In celebration of International Chefs Day, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is shining a spotlight on the culinary artisans who serve as modern-day cultural custodians. From the imperial grandeur of Vienna to the tropical shores of Phuket, two chefs are redefining the hotel dining experience, treating their kitchens as living archives that preserve heritage through the power of gastronomy.
At the heart of the Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel, Chef Paul Gamauf is breathing new life into Austrian culinary traditions at the MICHELIN-starred EDVARD. For Gamauf, the kitchen is a bridge between the past and the present. Drawing inspiration from childhood memories spent baking apple strudel with his grandmother, the Vienna native is on a mission to ensure that the country’s rich food culture remains vibrant rather than static.
“Cooking is an act of preservation as much as creation,” Gamauf notes. By employing forgotten fermentation techniques and championing seasonal ingredients, he reimagines rustic staples like Käsespätzle and Eismarillenknödel for a contemporary audience. His philosophy is simple yet profound: he wants every guest at EDVARD to leave not just with a satisfied palate, but with the same sense of warmth and passion he felt in his grandmother’s kitchen decades ago.
Thousands of miles away, at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, Chef Supakarn “Hong” Lienpanich is crafting a different kind of narrative. Perched at the observatory-topped restaurant Dara, overlooking the shimmering Layan Bay, Chef Hong treats every ingredient as a storyteller. She believes that the produce—whether harvested by local fishermen or grown in nutrient-rich Southern Thai soil—carries the history of the hands that nurtured it.
Her approach at Dara is both celestial and grounded. Her signature dessert, the Rabob Suriya Jakawan, invites diners to “taste the universe,” yet the dish remains deeply rooted in the Andaman region. By maintaining close, ethical partnerships with local farmers and producers, Chef Hong ensures that the traditions of Southern Thai cuisine are not lost to modernization. Instead, she utilizes these local treasures to provide guests with an experience that is both familiar and revelatory, proving that food is the most effective medium for cultural connection.
Though separated by vast continents and distinct culinary ideologies, both Gamauf and Lienpanich share a singular, unifying goal: to transform a meal into a destination. As Anantara commemorates its 25th anniversary, these two chefs stand as ambassadors of the brand’s commitment to authentic storytelling. Through their craft, they remind travellers that while we may traverse the globe to see the world, it is often through our taste buds that we truly understand the places we visit.
For those looking to explore the culinary journeys being forged by Anantara’s top talent, further details on the group’s 25th-anniversary initiatives can be found at anantara.com.
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