Penang is undoubtedly a haven for epicureans with its street food scene, chic cafés, and Peranakan fare. However, there are currently only two establishments with one Michelin star each under their belts on the island. Therefore, it came as no surprise that an event hosted at the highly sought restaurant Sood by Chef Ton, bringing together chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants, quickly sold out upon opening reservations.
The one-night-only dinner gathered five esteemed culinary maestros, including ThiTid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn (pictured below left) himself, whose restaurant Le Du boasts one Michelin star and was voted No.1 on The Best Restaurant in Asia 2023 list. “This collaboration came about because we are all good friends and we wanted to do something fun—but still as a refined version of Thai food, which fits Sood very well,” Ton said. His uni (fresh sea urchin) dish showcased an East-meets-West concept, where spaghetti was infused with tangy, citrusy notes of tom yum and finished with a touch of his homemade two-and-a-half-month-old Bottarga powder for an extra layer of umami. For dessert, Sood’s head chef ‘Nutz’ Nutthasakt’s rich crème brûlée with creamy coconut ice cream and local bird’s nest was a true sensory experience. Nestled on a bed of aromatic pandan leaves and vivid edible flowers, the dish also included mist from dry ice, which added an element of theatricality.
Next up on the glittering list was Jacob Jan Boerma (pictured above right) of the one-Michelin-starred The White Room and the sunsetted three-Michelin-starred De Leest in the Netherlands, as well as the one-Michelin-starred Fine Fleur in Belgium. He presented two creations, including a steak topped with an intricate, lattice-like potato garnish. “I like working with mushrooms, which I sourced locally and then made using our own style. I combined it with baked and dried sambal and Japanese ingredients. I made an au jus of the A3 Wagyu beef along with a typical Hollandaise with different herbs inside,” Boerma explained. “As we don’t have a strong culinary identity, Dutch chefs are generally travelling people and we use local ingredients with tastes from around the world.”
View more photos of the delicious dishes
Also adding gastronomic finesse to the evening was Chef Thaninthorn ‘Noom’ Chantrawan, who has one-Michelin-starred restaurants under his belt in two countries—Chim by Siam Wisdom in Bangkok, and Chim by Chef Noom in Kuala Lumpur. Noom recreated his signature dish, The Lost Recipe, which he discovered during his research at the National Library of Thailand (which explains the fact that he wears glasses, a rare sight amongst chefs). Once served to King Rama II, the soup, which is more textural than the common tom yum, is made by cooking wild-caught snakehead fish in fresh Thai herbs, tropical fruits like starfruit, and more. He brought along with him Penang-born Chef Will ‘Willy’ Wee, head chef of his restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, who created a River Prawn dish with risotto, prawn bisque, grain, and cured egg.
By the evening’s end, guests unanimously praised the spectacular dishes, as the indulgent 10-course meal left all of us utterly sated.
Photography by Norlman Lo
