Dining

Located in The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok, Kintsugi Bangkok by Jeff Ramsey elevates classical Japanese Kaiseki cuisine while remaining true to its ancient roots. Japanese-American celebrity chef Jeff Ramsey explores the potential of daring new directions at this stylish restaurant in Bangkok. Kintsugi translates as “connected with gold” and is a reference to the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with gold lacquer. The pottery isn’t repaired to cover the damage, but rather to highlight it with gold. The refurbished pottery is considered beautiful, regardless of being imperfect. Chef Ramsey uses this as a metaphor for his style of Kaiseki cuisine.

The design of Kintsugi Bangkok by Jeff Ramsey evokes the style of a sleekly modern Japanese restaurant, combining a pure minimalist aesthetic with rustic elements in the furnishings, clusters of hanging lamps, and strong vertical lines in the semi-transparent screens. In this styling, the traditional heritage of Japanese dining is brought into the modern world without losing its classic form. The preparation kitchen and serving counter are to one side, with seating, while tables and two private rooms provide other seating options.

A gingko leaf is depicted in the restaurant logo, the gingko representing endurance and history, as it is the oldest species of tree in existence. Four trees that were alive during the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima are still growing today. Chef Ramsey’s mother was born the same year in Hiroshima. In autumn the green leaves of the gingko turn a brilliant yellow, paving streets in Japan with a golden carpet from the fallen leaves. The blue represents the ocean and tranquility.

Chef Ramsey is a third generation Japanese chef and his Kaiseki cuisine is rooted in tradition yet always forwards thinking. For his new venture at our Bangkok luxury hotel, he says that Kaiseki is the original tasting menu that has influenced Japanese restaurants the world over, and that he is simply bringing the world back to Kaiseki. Jeff and his Japanese wife’s family roots both lie in Western Japan. Kintsugi focuses on ingredients sourced from Western Japan and combines these with produce sourced from providers in and around Bangkok. The philosophy of Kintsugi guides the theme of the restaurant, with the connecting of cultures through cuisine being a key feature.

Jeff Ramsey, an American-Japanese who was trained in Japan with Masayoshi Kazato, the official Sushi Ambassador of Japan, is the first non-Japanese Master Sushi Chef. He was selected by Japanese super-chef Hide Yamamoto to open The Molecular Bar Restaurant in Tokyo, earning a Michelin star rating, making him the first and still only American to earn a Michelin star outside of the United States. Chef Ramsey has been awarded as the King of Kitchens by Hapa Awards series for 2018-2020 and is the Chef Ambassador for Perrier-Jouet Champagne and Martel Cognac for Malaysia.

The restaurant's design evokes an earlier Chinese era, drawing upon the Art Deco style that was popular in Shanghai during the 1920s, but brought up to date with modern artworks and comfort. Plum-coloured wooden doors and cabinets, glass screens inlaid with gold tracery, a marble mosaic floor, and stylish retro lighting combine to bring an air of elegance and intimacy to the restaurant

The food concept of “Modern Authenticity” is the forefront of the menu, in which the chefs respect the heritage of Chinese recipes and traditions and present them for a modern audience. The signature Peking Duck uses only the finest ducks, marinated with Chinese wine, herbs, ginger, sugar and natural red-bean colouring before grilling to produce skin that is exceptionally crispy and thin but succulent, carved into 20 satisfying morsels of exactly the same size. Seasonal ingredients, and the ingenuity of the kitchen, ensure that each visit reveals a different experience. The selection of the choicest Chinese teas is also presented with a ritual based upon tradition. The a la carte menu contains a listing of approximately 40 dishes. Set menus are available. A special set lunch menu combines dim sum, rice, soup and tea, ideal for shopping and business breaks in Bangkok. Most dishes are designed for sharing, in traditional Chinese style. A full selection of world wines is served.

Head chef Cheng Kam Sing is himself Cantonese, from China’s southern province of Guangdong. Growing up as the son of a chef, he showed an early talent and quickly came to love the atmosphere of a working kitchen. For several years he worked in the notoriously demanding kitchens of the top Hong Kong restaurants, and when he moved to Thailand, with his impeccable Cantonese cooking credentials he was immediately in demand by the most established and reputable Chinese restaurants in Bangkok. Under the deft navigation of Chef Kam, The Silk Road has achieved fame amongst Bangkok residents and overseas visitors alike for its delicious Chinese food and dim sum specialties.