Women power at Dusit
It was just fitting that in a hotel founded by a pioneering Thai woman, two visionary women Chef Watcharaphon “Ja” Yongbanthom of award-winning Benjarong Manila and Chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij, recently named World’s Best Female Chef 2025 by 50 Best and chef-owner of the Michelin-starred Restaurant POTONG in Bangkok, flexed their culinary skills in a gastronomic collaboration at the Dusit Thani Manila..
Before the dinner at the Benjarong (which literally means “five colors” and refers to traditional Thai porcelain) started, I asked Chef Pam, who was so relaxed despite the meticulous preparations for the eight-course dinner, Manila Calls, Bangkok Answers, how it feels to be the World’s Best Female Chef and the first Asian to receive the accolade?
“Very honored and very humbled,” she said. “And I feel like I have to inspire other female chefs as well.” The lovely Chef Pam, Asia’s Best Female Chef the previous year, has been to Manila several times.
Chef Ja, for her part said she was “excited and very happy” to work with Chef Pam.
Dusit Thani was founded by a woman
Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui, established Dusit International in 1948 and opened her first property in Bangkok, Princess Hotel, in 1949. It was one of the first properties in the city to feature a swimming pool, an elevator, and air conditioning. Determined to open a five-star hotel offering luxury hospitality with a distinctively Thai touch, in 1970 she opened the flagship Dusit Thani Bangkok — then the city’s tallest, grandest building — which has been a true icon ever since, like its founder, whom I once had the privilege of interviewing.
Dusit Thani Manila (formerly Dusit Hotel Nikko Manila) took its first bow in 2008, the flagship of Dusit in the Philippines.
It was also fitting that the special guest at the second night of the two female chefs’ collaborative dinner was Thai Ambassador Makawadee Sumitmor, another accomplished woman.
5-elements
Before the eight-course dinner (complemented by fine wines) began, we were treated to tom yum flavored banana and sweet potato chips with siracha mayo.
This was followed by amuse of Mieng Kham (prawns, shallots, ginger, coconut, cashew nuts and Thai lime wrapped in chaplu leaf) prepared by Chef Ja.
Cold appetizer of Chu Toro (coconut, yun sauce, basil oil and chili) by Chef Pam cooled the palate before the hot appetizer, Hokkaido Scallop (satay sauce, peanut vinaigrette and brioche on the side), also by the award-winning chef.
Chef Ja did not disappoint with her pre-main course of Khao Soy Pu (crab, Baerri caviar, homemade crisp noodles that softened in the Northern Thailand-style curry, black cardamom and shallot pickles.) Served in half a coconut shell, this was easily my favorite. It was oozing with flavors distinct to Southeast Asia.
The main course was A5 Wagyu tenderloin (with beef jus and Sichuan oil). Also a winner like Chef Pam, who is recognized as one of Thailand’s most influential voices in modern gastronomy, the wagyu tenderloin was not soaking in sauces but was steeped in flavor. This is how I like my steak.
It was good the tenderloin was half a palm’s size (but thick) because not only was there dessert — there was pre-dessert, Ma Nao. A concoction of Chef Ja, it was a feast to the eyes as well as it was served so artistically and daintily. Thai lime sorbet was veiled by a sweet and intricate thin crust that even had love birds on it!
It was good to leave room for dessert by Chef Pam — Coconut Mousse (mango compote, pandan tuile, coconut and white sesame Thai puffed rice cracker).
A delightful Petit Four by Chef Ja capped the evening, with coffee.
The dinner wasn’t just a collaboration between two talented female chefs, it also was culture that you could eat. Diplomacy that you could taste.
Chef Ja leads Benjarong Manila, shaping it into one of the metro’s most respected destinations for Thai dining. With experience in both Thailand and the Philippines, she presents Royal Thai cuisine with authenticity and precision. Under her leadership, Benjarong has become a multi-awarded restaurant, earning distinctions under TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice, the THAI SELECT Seal of Approval — affirming its place as a celebrated showcase of Thai culinary heritage in Manila’s dining scene.
At Chef Pam’s POTONG — located in Bangkok’s historic Chinatown in what was once her family’s traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy — Thai-Chinese cuisine is redefined for today’s generation. Her approach is guided by her five-element philosophy: Salt, Acid, Spice, Texture, and Maillard, a framework that shapes every dish. The result is a Michelin-starred restaurant, ranked on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, known for cuisine that is both rooted in research and distinctly modern.
The fusion of these philosophies took center stage in the special collaboration dinner.
Maraming salamat and kap khun ka! *
- Latest
