{"id":411156,"date":"2026-07-24T20:01:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T20:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/411156\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T20:01:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T20:01:09","slug":"thai-celebrity-chef-chef-thitid-ton-tassanakajohn-brings-his-award-winning-skills-stateside-with-a-san-francisco-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/411156\/","title":{"rendered":"Thai Celebrity Chef Chef Thitid \u201cTon\u201d Tassanakajohn Brings His Award-Winning Skills Stateside With a San Francisco Restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"

An internationally acclaimed chef is set to debut an exciting new restaurant in San Francisco\u2019s SoMa district. Saam<\/a> is the newest restaurant from chef Thitid \u201cTon\u201d Tassanakajohn of Thailand, debuting on Friday, July 24. It\u2019s a notable opening, as it\u2019s Tassanakajohn\u2019s first venture in the United States after 18 years of cooking in Thailand. He\u2019s a second-career chef, first earning a degree in economics from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok before shifting his sights toward becoming a chef.<\/p>\n

He eventually graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and earned an MBA in hospitality from Johnson & Wales University. While in New York, he worked at Eleven Madison Park<\/a>, the Modern<\/a>, and Jean-Georges<\/a>, and he also eventually earned his Certified Sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2013. His restaurants in Bangkok went on to great acclaim: Le Du<\/a> earned a Michelin star<\/a> and earned the No. 1 slot in Asia\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants list, as well as No. 15 in the World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023 for its \u201ccontemporary tasting menu\u201d highlighting Thai cuisine (it is currently ranked at No. 35 on the World\u2019s 50 Best<\/a> as of 2026). Nusara<\/a> has nearly as much acclaim, with a Michelin star<\/a> and a No. 35 ranking on World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants in 2025, and No. 5 on Asia\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants<\/a> in 2026.<\/p>\n

This is all to say, he\u2019s highly regarded, with 13 restaurants under his belt. That\u2019s not even mentioning his celebrity chef status in Thailand, thanks to his role as a judge on Top Chef: Thailand.<\/p>\n

But Tassanakajohn isn\u2019t opening his San Francisco restaurant alone. Saam translates to \u201cthree,\u201d referencing the three partners behind the restaurant. Tassanakajohn has locally partnered with Tee Atthapon and Ty Choosuwan to run the restaurant. Atthapon is the owner and chef at new Thai restaurant Song Wat<\/a> in San Francisco and Kan Kiin<\/a> in Daly City. At Saam he takes on the role of general manager. Choosuwan serves as chef de cuisine under Tassanakajohn (who is executive chef); Choosuwan previously worked at Prospect<\/a> and Boulevard<\/a>, per the San Francisco Chronicle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the \u201cthree\u201d in Saam has another meaning. Saam also refers to the three flavors at the heart of Thai cuisine: spicy, sour, and salty. The team shares that they\u2019re looking to focus on \u201cthe lost recipes of Thai food\u201d and dishes that are rarely seen, even in Thailand. They\u2019re taking older, traditional recipes \u2014 some dating back a hundred years, they say \u2014 and translating them for modern diners, using new techniques and local ingredients, with many things made from scratch. (No canned curry paste here.) They\u2019re hoping to take the Bay Area beyond the familiar pad Thai and green curry served at Thai restaurants across the United States. Seafood will play a major role on the menu, and the approach will be more casual than, say, Tassanakajohn\u2019s Le Du.<\/p>\n

Large-format dishes include tiger prawn cooked with shrimp paste and fava beans; khao mun gaeng pla yang, a sea bass with \u201cSouthern-style\u201d turmeric rice; and pla phao, a salt-crusted branzino served with pla ra sauce and a peanut seafood sauce. Curries also take center stage, with three different options: pad ped ped, a duck-based curry; gaeng kua clams made with Manila clams; and gaeng kaaw, a vegetarian white curry with cauliflower and mushrooms. Lighter bites include the refreshing-sounding som tum peaches, starring, yes, peaches, with marinated shrimp, cherry tomato, and fermented fish sauce.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Saam<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Saam<\/p>\n

As for drinks, the restaurant will have wine, but more intriguingly, they\u2019re making room for sato, an ancient Thai sticky rice wine<\/a> with Lao roots, which they\u2019ll import from Thailand. It\u2019s been gaining popularity in the United States; Village Ghost is the first sato brewery based in the U.S.<\/a>, and places like Sappe<\/a> in New York are integrating the alcohol into their cocktails. Saam will also carry Thai beers, per the Chronicle, and eventually fold in a cocktail program, too.<\/p>\n

The restaurant has been in the works since January 2026, but according to Atthapon, Tassanakajohn has been plotting a new restaurant for the United States for at least three years. The hope was to bring Thai cuisine to a broader audience, and he was lured to San Francisco for its quality ingredients and diverse culture. Paired with his friendship with Atthapon, and Atthapon and Choosuwan\u2019s decade-long roots in the local restaurant industry, it felt like the right place, the team says.<\/p>\n

The launch of dinner is just the start for the new restaurant. In the following weeks, the team will roll out a lunch menu, and there is the possibility of a tasting menu down the line.<\/p>\n

Saam<\/a> (415 Brannan Street, San Francisco) debuts on Friday, July 24. Reservations are available via Resy<\/a>.<\/p>\n