At POTONG, Chef Pam delivers a contemporary and exciting experience of progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine. Located near the entrance to Sampeng Market, the restaurant is located in a 120-year-old Sino-Portuguese architectural building and the traditional medicine house of Chef Pam’s great-great-grandparents.

OVERVIEW

A Progressive Thai-Chinese Cuisine by Chef Pam. With 5 Elements, 5 Senses: Taste Chef Pam’s (World’s Best Female Chef) memories of her culinary journey in heritage home of 120 years old building passed down from her ancestor as 4th generation POTONG’s Traditional Medicine House situated in the heart of Yaowaraj (Chinatown Thailand).

POTONG is the multi-award winning restaurant and is the only MICHELIN Star restaurant that also awarded 1-Diamond from Black Pearl Guide in Chinatown Thailand. Currently ranked #1 TOP25 Restaurant in Bangkok, #13 in ASIA, and #13 in World Best restaurant and voted World Best New Restaurant from Condé Nast Traveller's Hot List.

AMBIENCE

POTONG consists of five different floors, each with its own story. The “old meets new” rustic and contemporary design ensures most of the building’s historic structures remain intact. Interior highlights include a 2-man wooden elevator once used by Chef Pam’s family to transfer secret medicine recipes and ingredients between floors. POTONG at Chinatown Bangkok - A Rising Star at TOP25 Restaurants BangkokThe first-floor bar is decorated with jars used for fermenting soy sauces and vinegar that evoke the building’s history as a pharmacy and used to be the storefront for the POTONG dispensary. It is now POTONG Sino Bar, retaining the beauty of a 100-year-old wood ceiling.

The second floor, encompassed by lovely old-fashioned dividers, windows, and admittance to a little outside overhang, is the main dining room, and the Chef’s Fine Thai-Chinese tasting course begins here. The third floor did not undergo any restorative work. There is an amazing featured sanctuary that was perfectly outfitted in the center of the room and enhanced with Guan Yu and Zhang Hui drawings. The room is additionally encircled by wooden dividers hand-painted by craftsmen to portray eight hidden tigers, representing wealth and success. Creating an ultimate dining experience, this definitive space is built for visitors to appreciate the tasting menu while enjoying the history of POTONG.

In the bygone era, the fourth floor was the space for loosening up. When opium was still legal, the space was used to contain a tremendous Chinese daybed placed directly in the center, which was obviously utilized for the smoking of opium. Truly inspiring, this zone has now been transformed into the “OPIUM BAR” using the concept of “Liquid Surreality“, transporting guests back in time. Hidden on the fourth floor is another very private area called “Blackjade“, inspired by the family’s favorite piece of jewelry, the black jade, which represents power, protection, and wisdom. This space is an exclusive space for a private gathering of guests with tailored cocktails and a personal bartender.

Chef Pam’s relatives used to assemble and stargaze on the fifth floor in the evenings. Visitors to the top floor can still spot the legacy POTONG logo. This space has become the most anticipated zone where guests can check out the surrounding buildings, which are the focal point of Chinatown, while drinking exquisite mixed drinks, cocktails, beers, wines, and beverages from the OPIUM Bar.

MUST TRY

14-Day Dry Aged Duck with 5 Spices, Pad Thai with Nakhon Si Thammarat Shrimp

FOOD

At POTONG, Chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij transforms a 120-year-old ancestral shophouse in Bangkok’s Chinatown into a stage for her 11-course tasting experience — “5 Elements, 5 Senses | Revolution.” Each course captures her Thai - Chinese heritage through progressive storytelling, merging culinary artistry with emotion and memory.

Signature highlights include the 14-Day Aged Duck, masterfully dry-aged to enhance umami depth and aromatic spice, and the Pad Thai, deconstructed into refined layers of shrimp and local Nakhon Si Thammarat influences. The journey moves through courses like black chicken with Chinese herbs, scallop with satay sauce, and desserts such as Heritage — pandan, Thai-tea nama chocolate, and mango coconut-sesame — each celebrating balance and transformation.

To complement this experience, POTONG curates a sophisticated beverage program featuring rare wines from 21 different countries, house-fermented kombuchas, and house crafted Thai sato called sato 422, a traditional rice wine reimagined through modern fermentation techniques to harmonize with the evolving flavors of the menu. Within its restored architecture, atmospheric lighting, and personalized service, POTONG offers more than dining — it’s an immersive cultural narrative where history, innovation, and the senses converge.

SERVICE

Excellent service, delivering expertly exquisitely sized dishes of superb quality food amid stunning presentation.

PRICING

5 senses, 5 elements | “revolution” | THB 6,300++

SUMMARY

Though there’s plenty of interestingly delicious culinary flair on display across her 20-course dinner menu and the desserts can be overwhelming, each dish feels deeply personal to Chef Pam’s heritage and the Chinatown neighborhood. Beyond just the amazing food and its presentation, the history and the architecture of the building and the interior ambience throughout the different floors make the whole dining experience even more special. Set aside about three hours to complete all the delicious 20 courses.

ABOUT CHEF

The World’s Best Female Chef 2025 and Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024, Chef “Pam”, Pichaya Soontornyanakij, has opened a string of successful restaurants and bar. Chef Pam is the first ever Asian and Thai Female Chef to receive The World’s Best Female Chef status, together she also earned Michelin Star and “Opening of the Year” awards from the Michelin Guide in the same year. She is also the first and only Thai female chef who achieved status of 3 knives from the World Best Chef Award. Her restaurant POTONG is also voted #1 in Bangkok by TOP25 Bangkok Restaurants.

Chef Pam has become a critically acclaimed chef and global television personality (Top Chef Thailand, Top Chef Arab World, World Cook Competition, Iron Chef, Maverick Academy, and many more) and is one of the most recognized faces in culinary of Asia today.