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Despite what many perceive, a chef’s path is not always easy. This makes winning two prestigious awards at The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony Thailand 2025 a memorable lifetime achievement for Chef Sittikorn "Ou" Chantop. The passionate young chef dreams of showing the world what 'true' Thai food is like.
Before AKKEE, Chef Chantop honed his skills at Nahm and later co-owned a craft beer bar. His passion for fermented drinks and local produce inspired the bar, which, unfortunately, closed down. Three years later, Chef Chantop rekindled his culinary passion with the opening of AKKEE, which means "fire" in Thai.
"I started cooking about 10 years ago. At first, I studied it to help with the family business. I never planned to become a chef. However, after graduation, my mindset changed. I wanted to show the world how Thai people actually eat. Thai cuisine is sophisticated and diverse. We have regional food cultures. We have meals served as 'samrub' that a family enjoys together. It’s a wholesome meal, consisting of a rice dish for each person, along with vegetables, chilli paste, curries, and spicy salads to be shared."
With this inspiration, the 32-year-old chef opened AKKEE. The restaurant in Nonthaburi offers Thai cuisine based on traditional recipes, with some dishes adapted for modern times and others prepared as originally instructed. The MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2025 Ceremony marked a historic moment for AKKEE. The restaurant earned its first MICHELIN Star, and its head chef returned to the stage to receive the MICHELIN Young Chef Award, presented by Blancpain, becoming the first Thai man to achieve this honour.
“We must first have a clear intention of what we want to do and why we want to do it. In the end, the awards will follow as a result.”
“I’m delighted and excited. I never expected to receive the MICHELIN Young Chef Award. It is one of the biggest accomplishments as a chef,” Chef Chantop shared his feelings about earning the MICHELIN Young Chef Award presented by Blancpain, which is given annually to rising young chefs.
"There have been sacrifices on the way to reaching this height. Cooking with the sole desire for MICHELIN Stars is not the right mindset. We must first have a clear intention of what we want to do and why we want to do it. In the end, the accolades will follow. Don’t focus on them, as the pressure could hinder the quality of your work."
When asked what sets him apart from other young chefs, Chef Chantop replied, "I believe it’s the way I source my ingredients. Discovering new produce from across Thailand takes time. We explore every district and every province. We engage with farmers in each locality. It’s a painstaking process before we can finalise our ingredient lists."
Everyone would agree that discovering the finest ingredients is one of the essential skills chefs are expected to master. To effectively tell stories through cuisine, chefs must blend countless elements together. This process reflects the determination of the chef, who is ultimately the leader of the kitchen. When asked about the most memorable experience in his career, Chef Chantop recalled his journey with the AKKEE team to source ingredients from various regions across Thailand.
“Many of the farmers we’ve met are small-scale, but I want them to recognise that what they’re doing has a significant impact on this country.”
“Earlier this year, we harvested ant eggs in Ubon Ratchathani and fished in the Chi River. These hands-on activities allow our team to truly understand and respect the ingredients. They now appreciate the care and effort involved before these ingredients even reach our kitchen.
“I’m committed to sourcing more from local farmers and fishermen. There are countless hidden gems to be discovered. Afterwards, I’ll personally tell each farmer that it’s because of their produce that we’ve earned these prestigious awards. I want them to feel proud. Many of the farmers we’ve met are small-scale, but I want them to recognise that what they’re doing has a significant impact on this country.
When asked for advice for aspiring chefs who wish to follow in his footsteps, he shared: “It's inspiring to see young, aspiring chefs, but I want them to understand that it may take time before their careers truly take off. You need to learn the ins and outs of kitchen work. Choosing this path might mean sacrificing other opportunities along the way.”
Blancpain is the world’s oldest Swiss luxury watch brand and the proud sponsor of the MICHELIN Young Chef Award, fostering its connections with the world of haute cuisine and award-winning chefs for over 30 years.
“Innovation” has always been Blancpain’s watchword, emphasising the brand’s core values of precision, passion, authenticity, and creativity. These values epitomise watchmakers and chefs as they strive to be extraordinary and test their boundaries with inventiveness to achieve excellence. Both seek to create masterpieces as they innovate for success.
Not only is Blancpain an official timekeeper for renowned culinary competitions, but it also counts chefs, past and present, from hundreds of MICHELIN Star restaurants as friends and boon companions.
For a long time, Blancpain and The MICHELIN Guide’s global partnership has promoted the pursuit of excellence, passion, and expertise, which applies to the MICHELIN Young Chef Award Presented by Blancpain. The award goes to the most outstanding candidate out of a group of the most promising chefs who have proven themselves as exceptionally talented and creative innovators, creating dining experiences.
The MICHELIN Young Chef Award, presented By Blancpain, is the historic watch brand’s recognition of audacious young chefs seeking to add their creative flair to haute cuisine. The brand lends prestige to the award, promoting Thailand’s place in the culinary world while encouraging young chefs to pursue excellence on both the local and international stage by pushing the boundaries of their creativity and innovation.
Illustration image: © MICHELIN Guide Thailand
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