Chai Jia Chai – Beyond the Wok: A Taiwanese Narrative at the Table

Bangkok, Thailand, January 21, 2026 / TRAVELINDEX / Strolling through unfamiliar alleyways far from home, a familiar aroma once again stirred the senses. The gentle fragrance of pork rib soup, the silky comfort of bubble milk tea, the melt-in-the-mouth warmth of braised pork rice – classic Taiwanese flavours resurfaced quietly, not on a street corner, but at the table of Chai Jia Chai in Bangkok.

On the evening of January 20, Chef Tsai Shih Wei welcomed guests to a special dinner as part of his Beyond the Wok series – a collaborative platform where cooking is explored through memory, craft, and dialogue. Cooking alongside him were two close friends and long-time collaborators: Chef Tom Liu and Chef James Tseng of Wok by O’Bond.

At Chai Jia Chai, Tsai had long presented modern Chinese cuisine through the lens of tradition. Ingredients once reserved for imperial banquets appeared not as novelties, but as elements within carefully structured narratives. His menus drew from a vast spectrum of Chinese culinary heritage from Taiwanese home cooking to inspirations rooted in Manchu-Han imperial banquets, always guided by restraint and clarity.

That philosophy shaped the evening’s progression. The approach was intellectual without being academic, refined yet deeply personal. Nothing was rushed.

The menu opened with a delicate array of light bites including blue lobster with macayu and jicama — aromatic and precise, echoing Taiwan’s indigenous mountain spice. Pork ribs with sweet potatoes and wheat gluten followed, recalling the warmth of slow-cooked home kitchens. A peeled chilli pepper soup with dried squid and conpoy formed the emotional core of the evening, its depth and warmth evoking the quiet comfort of Taiwanese soups enjoyed far from home.

As the dinner unfolded, structure and finesse took center stage. French pigeon with beetroot and edamame was presented with balance and restraint. Yellow fish maw with black sesame and noodles reflected both texture and heritage. Chef Tsai’s innovative signature abalone, first half braised patiently over days until custard-soft at its center, stood as a testament to technique guided by time. The second half was deep fried, a bold plunge for texture and a nod to Chef’s quest to keep learning and discovering.

The evening closed with a deliberate return to memory. Foie gras was paired with braised pork rice and bubble milk tea — not as irony, but as affection. Familiar comforts were elevated without losing their soul, completing the narrative that began with the scent of home.

The collaboration was anchored by Wok by O’Bond, a brand rooted in Greater Chinese cuisine and built around the symbolism of the wok — both as an essential cooking vessel and as an invitation for all to “walk in.” The dishes presented together tonight reflected familiar Taiwanese home-style cooking and beloved street foods, reinterpreted with contemporary sensibility to create a sense of comfort, familiarity, and lasting memory.

Beverage pairing for the evening was curated by tei by O’Bond, founded by Chef Tom Liu. Through research-driven exploration and re-interpretation of tea, tei by O’Bond transformed Taiwanese tea flavours into delicate tea cocktails. Using varied extraction techniques, the pairing expanded the sensory experience, inviting guests to rediscover aroma, texture, and taste through tea.

Chef James Tseng of Wok by O’Bond also joined Chef Tsai in the kitchen, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of Beyond the Wok – not as fusion, but as a meeting of shared values, where each culinary voice remained intact.

The dinner also reflected a broader chapter in Tsai’s journey. In 2025, he had entered a deeper culinary dialogue through collaborations with Odette in Singapore and Maison Dunand in Bangkok, followed by a six-hands dinner uniting Korean, Chinese, and French influences as equals.

These experiences positioned Tsai not merely as a participant in Asia’s fine-dining scene, but as a chef contributing quietly to its evolving language. Chai Jia Chai had since been included in Thailand’s Favourite Restaurant 2026 (one of only three Chinese restaurants to make the list) and saw Tsai advance into the Top Ten of the TOP25 Restaurants by Travelindex.

Yet accolades remained secondary to craft. In a region often driven by immediacy, Beyond the Wok at Chai Jia Chai offered something rarer – a belief in the long arc of culinary memory, where mastery is built patiently, one service at a time, and where the taste of home can still be found waiting, even far away.