Thai-loving Delhiites are in for a treat as The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel & Residences has announced the appointment of Thanakit Sangjan as the Thai master chef for their all-day dining restaurant Spectra. A resident of Bangkok, the chef has almost one and a half decades of experience working at luxurious hotel groups like Park Hyatt and Anantara.
At Spectra, the chef is expected to serve authentic Thai cuisine, aligning with the country’s growing appreciation for delicacies like Tom Yum Soup and Khao Pad. He said,
“The focus will be to introduce Indian guests to authentic Thai cuisine and other Asian cuisines where I have honed my skills over the years. This includes Chinese, Malaysian, and others. We will also present special Thai nights for guests to enjoy a gastronomic getaway.”
Early ambitions
In the world of spices, many internationally acclaimed chefs are considered ‘late bloomers.’ Chef Thanakit has a different story, however. Born in a family of chefs, he knew what he wanted to do early and started parking himself in the kitchen in childhood. “My parents were chefs and at an early age, I started cooking in my home kitchen. This was also when I decided to pursue this professionally. I worked as a chef at a restaurant in Bangkok for 10 years, after which, on being pursued by my friends, I decided to travel abroad to work as a chef.”
Since then, Thanakit’s journey has been a roller coaster ride. Travelling and working across multiple nations like the United Arab Emirates and Tunisia have provided him with the luxury of meeting new people with their cultures, and vast culinary stories. Although the focus remained on cooking Thai and Asian delicacies, the experiences groomed his journey as a chef.
In search of spices
Chef Thanakit’s landing in India was a sincere decision to stay close to his homeland. With the easy import of spices directly from Thailand, he believes he can leave a mark with his culinary vision.
“I came to India because it is closer to my home and we can import the authentic herb that distinguishes authentic Thai food from the infused flavours and versions. At The Leela Ambience Gurugram, we are importing most of our spices and herbs.”