That famous “little red book”, the Michelin Guide, has just revealed 441 entries in the sixth edition of its Michelin Guide Thailand 2023 with the addition of five restaurants given one star and 59 in the Bib Gourmand category, further underlining the flavorful and vigorous Thai culinary scene despite the problems caused by the pandemic and the economic decline.
The present edition also marks the first time the Michelin Guide Thailand has covered all regions, with the Northeast (or Isan) extension sporting eateries in Nakhon Ratchasima, Udon Ratchathani, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen.
The restaurants and food venues have demonstrated their strong performance in terms of service during the past difficult years. All six two-Michelin Star restaurants – Chef’s Table, Le Normandie by Alain Roux, Mezzaluna, R-Haan, Sorn, and Sühring – have retained their status. The Michelin Guide Thailand 2023 also welcomes five new entries in the one-Michelin Star category. They are Baan Tepa, Haoma, Maison Dunand and Potong, as well as Signature, promoted from a recommended entry in the last edition.
Five new entries of One Michelin Star
In brief, this year’s guide features 6 two Michelin Star, 29 One Michelin Star (4 new, one promoted), 3 Michelin Green Star (2 new, one retained) and 189 Bib Gourmand (53 new, 6 promoted).
The Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn congratulated all entries and award recipients at the ceremony on Thursday in Bangkok. “Their commitment to raise the standards of Thailand’s culinary scene helps strengthen the kingdom’s status as a world-class dining destination.”
The 2023 Bib Gourmand list (a place with a 3-course meal costing up to 1,000 baht) features 189 venues consisting of 105 restaurants and 84 street food eateries in total. The number of Bib Gourmand venues under the “Street Food” category equals that of those under the “Restaurant” category for Bangkok & Surrounding Cities (41 venues in each category).
Signature dish at Madison Dunant which is listed as a new One Michelin Star this year
In a beautiful testament to the strong street food culture in Thailand, the ratio of restaurants vs. street food eateries in the following cities just differs by one: Ayutthaya (6 to 7), Nakhon Ratchasima (5 to 4), Khon Kaen (6 to 5), and Chiang Mai (14 to 13),
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of Michelin Guides, spoke via videolink, saying, “The high proportion of street food eateries on the Bib Gourmand list marks Thailand’s quintessential culinary scene as an ultimate street food haven for budget-savvy diners. Street food is practically a savory way of life in Thailand. It is ubiquitous throughout the country, offering an incredible variety of unique, flavorful dishes. Therefore, street food provides not only an authentic Thai eating experience, but also a cultural adventure into the tasty Thai culinary tradition.”
For the special awards, the Michelin Green Star welcome two news additions, Haoma and Jampa, joining PRU that wins the recognition for the third consecutive years. PRU and Jampa are both in Phuket, and Haoma is in Bangkok. The green award is presented to restaurants that embrace sustainability in their everyday running, targeting food waste and spotlighting local and seasonal ingredients.
Pot Ong becomes one of five new comers in One Michelin Star category in 2023
The Michelin Thailand Young Chef award goes to Davide Garavaglia, the Italian Chef from Côte by Mauro Colagreco while the 2023 Michelin Thailand Service Award goes to Mr. Uthit Songtho, the restaurant manager from Baan Phraya, The Mandarin Oriental.
The two new special award winners are Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij from Potong for the 2023 Michelin Thailand Opening of the Year Award – given to a new restaurant that has opened in the last 12 months and presenting creativity and quality of service. The other award goes to Mr. Guillaume Perdigues from Mezzaluna who takes home the 2023 Michelin Thailand Sommelier Award.
By Veena Thoopkrajae
