Nusara

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Restaurant Built on Love and Memory

Nusara was born from grief and gratitude. When Chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn and his brother Chaisiri "Tam" Tassanakajohn lost their grandmother — the woman who raised them, cooked for them, and passed on a deep love of Thai food — they chose to honour her the most personal way they knew: by naming a restaurant after her. "Nusara is created from the pure love we have for her and Thai cuisine," the family writes. That emotional foundation shapes everything here, from the recipes to the atmosphere to the way guests are received.

Colorful Thai Cuisine, Defined

Chef Ton has a precise term for what he cooks: "Colorful Thai Cuisine." It is, in his own words, "neither traditional nor modern — something unique and has never been done before." Drawing on his grandmother's recipes and the royal cookbooks of King Rama V's kitchens, he looks simultaneously backward and forward, producing dishes that carry the weight of history while feeling entirely alive. The result is a singular take on modern Thai cuisine that mirrors the neighbourhood itself — Ta Tien, where ancient markets and Buddhist temples stand directly alongside contemporary Bangkok on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.

The meal begins with a sequence of playful bites before moving into main courses served family-style, as Thai tradition dictates. The hyper-colourful blue swimming crab curry, served with crispy rice noodles, has become one of the restaurant's most recognisable plates — punchy, spicy, and an ideal overture to what follows.

An Intimate Room, an Outsized Reputation

The dining room holds around ten guests. That constraint is deliberate: it keeps the experience focused and personal. Guests first gather at Nuss, the swanky downstairs cocktail bar, before being led upstairs to a room with views over the Wat Pho temple complex. The terrace, available for after-dinner cocktails, extends the evening in the best possible way.

Tam, who serves as both maître d' and sommelier, ensures the hospitality matches the food. Chef Ton became the first Thai chef ever to win the Art of Hospitality Award from The World's 50 Best Restaurants — a distinction that reflects what his brother brings to every service. In 2023, Nusara debuted at No. 3 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, and in 2025 it entered The World's 50 Best Restaurants list at No. 35. The restaurant also appeared on the Prix Versailles World's Most Beautiful Restaurants list in 2024.

Chef Ton is the only Thai chef in history to have two restaurants simultaneously listed in the World's 50 Best — a record that speaks to the ambition and consistency behind Nusara's quietly extraordinary modern Thai cuisine.