Chef ThiTid Tassanakajohn: 'Real Thai cuisine is never too spicy nor sweet'

CHENNAI: The majestic gateway of ITC Grand Chola opened itself to a unique gourmet experience with Chef ThiTid Tassanakajohn. Chef Ton proudly claims the title of the only Thai Chef to have two Michelin Star restaurants Le Du and Nusara, which are modern Thai-inspired eateries in Bangkok.

Most of us have had, and still have the fortune of rejoicing in the tempting delicacies fondly cooked by our grand mums. But for Ton, his grandma also fed him with the wisdom of the art of culinary, and ignited within him an esteem for Thai cuisine, which he typified with pride.

“Seeing her cook would give me immense joy, and I now aim to bring delight to people around the world through my approach to our Thai cuisine,” says the chef.

From his journey of revolutionising the perception of Ahan Thai (Thai cuisine), to his take on south Indian cuisine, the chef had a lot to share.

Excerpts from the interview:

You have in many ways revolutionised the perception of Thai cuisine. What would you want people to know more about the cuisine? Are there any misconceptions surrounding Ahan Thai?

The thing I want to do with Thai cuisine is to make people know that it is not just about the street food, which of course we are famous for. But, people should know that Ahan Thai is known as the haute cuisine that can be cooked to a very high level with high-quality ingredients. It is very important to have the complete picture of the cuisine. Every great restaurant has the complete picture – from the home cooks, to the fine-dining experiences. Thai cuisine needed that as well, and I try to fill in that gap.

The misconception of Thai cuisine is that it is always spicy, which is not true. It has a balanced flavour. Real Thai cuisine is never too spicy nor sweet, but is the combination of every flavour together.

Have you indulged in any south Indian delicacies? What would be your take on the flavours and species surrounding the dish?

I must admit that south Indian cuisine has become my favourite cuisine of India. I think it is very vibrant, fresh with a lot of herbs, a lot of coconut milk, and is very light as compared to the northern cuisine, which is filled excessively with butter, ghee, cream dairy and so on. The meen kulambu would be my pick as it is rightly flavourful, using fresh herbs and has a very strong aroma, yet retains a good balance.

Are there any similarities between south Indian Cuisine and that of Ahan Thai? Could you elucidate regarding the similarities and a few noticeable differences?

The similarity has to be using fresh herbs, with a combination of flavours, especially in seafood. We have something very similar like fermented fish, which, in a way is different, but in a way very similar, which we also make into spicy paste and curry. That, I think, is lovely to see the similarity between the south of India and Thai.

Do you follow any Indian chefs? Could you tell me what has inspired you about them?

Personally, I believe that Chef Gaggan Anand could be the most famous Indian chef in the world, also the best Chef in Asia. He has to be the one who completely changed how people look at Indian cuisine and that’s very inspiring.

Chef Varun Totlani, who is the head chef at the restaurant Masque in Mumbai, does some very creative works with his skills. This makes Masque the best restaurant in India for a reason. They both have a very inspiring and refreshing take on Indian cuisine.

Do you draw inspiration from South Indian cuisines for your Thai delicacies?

I admire a lot of the flavours of south India. Every time I come, I am surprised with the way they use the fresh herbs and mix them with all the spices. I think this way of using more spices in the cuisine compared to Thai cuisine will inspire me to incorporate that into my cuisine as well.