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’ Utharntharm serving 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, a chemical reaction 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, Utharntharm grew up in Bangkok before moving to the US, where she honed her skills at Jean-Georges. She went on to win multiple awards and became a judge on Top Chef Thailand. Since returning to her hometown with Potong, she has quickly become one of the most influential chefs in the country, and was the first ever recipient of Michelin’s Thailand Opening of the Year award.

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