This October, Andō (one MICHELIN-starred & most recently new DIAMOND award winner from Trip. Gourmet) welcomes one MICHELIN-starred Wana Yook from Bangkok for the first time in Hong Kong for a special two-night collaboration in Hong Kong, bringing together Executive Chef Agustin Ferrando Balbi and Thai-Indian chef Chalee Kader for the first chapter of a two-city exchange. Taking place at Andō on 6 and 7 October 2026, the collaboration will present a special tasting menu priced at HK$2,580 + 10% per guest. The chefs will reunite in Bangkok on 15 October 2026 for the second chapter at Wana Yook. The theme of the dinner will focus on FIRE, from the heat of Wana Yook and WATER, from the sea-based cuisine of ANDO.
The collaboration brings together two restaurants with deeply personal approaches to cuisine. At Andō, Chef Balbi draws upon his Argentine heritage and the years he spent cooking in Japan, expressed through a style that moves fluidly between cultures and techniques. At Wana Yook, Chef Kader revisits the flavours and traditions of Thailand through a contemporary tasting-menu format, taking inspiration from regional recipes, familiar dishes and the country’s ubiquitous khao gaeng, or rice-and-curry culture.
When Fire Meets Water
For their Hong Kong collaboration, the chefs have created a menu shaped by the contrasting ideas of fire and water.
Chef Kader takes on FIRE, drawing on the heat, spice and aromatic intensity that run through Thai cuisine. Chef Balbi responds with WATER, using seafood, citrus, chilled preparations and oceanic flavours to create a lighter counterpoint. Rather than merging their cooking into a single style, the menu allows each chef’s identity to remain distinct, with dishes presented in conversation with one another throughout the evening.
The experience begins with Kao Soi by Wana Yook, Kader’s interpretation of the northern Thai curry noodle dish, layered with herbs, crisp textures and beef curry. Andō follows with a delicate tart of Kinmedai, Lemon Gel, Uni and Baby Basil, combining raw kinmedai with cucumber, smoked soy sauce and citrus.
The dialogue continues with Wana Yook’s Kung Chae Naam Pla, pairing amaebi with turmeric, lime and chilli alongside pomelo, bitter gourd and shallots. Its heat is followed by Andō’s chilled Buri, Citric Panna Cotta, Umami Sauce and Ginger-Lime Granita, featuring cured buri with yuzu panna cotta and a ginger-led leche de tigre.
For Wana Yook’s Tom Jiw of Scallops, Kader turns to a warming broth infused with beetroot and sweet potato, finished with pepper, fresh chilli and holy basil. Balbi answers with Coral Grouper, Seaweed, Crêpe and Maitake: crisp-scaled coral grouper with an aonori, butter and Champagne sauce, accompanied by a seaweed crêpe filled with maitake mushrooms and finished with dashi foam.
A Thai-Inspired Rice Course
Rice brings the two chefs together for the main savoury course. Wana Yook presents Coconut Rice, steamed with coconut solids, alongside Curry Tumis, a Melayu-influenced curry prepared with mussels or clams. Hormok Morel transforms another familiar Thai flavour profile, filling morel mushrooms with a mousse of fish and red curry paste.
The evening then moves into dessert with Andō’s Air Chocolate, Coconut and Dulce de Leche, combining 62% chocolate, dulce de leche ice cream, coconut foam and a crisp cacao tuile. Petit fours complete the menu with one final exchange between Bangkok and Hong Kong: Wana Yook’s Bua Loy, rice cake with taro in coconut milk, alongside Andō’s Fig and Ricotta Tart.
