Chef Joachim Textor, Executive Chef at The Sukhothai Hotel, Bangkok

Chef Joachim Textor was born and raised in the Black Forest region in Germany. He began his apprenticeship and Hotel management school in Freiburg im Breisgau. His first few culinary posting stations in Switzerland led to a lifetime career, to date mapped across 5 continents, including London, Philippines, China, Singapore, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Dubai, Egypt, Shanghai, Saigon/Vietnam, and now finally reached Paradise Maldives Kihavah island.

Through rich exposure, he has honed his skills to different cuisine types and expressed indigenous flavors in innovative cuisine development over the years, which he keeps changing due to his culinary travel joyrides and dedication to his Chef profession! Yet today he had traveled twice around the world to 93 countries and 793 cities, which is equivalent to 58 % of the world or 1,920.183 Km. During this period of a few decades, he also had met the people and cooked for Hollywood stars, Celebrities, Kings and Queens, Sultans, Dignitaries, world leaders, and Presidents.

Was your decision to become a chef conscious or did you fall into it?

I had started in the school joining our girls, who had cooking sessions more as kind of fun. Out of that I started in Germany a 3 years apprenticeship, went on to become a good cook and the rest is history !

Who was your biggest influences to embrace a cooking career?

On my journey it was a German - Swiss chef but he teached me famous modern FRENCH Nouvelle cuisine

What are some emerging food trends that you’re noticing?

Nikkei cuisine a combination of Japanese technique with Peruvian ingredients used. Asian food like Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese are gaining still more on popularity beside the always famous Italian and heavy French cuisine.

What’s an emerging ingredient that you’re using a lot of these days?

I like to cook with fresh coriander-also known as cilantro in south America. Cajun spice or middle eastern aromas like cumin powder for my Shakshuka eggs or Sumac powder occasionally for middles eastern grill specialities.

Grilled Octopus with smoked paprika powder is also trendy. Greek yoghurt, saffron for a great fish sauce – beurre blanc, also I like to use Togarashi and Japanese shanso pepper or Mala-amazing Sichuan pepper

How easy or difficult is it to find the right ingredients for ... cuisine in Bangkok?

As an emerging world cosmopolitan city like Bangkok it is from year to year easier to find most products and ingredients from all over the world.

What would you cook at home if you were just making a laid-back dinner?

Dinner nowadays, I eat rather a light meal. Sometimes, a simple but healthy French du puy mountain lentils“Lentil soup “great in protein with some fresh herbs and sausage inside, a dark caraway bread at the side.

Or a great Tomato-Mozzarella salad with some Parma ham, olives, artichoke and salami. Accompanied by a Mediterranean Fougasse bread

What’s the difference between being an Executive Chef in Germany (Europe) and in Bangkok?

In Bangkok, the kitchen teams – brigade are bigger, and the food is more based on international – Asian specialities. Many food products are much better affordable from the market. Food purchase became expensive past years in Europe.

Do you source as much local produce as possible for each restaurant and does this have a big impact on the menu?

It depends for which kind of restaurant type! At our Thai restaurant we primarily serving regional, sustainable food partly direct rom the farmers. Whereby at our Italian restaurant we do import most cold cuts, cheeses, antipasti and meat cuts. But even there we do use some local great fishes as per market availability.

For our No 1 award winning Sukhothai Sunday Brunch we are using both, finest imported French and Irish Oysters, French Foie Gras, Kamchatka King Crab legs, Spanish Venus clams, Belgium fresh mussels, Australian whole prime rib of beef, Finest Lamb Tenderloin. And for our Thai section of course we do use all domestic sustainable products and supporting the community.

How is people’s relationship with food different between Europe and Thailand?

In Europe people still tend to buy -eat a lot out of the supermarket because of time constrain for own cooking at home. Here in Bangkok / Asia most food is still cooked fresh like a la minute anywhere you go. Can be a Hawker stall along the street, or even in a shopping mall food outlet.

Is there one dish that sums up your style?

SUBJECT HEALTHY STYLE: There are so many. I like “Lemon pepper Tuna tataki” to start with. Then there is my special French Oyster Bisque with Noilly Prat. Elixir of beef bone broth simmered for 2 days to get the collagen out, perfumed with aged Sherry wine.

Recently, I had introduced a new recipe “Himalayan Salmon Trout “ poached in a court bouillon with a bit ginger, served with a saffron-caviar emulsion! For the Dessert I had twisted my German curd quark cheese cake around and using – supporting now the local farmers as they produce extra for us in Sukhotai Hotel the “cured quark cheese ‘ under strict hygienic and veterinary standards.

Will any of the dishes you discovered recently be making their way onto your menus?

Yes, most of my above mentioned dishes are showcased and on offer at our new In-room dining menu, Thimian Café, Banqueting as well catering menus and of course at our latest elevated No 1 recently awarded Sunday Brunch.

Do you try out dishes on your family or friends?

Not so much at this point of time.My family is presently based in Germany.

How often do you change at the menu at ...?

We do change our menus on a regular base every 4-6 month, but of course I keep my best sellers always on and add some latest recipes and trendy dishes onto it.

Do you serve vegetarian dishes?

Certainly we do serve these days various vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, or allergen dishes or anything else by demand on request.

What are your customers' most frequently requested dish?

Often these days it is Seafood variety, Steaks, Korean Kimchi, Favourite Thai, Italian and of course our Saturday Chocolate afternoon buffet is very popular still. Whereby I do offer by now 40 different kind of cacaos – chocolates from around the globe.

I believe no other Hotel is matching this diversity in Bangkok and different % of finest Valhrona chocolate on the plate. Latest delivery last week MATCHA Chocolate and Bolivian ALPACA Chocolate a fine aromatic concoctions.

What do you think the most important qualities are in a young chef?

Love what you do, durability, energetic, enthusiasm, passionate and seeing the bigger what he/ she wants to be in 2 – 5 years down the road.As the first decade is hard on the learning curve to become from a small cook grown into a CHEF !

Can you name some famous people you have cooked for?

To many, Joan Collins, Roger More, Onassis clan, Kennedy clan, Helmut Kohl,George W Bush, etc. I am sending you a separate word file with the people I had cooked for in case you would like to add more on from my list !

What’s the one cooking tool that a Chef should not be without?

A “Grater “ to grate nutmegs for example for Italian polenta’s, or parmesan cheese ( not so often seen these days ) but for me it still makes a difference in Flavors )

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Work for yourself and work hard for your own reputation building your own future and aspirations you have ! WHY ? Because as bigger the companies get, you become just a NUMBER itself and they do not care about you anymore, I had seen that several times within my long and diverse career.

What are your favorite restaurants in Bangkok?

Very difficult question, but not a Michelin star rated restaurant I can tell you that. I like to go regular for above average Chinese Food and recently I had re-visited The Conrad Hotel their Chinese restaurant or sometimes I go for a Lebanese restaurant.

Your favorite holiday destination?

Beside Thailand it will be CHINA, for the diversity in the country side and various unexplored indigenous cuisines like Gobi Desert I had visited Dunhuang along the ancient silk road or Chengdu with their famous Sichuan cuisine.

What’s next for you (plans, dreams, …)?

I just arrived barely 4 months ago here at Sukhothai Bangkok as their new Executive Chef and my aspiration was to become with my great F&B team to have the No 1 Sunday Brunch in Bangkok!

And I am very happy as well proud of our dedicated and hard-working very young team members, trainees and casual workers which did not make the job easier that we had archived such an accolade based on AI chat GPT as well from our regular Sukhothai guest in such a short time.

AMAZING, but I believe myself with the experience, dedication, support from senior leadership. A lot can be archived if you have a plan, vision and lead your team by example day by day 24/7.