bold spices of Indian cuisine with the delicate, refined flavours of Japanese dishes. A rice bowl concept that perfectly balances flavour, innovation, and convenience. One collaboration that could bring this idea to life is between Jhol, a modern Indian coastal cuisine restaurant, and Hunter Poke, a fusion poke restaurant with Hawaiian and Japanese influences. Together, these two restaurants could create a dining experience that merges the essence of both cuisines, offering something unique to the Bangkok food scene.

A fusion between Indian and Japanese cuisines allows for a harmonious balance of flavours. Indian spices provide depth and warmth, while Japanese ingredients bring freshness and subtlety. Rice bowls are an ideal medium for this collaboration, offering the perfect canvas for layering bold and subtle flavours. The rice bowl format reflects the importance of rice in both cultures, offering diners a familiar yet elevated way to experience this fusion. Both cuisines are rice-centric, making it easy to combine elements from both traditions. Rice bowls are also customisable, healthy, and portable.

A collaboration between Jhol and Hunter Poke would be a partnership of excellence. Jhol’s contemporary coastal Indian cuisine blends traditional spices with modern techniques. Imagine tandoori prawns, masala-grilled meats, or coconut curry-infused rice topped with fresh herbs and chutneys. Meanwhile, Hunter Poke’s Hawaiian-inspired bowls, with Japanese influences, offer sushi rice, sashimi-grade fish, seaweed, and soy-based marinades, adding freshness and lightness.

This collaboration could introduce exciting creations like a Tandoori salmon poke bowl, Spicy ahi tuna masala bowl, and Butter chicken donburi, giving Bangkok food lovers something completely new and delicious.

NIKITA ARORA – Business, Economics and Maths Teacher

When I have to decide what I want for dinner, I always end up choosing between Italian and Indian. Zaika, an Indian restaurant in Bangkok, has swiftly found its way to the top of my list of top-tier Indian restaurants. Their menu consists of a wide variety of Indian and IndoChinese dishes, and their Papdi chaat, Daal makhani, and Chicken tikka masala are among the many mouth-watering dishes that’ll leave you craving for more. Moreover, the owners are humble, friendly and hospitable, and the chef is keen to perfect the art of balancing the vast array of aromatic spices to indulge your taste buds. I’d love to see them collaborate with Amici by Pomodoro, one of my favourite contemporary-style Italian restaurants. Every experience there is memorable as they use only high-quality ingredients to achieve home-cooked, nostalgic Italian delicacies.

I think the stars of Italian food are the pastas and the breads, whereas the main characters in Indian food are the spices and marinated meats; this combination of specialities would elevate both cuisines. I would love to try their take on dishes such as a Lamb burrata biryani, Spaghetti chicken tikka, or even a Paneer tikka penne!

CHEF HARI NAYAK – Chef and Owner, JholIn Thailand, we would be excited to do a collaboration menu with the curryhouse, Charmgang. We believe that both our styles of cuisine have so much in common, and it will be a very interesting menu, drawing inspiration and similarities between coastal Indian and Thailand’s respective food cultures!

From India, we’d pick Chef Thomas Zacharias, the chef and founder of The Locavore. He has been an inspiration, and has contributed to bringing India’s regional cuisine and produce to the limelight. Chef Thomas was with the The Bombay Canteen for a very long time, which is one of our favourite restaurants in India.

CHEF BHARATH SHRIDHAR BHAT – Executive Chef, NILA

I would love to partner with my friends from different Indian restaurants in Thailand such as Punjab Grill, Charcoal, Jhol, Jharokha by Indus, Haoma, and Tambu so that we can showcase the best of Indian cuisine at one event, and give our guests an amazing experience, breaking any myths and general biases they may have about Indian cuisine.

From India, I would jump at the chance to collaborate with restaurants like HOSA in Goa, and Avartana in ITC Royal Bengal, Kolkata. I would also love to collaborate with the famed Chef Rego, who brought the amazing Goan food into the limelight.

CHEF SANKET HOSKOTE – Executive Chef, Jharokha by Indus

One restaurant that we would love to collaborate with in Thailand is Gaa. Known for its contemporary take on Indian cuisine using local Thai ingredients, Gaa’s philosophy resonates with our approach at Jharokha by Indus. A collaboration with Gaa would highlight the synergy between Indian and Thai culinary traditions, offering a unique cross-cultural dining experience.

As for an Indian restaurant or chef we’d most like to partner with, we would love to collaborate with Chef Varun Totlani from Masque in Mumbai. His progressive approach to Indian cuisine, with a focus on foraging and sustainability, aligns with our vision of taking Indian food to new heights. The collaboration would allow us to explore India’s rich culinary diversity while creating dishes that are both rooted in tradition and modern innovation.

PRIYA THAKRAL – Teacher and Counsellor

I think a collaboration between Vaso and Jhol could produce a cool culinary experience. Both, in my experience, are big on flavour and innovation and might offer some new and exciting fusion dishes. It would be a mash-up with the potential to take my taste buds for a well-seasoned ride. I personally have never had Indian-Spanish fusion food before, and it certainly sounds like a delicious prospect from where I’m standing. Elaichi churros, anyone?