Amatmontri: We work closely with our suppliers and get private imports of local Thai products three times a week.

Boonsrang: 90% of our ingredients are imported from Thailand. During the cooler winter months, we grow our own Thai herbs, like chillies and coriander, in the herb garden located within the grounds of the Park Hyatt Dubai.

Sanya Waengdongbang, chef de cuisine, The Royal Budha, Holiday Inn Dubai Al Barsha: We don’t import ourselves, but source locally from suppliers who have imported ingredients from Thailand. We support purchasing vegetables grown here in Dubai or the region as we want to encourage local farmers and businesses.

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Your biggest challenges?

Kunlert: Changing the menu and tweaking some dishes to make it taste more genuine. The team was a bit hesitant, especially when regulars started asking for old dishes. In addition, ensuring consistency in all outlets can be difficult sometimes.

Amatmontri: Spice levels are very subjective, especially in Thai cuisine. We offer four different levels of spiciness: mild, medium, spicy and very spicy. We have guests coming from all over the world, with varying tolerance levels; our staff tries to understand and match the required spice levels, but sometimes it turns out to be slightly under or over spicy.

Boonsrang: In the past, not only were our chefs native but the service staff were too. Nowadays it is a lot more difficult to have a full team of authentic Thai service staff.

Waengdongbang: The ingredients — they have a short shelf life and lose their flavours over time.

Latest trend in Thai cuisine?

Kunlert: Authentic Thai food with modern presentation.

Tuparsa: Thai cuisine is evolving, and many restaurants are now using non-Thai ingredients to add depth and complexity of flavours. Also, some chefs are opting for minimalistic plate design to modernise and elevate Thai cuisine. However, our focus is to remain respectful of Thai cuisine’s essential culinary traditions and adhere to its principles for authenticity and integrity.

Plangthaisong: As a lot of people in the region have visited Thailand and understand the Thai concept of sharing menus, this is the direction we have chosen to go in.

Amatmontri: Fresh rolls — almost like spring rolls but they are not fried. We recently introduced them on our menu for summer — it’s rice paper filled with fresh vegetables, topped with peanuts and homemade Thai tamarind sauce.

Boonsrang: Zesty, tangy, healthy and lighter dishes rather than fried or heavy dishes.

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