Chef Jonathan Bruell’s ability to cook has taken him all over the world for the past 40 years. From Bermuda and Switzerland to Egypt and the Cook Islands, Chef Jon has brought his culinary skills to countless diners spanning the globe. All the same, it’s Thailand, and Phuket, in particular, that he now calls home. It’s where he expects to spend the rest of his life.

“I have travelled the world and spent many years in Australia,” Chef Jon said. “I made many visits to Phuket before moving, but the main reason why I’m here is the quality of life, people, and culture. Thailand is now home, and I will not move again because it gives me the life balance I’m looking for.”

Having most recently spent six years as the Executive Chef at four-star resort The Boathouse in Phuket, Chef Jon lauds the unexpected variety of fresh produce that Thailand grows. He says its culinary scene has progressed to rival anywhere in the world.

“Thailand is now a major world player on the food scene,” Chef Jon says, pointing out recent openings by world-class chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Alain Ducasse, and Jean-Michel Loraine. What draws these European chefs to this corner of Southeast Asia? Well, the fantastic ingredients, for one.

“Every country has its own merits and different things as far as food goes, but Thailand is more diverse in that respect, and it’s also ingredient driven as well,” he explains. “As far as Thailand goes, there’s a lot of things you can get here, like locally sourced beef and sustainable fish, that aren’t available everywhere. There are also things that people don’t capitalize on; for example, Thailand has a vast range of mushrooms.”

This combination of “the food and people” is what makes up Chef Jon’s favourite things about Thailand, far outweighing his least favourite aspect of life here: “Traffic”. But that doesn’t mean he sees the local restaurant scene through rose-coloured glasses. Bangkok, in particular, has a reputation as a cutthroat battleground for restaurateurs. With street food vendors and convenience stores thrown into the mix, the competition for loyal customers is fierce. This explains why not everyone succeeds. Recent high-profile closings include Jamie Oliver, American indie pizza darling Roberta’s, and even Joël Robuchon, in spite of its Michelin star.

That is why organizations like the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs are so important in a place like Thailand, where restaurants cooking superior food can be supported and celebrated, even in slow periods. “I joined the Chaîne in Australia, but before that, I’d cooked for Chaîne dinners in Egypt, in Korea, in countries where it’s a very high-society thing,” he says. “When I joined in Australia, it was more of a networking thing. But here in Thailand, of all the Chaîne experiences I’ve ever been to, it’s a higher standard. If you went around the world and picked the quality of the dinners, Thailand would be number one.”

Alas, one thing that Thailand doesn’t quite have is the food of Chef Jon’s childhood in Brazil, like vatapao (seafood stew) and feijoada (bean stew). But “I can make them if I want them,” he says. “I enjoy the Chaîne events; it’s a sea change for me as well. I actually don’t eat out in Phuket. I like simple cooked food.”

Chawadee Nualkhair
Vice-Chargée de Presse
Bailliage of Bangkok Rattanakosin