Few chefs in Thailand have culinary calling cards like Chef ThiTid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn, whose restaurant Le Du boasts one Michelin star and was voted No.1 on The Best Restaurant in Asia 2023 list. Another of his restaurants, Nusara, was voted No. 3 on the list in the same year, making him the only Thai chef with multiple restaurants on the prestigious list. Not content with influencing Thailand’s culinary scene with his innovative approach to their traditional cuisine, Chef Ton, as he is best known, has also put his name on the culinary map overseas including Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Despite Thailand’s proximity to Malaysia, the 38-year-old chef has only very recently made his way to the latter with his very first venture in the country, Sood by Chef Ton.
Interestingly, he has decided to open his first establishment in Penang rather than in Kuala Lumpur. “KL is too saturated. I felt that now was the right time because the food industry in Penang is booming, and expanding beyond hawker food. I want to be part of this movement,” he said.
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The Modern-Thai inspired restaurant and bar is located in a gorgeous heritage house from the 1870s, which Chef Ton fell in love with after rejecting numerous other locations. Although the exterior of the building is deliberately plain white, its interiors are painted a playful, seductive red, while the original mosaic tiled floor adds a traditional touch. Sculptures and art pieces are dotted around the five dining spaces, such as a wireframe sculpture of a rider on horseback, a nod to the building’s colonial roots. One of the spaces is a private karaoke room that seats 14, which really encapsulates their concept of fun dining.
“We try have fun with the dishes, which results in modern Thai cuisine with a touch of flavour from Penang,” he said. At Le Du, Chef Ton highlights the extraordinary agricultural bounty of Thailand through the menu, of which he explains: “I’m a huge believer in using local ingredients. We have a few things we import from Thailand like coconut milk and shrimp paste, but we try to use as much local ingredients as we can, like seafood.
“Even though I have multiple restaurants in Bangkok, none of them are like Sood,” he adds. “I didn’t want to create a replica of Le Du or Nusara, because Bangkok is so easy to fly to. Rather, I want to create something that’s the first of its kind in the world. When we were younger, we would go out at night in Bangkok, and we would say, ‘Tonight, let’s sood all the way’, which is to ‘go all the way’. In Penang Hokkien, to ‘sood’ also means to ‘eat heartily’.”
Sood’s soft opening will be held on 22 January 2025, but Robb Report Malaysia was invited to an exclusive preview of their pre-opening menu (which is set to expand in the future). We sample the Khao Gee Larb Goong, or Thai Tacos Larb Grilled Prawn, an innovative take on tacos, made using sticky rice, a staple that forms the culinary identity of Northeastern Thailand. This is topped with chunks of succulent tiger prawn meat, topped with a dollop of Thai basil mayo for a refreshing yet rich kick, and doused with larb sauce to create a perfect harmony of spicy, salty, sour and slightly sweet flavours.
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A dish that truly showcases Thai and Penang influences, and the standout for us, is the Mee Gaeng Kua Poo, or Yellow Curry Noodle, an adaptation of Khao Soi, which consists of noodles in a thick, rich coconut broth. The combination of egg noodles typically used for Penang Hokkien Mee and mildly spicy curry creats a comforting base, while the soft-shell crab adds a crispy, savoury twist that elevats the dish. The addition of betel leaves introduces a peppery aroma and herbal depth that perfectly complements the flavours.
A Ton of Fun
For those who want to have their Thai fishcakes and eat it too, head upstairs to the micro club, Sood Bar. “I think this is what’s still missing in Penang, which is why people go to Bangkok,” Chef Ton says.
A colossal geometric elephant head takes a place of pride in the space, along with a DJ console as well as a state-of-the-art LED system fronted by 12 low tables to put you at the centre of the party. The menu differs from the ground floor, with Thai tapas being served instead, which you can snack on while enjoying beats from the magnificent Void sound system. For more intimate gatherings, sip on bottles of bubbly like Dom Perignon and Veuve Clicquot at the VIP room with sofa seating. We foresee that it will be Penang island’s latest party hub, as the mind behind the now-defunct legendary Mois Club, Shoant Teoh, also adds his clubbing know-how to the space.
“I hope Sood will be a good addition and something very different from the traditional Thai food you find here,” Chef Ton says. “I also want to work with the local community here, like collaborating with the young talented chefs. In the future, I will fly in when I can and I also plan to bring in some of my chefs from my Bangkok restaurant for some exciting events.”
Photography by Norlman Lo
Lead image: Chef Ton at his new Penang restaurant.
