David Thompson is the MasterChef at nahm

MasterChef  David Thompson

A recent appearance on the hit BBC food show MasterChef by David Thompson has confirmed his place as an important voice for modern Thai cuisine. David is the award-winning chef and founder of Thai restaurant nahm at Metropolitan, Bangkok, and nahm London, which was the first European Thai restaurant ever to achieve a Michelin star.

nahm at Metropolitan, Bangkok

David appeared on the hit British show, seen by over eight million viewers, on March 1st. Bookings at the London restaurant soared by an incredible 400 per cent following the hour-long broadcast—commanding a viewing figure higher than the BBC national news—while visits to the nahm website at Metropolitan, Bangkok were also up by 80 per cent. This once again proved David's ability to excite and inspire Western diners with his passion for Thai food.

Street Markets of Chiang Mai

In the show, contestants were taken to the street markets of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to experience the fast pace of authentic Thai cooking and try their hand at running their own street food stall. David, whose books Thai Food and Thai Street Food are widely regarded as among the most comprehensive texts on the subject, guided the contestants through the complexities of Thai cooking at street level. Also in the programme contestants were given the task of preparing a lavish feast for a Thai prince.

David said: "You can eat exceptionally well on the streets and markets of Thailand. Everyone who lives in Thailand has their favourite places to eat—both upmarket restaurants and further down the scale. I now actually prefer eating on the streets where the eating's good and relaxed. Really good places can be hard to find but look for the busiest ones—they are so for a reason."

nahm at The Halkin London

nahm at Metropolitan, Bangkok, which is part of the COMO Hotels and Resorts group, opened to critical acclaim in 2010. Since then it has come to be regarded as one of the leading Thai restaurants in Bangkok. Here standout Thai dishes include a coconut and turmeric curry of blue swimmer crab or lemongrass salad with porks, prawns and squid. There is also a colourful array of traditional salty and sweet Thai desserts and an extensive wine menu.

In London, nahm at The Halkin, which is also a COMO property, has had a loyal following in the capital since opening in 2001. The restaurant is warm yet eminently modern with generously spaced tables and sleek, Asian-style service.

Other Newsworthy Notes

-  David Thompson was also awarded 'Professional
of the Year' by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide in 2001, and in 2003
he was award 'London Chef of the Year' at the Carlton Evening Standard Food
Awards.

-   David's book, Thai Food, has been awarded with every major cookbook award in the years following its publication in 2003 and sales continue to perform well.

-    nahm Bangkok and nahm London are part of the COMO Hotels and Resorts Group, founded and owned by Christina Ong. For more information please visit www.como.bz