Bangkok and Manila will meet at the table this October as Michelin-recognized Thai chef Napol “Joe” Jantraget joins Benjarong Manila Chef de Cuisine Watcharaphon “Ja” Yongbanthom for a special two-night culinary collaboration.
The dinner, titled “Manila Calls, Bangkok Answers,” will take place on October 15 and 16 at Benjarong Manila inside Dusit Thani Manila in Makati. The collaboration brings together two chefs with distinct approaches to Thai cuisine, combining Bangkok’s progressive culinary scene with Chef Ja’s interpretation of Thai heritage in Manila.
Chef Joe is the founder and culinary director of Banana Blossom and has built a reputation for exploring Thai cuisine through modern techniques while maintaining connections to traditional flavors and ingredients. His career includes work at 80/20 and NAWA in Bangkok, where he and Chef Saki Hoshino earned a MICHELIN Star at NAWA just nine months after its opening.
His Bangkok portfolio now includes Samlor, KWANN and Siplor, while Banana Blossom serves as a platform for culinary research and development. His cooking combines his French culinary training with an emphasis on Thailand’s regional ingredients, traditional techniques and distinctive flavors.
Chef Ja brings a different but complementary perspective to the collaboration. She has been part of Benjarong’s culinary journey for more than a decade and has led the restaurant’s kitchen since 2015, developing a style that retains the foundations of Thai cuisine while incorporating contemporary presentation and techniques.
The resulting menu is designed as a conversation between the two chefs rather than a showcase of only one culinary style. Guests can expect familiar Thai flavors to appear alongside more contemporary combinations, reflecting the chefs’ different experiences and approaches to the cuisine.
The seven-course dinner begins with a selection of small bites, including Kratong Thong Larb Moo Yang made with Iberico pork and kaffir lime, Khao Tang Pu featuring crispy rice and coconut crab, and pickled cherry tomato.
The menu then moves into seafood and soup courses, including cured tuna with coconut vinaigrette, lemongrass and caviar, followed by a spicy tiger prawn and tomato soup. A fish sauce-glazed octopus course comes with toasted rice, tamarind purée and a Thai herb salad.
The more substantial courses include duck and foie gras served with red curry, followed by two Wagyu preparations: grilled striploin with oyster-glazed jus and braised beef in Panang curry. The menu continues the Thai influence into dessert with Gluay Buat Chee, featuring banana, coconut milk ice cream, chocolate and pistachio.
Selected courses will also be paired with wines, including German Rieslings and a Spanish Gran Reserva, adding another layer to the progression of the dinner.
The collaboration is also part of Benjarong Manila’s continuing culinary program. The restaurant is included in the MICHELIN Guide 2026 for the Philippines, while its menu focuses on traditional Thai cuisine presented with modern refinement.
For Chef Joe, the Manila collaboration provides an opportunity to bring elements of Bangkok’s evolving Thai food scene to a new audience. For Chef Ja, it creates a chance to place her interpretation of Thai cuisine alongside the work of a chef whose career has included some of Bangkok’s notable contemporary Thai restaurants.
The two-night dinner will begin at 7 p.m. on both October 15 and 16. Seats are limited, with the experience priced at P10,500 net per person. Reservations are required, and Dusit Thani Manila says a 50% pre-payment is requested to secure a booking.
The event offers diners a direct taste of the culinary exchange between Bangkok and Manila, bringing together two chefs, two perspectives and a menu built around Thai ingredients, techniques and flavors.
