Issaya Siamese Club
Issaya Siamese Club
Chef Ian Kittichai : Founding Partner
Chef Pongtawat “Ian” Chalermkittichai is Thailand’s first international “celebrity chef”. An unlikely candidate, Ian came from humble roots pushing a food cart through his Bangkok neighborhood as a child. Fate guided him to a culinary school scholarship, a French fine-dining apprenticeship in Sydney’s legendary Claude’s, and then pushed him to become the first Thai national in the world to become the Executive Chef of a 5-star hotel, the legendary Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok.
With a weekly cooking television show since 2001, Chef Mue Thong (Golden Hand Chef), which can be seen in over 70 countries around the world, his audience is truly global. Chef Kittichai created the celebrated NYC restaurant, Kittichai Restaurant, in 2004. In 2008 he left to form his global food & beverage management and consulting firm, Cuisine Concept Co., Ltd., through which he created Murmuri in Barcelona and currently advises an impressive roster of 5-star hotels, restaurants, and food company clients worldwide. In 2010 he opened Thailand’s first gastro pub - Hyde & Seek Gastro Bar - in Bangkok and then his third signature Thai restaurant - KOH by Ian Kittichai - at the Intercontinental Marine Drive Hotel in Mumbai, India. In 2011 he opened Ember Room in New York City and re-launched Spot Dessert Bar, both with Chase Restaurant Group. Chef Kittichai released his first cookbook for the Thai language market in 2011 and will release an English version in 2012.
In January 2012 Chef debuted to a 15,000,000 fan following as one of the permanent Iron Chefs on the Iron Chef Thailand television show. Also in 2012 Chef opened Smith, Bangkok’s first international “nose to tail” concept eatery, Asian bun eatery, Jum Mum, on St. Mark’s Place in New York City, and a second branch of Spot Dessert Bar in New York City. Chef Kittichai’s first cookbook for the English-language market, Issaya Siamese Club: Innovative Thai Cuisine by Chef Ian Kittichai, was released in April 2013. He is also a founding council member of The World Street Food Congress, along with Anthony Bourdain, KF Seetoh, and Claus Meyer, amongst other culinary luminaries. In September 2013 Chef was honored as the first Asia Geographical Indication Ambassador by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property, and the Agence Francaise de Developpement.
Keep up with Chef via his website,
