Food has the power to transport travellers into the heart of a destination. To mark International Chefs Day, Anantara lifts the lid on the kitchens of two chefs who use their craft to preserve culture. In Vienna, memories of a grandmother’s cooking inspire a modern interpretation of Austrian heritage in a MICHELIN-starred kitchen; in Phuket, Southern Thai ingredients become a gateway to the stars. Though separated by continents and culinary traditions, both chefs see food as a living archive, connecting travellers with the stories, people and places that define a destination.
At Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel, Paul Gamauf, Head Chef of MICHELIN-starred EDVARD, approaches cooking as an act of preservation as much as creation, using food to define a culture where imperial grandeur and humble comfort food sit side by side. Inspired by childhood memories of baking apple strudel alongside his grandmother, the Vienna native draws on traditional knowledge, seasonality and forgotten techniques to ensure Austria’s culinary heritage continues to evolve rather than fade into nostalgia. Whether reimagining humble favourites such as molten Käsespätzle, giving new expression to the iconic apricot-filled Eismarillenknödel, or perfecting age-old pickling and fermentation techniques, Chef Gamauf hopes that what endures for guests dining at EDVARD is the same feeling he first discovered in his grandmother’s kitchen: a memory of an evening filled with passion.
Across the world in Thailand, Anantara Layan Phuket Resort’s Chef Supakarn “Hong” Lienpanich begins every recipe with the belief that ingredients carry stories: of the hands that harvested, the soil that nurtured and the sun that caressed. At Dara, an observatory-topped restaurant overlooking Layan Bay, that storytelling spirit takes flight, inviting diners to “taste the universe” through Chef Hong’s signature Rabob Suriya Jakawan dessert. Yet even her most otherworldly creations remain firmly rooted in the soil and waters of the Andaman. Working closely with local fishermen, farmers and producers, Chef Hong ensures that local knowledge is preserved, the people behind each ingredient are celebrated, and food becomes a medium through which guests experience familiar flavours in new way.
