Origins of John Chantarasak

Growing up in the Wye Valley in Wales, which he would later represent on the Great British Menu, John studied at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit in Bangkok. He spent time with Thai guru David Thompson in the Thai capital before returning to London where he helped launch Som Saa. He set up a pop-up called AngloThai which he has recently turned into a permanent siteInterview by Alex Mead.

Bangkok

My spiritual home, and a city I have visited for most of my life. I lived there while I retrained to be a chef at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit – an exhilarating time where I learned the fundamental skills I still uphold today and where my eyes were opened to a whole spectrum of new techniques and practices. It’s a city that refuses to sleep and I adore it for this reason – there is always something to do and somewhere to eat at all hours.

David Thompson

The chef who, in many ways, sparked the movement in modern Thai cuisine we now see across the world. I spent time cooking in Nahm – at the time his flagship restaurant in Bangkok – after graduating. He is such a scholar of Thailand and has this encyclopaedic knowledge of the culture and cuisine. He cooks without compromise and has the utmost respect for the cooks who taught him. It was fascinating to learn the fundamentals of Thai cooking in the Nahm kitchen.

Andy Oliver

I cooked in Andy’s restaurant Som Saa for over four years, starting as a fresh-faced junior chef and leaving as a sous chef that helped lead the kitchen each day. Andy is an incredible, humble person and generous with his knowledge – I wouldn’t be where I am today without his guidance and friendship. He now runs both Som Saa and Kolae, two exceptional Thai restaurants in London that uphold the standards you’d expect from someone who also trained under David at Nahm.

New Orleans

I visited New Orleans during a 12,000-mile road trip across America and ended up staying for six weeks. The city has an energy unlike the rest of the country, where the people feel more liberal and full of positive energy despite the devastation it has experienced from events like Hurricane Katrina. Creole cuisine is a melting pot of Native American, French and African influences, making for a uniquely delicious style of food. Not only is the eating culture incredible but the music and drinking scene is like nothing I have experienced in other major cities around the world.

London

My home for the past 15 years, and where I plan to be for the foreseeable future, now my wife and I have opened our restaurant here. AngloThai has allowed me to travel the globe, but despite the thrill of visiting and cooking in new places, I always miss London. For me, the London food scene is now the best in the world, in its choice of cuisines and the level of cooking. I feel extremely proud that we can contribute to London’s already diverse food scene with AngloThai.

Casamia

After returning from Bangkok, I continued my learnings as a chef at Casamia – run by brothers Jonray and Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, it was near my family home in Wales. At this progressive, modern-thinking restaurant, I learnt about techniques, such as making fluid gels and using liquid nitrogen, and the science behind cooking, influenced by places like The Fat Duck.

Samrub Samrub Thai

If you visit one restaurant in Bangkok, make it Samrub Samrub Thai, run by Prin Polsuk and his wife, Mint Jarukittikun. Prin was the head chef at Nahm while I cooked there. His progressive Thai food is inspired by traditional cooking techniques, while honouring forgotten recipes from distant corners of Thailand. Prin puts his unique spin on dishes seldom seen in other restaurants. Every meal is an education.

Sea buckthorn

I found this berry, which grows along UK coasts, in my exploration to find domestic produce that can replicate the intense seasonings of Southeast Asia. Its bright orange juice is incredibly tart with a background taste reminiscent of passion fruit. Increasingly, it has replaced lime juice in my recipes when a punch of acidity is needed to balance a dish, such as Carlingford Lough oysters dressed in a Thai-style ‘nahm jim’ sauce.