Australian chef and author David Thompson has been named the 2016 recipient of The Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards program.
Thompson, the force behind Nahm in Bangkok and Long Chim in Singapore, will formally receive his award at the fourth annual Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony on 29th February 2016, hosted at the W Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.
Originally from Sydney, Thompson spent a number of years living and working in Bangkok. On his return to Sydney in 1992, Thompson opened Darley Street Thai, followed by Sailors Thai in 1995.
In 2001, Thompson opened Nahm in The Halkin hotel in London which received a Michelin star within six months of trade, becoming the first Thai restaurant to gain a Michelin Star.
Thompson opened a second Nahm restaurant in Bangkok in 2013 which claimed the number one position at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014 awards. In 2015 however, the restaurant slipped back to seventh position with Bangkok's Gagan claiming the number one position.
Last year, Thompson opened his Singapore restaurant, Long Chim (Thai for ‘Come and Taste’), at Marina Bay Sands, in addition a restaurant in Perth, Australia under the same name.
“Usually I am rather embarrassed by awards but to receive something as significant as this, voted for by my peers in the industry, does indeed make me proud and grateful,” says Thompson. “I still have the same joy in cooking as I had when I first began. It is a timeless pleasure for me, so I feel very lucky.”
Group editor of Asia’s 50 best Restaurants, William Drew said that Thompson has inspired many with his commitment to authenticity and his deep respect for Thailand’s culinary traditions.
“His efforts to enrich Asia’s culinary scene, revive time-honoured recipes and mentor young chefs make him a worthy winner of the prestigious Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Drew.
The Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award is voted for by members of The Diners Club Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, comprising over 300 leaders in the restaurant and culinary industries throughout Asia.