What is it? A Michelin-starred, multi-award-winning Thai-Chinese fine dining restaurant by Chef Pam Pichaya Soontornyanakij, aka Asia's Best Female Chef 2024. It is located in a century-old Sino-Portuguese building that has served generations as a Chinese herbal medicine outlet in Bangkok's Yaowarat district (aka Chinatown).
Why we love it: Potong serves up experiences, one floor at a time. Fourth-generation heir Chef Pam maintains a serious family heritage, transforming the original building into a restaurant where history coexists with innovation across five floors. Her fine Thai-Chinese tasting menu is served on the second and third floors, the original apothecary, surrounded by vintage fixtures and fittings. Her five-element philosophy balances the five pillars of Thai cuisine – salt, acidity, spice, texture and the Maillard effect – in dishes that both honour and challenge tradition. The tasting menu takes you on a journey, with specialities ranging from blackened chicken with Chinese herbs to 14-day-aged duck and seasonal seafood sourced from local purveyors.
Time Out tip: Start at Sino Bar on the ground floor, with its period wooden ceiling. Then head to the fourth floor and Opium Bar, which delivers exactly what its name promises – a fluid, surreal escape. The rooftop crowns your visit, offering rarely seen views of Chinatown below. And don’t rush off without sampling Chef Pam’s kāng pǔ chá (kombucha) selection, which bubbles away in Potong’s dedicated fermentation room.