David Thompson is an Australian

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

, restaurateur and cookery writer, known for his skill and expertise in Thai cuisine.

Career

Thompson made his name at ''Darley Street Thai'' in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, which he opened in 1992 in Darley St, Newtown upon his return from living and working in Bangkok for several years. He then opened ''Sailors Thai'' in 1995, also in

. The success of these restaurants got him noticed by Singaporean hotelier Christina Ong, who asked him to open a restaurant in one of her COMO hotels. ''Nahm'' opened in 2001 in The Halkin hotel in London, and received a

Michelin star The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...

within six months. It was the first Thai restaurant to gain this award. Thompson received the "London Chef of the Year" award at the Carlton Evening Standard Food Awards in 2003. In 2010, he opened a second branch of ''Nahm'' in another hotel belonging to the COMO Hotels group, the Metropolitan in Bangkok. In 2012 Thompson closed ''Nahm'' London to concentrate on ''Nahm'' Bangkok. In 2014, ''Nahm'' was listed as Asia's best restaurant and remained on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list for seven consecutive years. Nahm was awarded a Michelin star in 2017 when the Michelin Guide first included restaurants in Thailand. In 2014, Thompson founded the Aylmer Aaharn Thai food group which came to manage operations across six countries including Thailand and Australia. In that year Thompson was also the headline chef for the inaugural Wonder Feasts series at the first

Wonderfruit Wonderfruit is an annual gathering that explores wonder through art, culture, music, and nature taking place at The Fields at Siam Country Club, outside Pattaya in Chonburi Province, Thailand. With an emphasis on experiences that explore the rela ...

festival, in Thailand. In 2015, Thompson was interviewed on Bloomberg Television series '' High Flyers'' in Singapore. In 2015 Thompson commenced a chain of low-key Thai restaurants with ''Long Chim'' Singapore and ''Long Chim'' Perth. Branches in Sydney (2016), Melbourne (2017) and Seoul (2018) followed. The Singapore and Melbourne restaurants closed in 2019 and the Seoul restaurant in 2020. In 2016 Thompson was recognised with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Awards for his dedication and commitment to Thai cuisine. In 2018, Thompson left ''Nahm'' Bangkok and opened another Thai restaurant, ''Aaharn'', in Hong Kong.

Personal life

Thompson is married to his Thai business partner, Tanongsak Yordwai.

Books

Thompson has also written three books. The first, ''Classic Thai Cuisine'' was published in 1993. The second, ''Thai Food'', a comprehensive account of Thai cuisine, covering its history and role in society, as well as numerous recipes and menus, was released in 2002. His third book, ''Thai Street Food,'' is a collection of his favourite 100 recipes of the street.

References

External links

Article about David ThompsonDavid Thompson in an interview
with '' The Guardian'': One night in Bangkok on the trail of Thai street food
David Thompson Q&A with DestinAsian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, David Australian chefs Living people Thai cuisine Australian food writers Cookbook writers Head chefs of Michelin starred restaurants Year of birth missing (living people) People from Sydney James Beard Foundation Award winners