Phol was born into a family of 9 children. Though it was big, it was warm. Being the youngest, he counts among his many blessings, the unending support of his family throughout the years. Phol has always been a free-spirit, having been given the liberty to explore and learn, and even though his dreams and aspirations sometimes have change, his free-spirited nature and desire to explore and learn never ceased.
PHOL TANTASATHIEN
My story… Phol Tantasathien
The journey has been long and full of rich experiences. From working behind the scenes at stage-theater productions, to his subsequent roles as a Marketer, Singer, Actor, Television Host, Business Owner, up to his role as a Television Chef today, one thing that Phol has learnt is no matter what the future holds, the best is assured as long as he gives it his full love and energy.
MY FAMILY
Phol Tantasathien was born on April 1st, 1971 at the Huachiew hospital. The youngest of a 9-sibling family, his family’s childhood home still stands today near the Pathumwan intersection, recently transformed into a museum. Growing up, he enjoyed life around the Siam area, getting to see firsthand the many transformations the area has endured throughout the years. His family let him pursue his passions, with freedom to read, learn and explore whatever he pleased. Members of his family hold a diverse range of professions – from State Enterprise workers to Businessmen, Advertising Executives, Philosophers, Accountants and Business Owners. Hence, when he needed to consult or be supported, family was always a good place to start.
LIVE & LEARN
The path of learning.
I attended pre-school at Sermmit Elementary. Upon completion, I attended Sitabutr School until 9th grade. I would describe myself as an average student, excelling in Math and English while finding History and Social Science a bit more challenging. After Sitabutr, I switched concentration to Commerce, and attended the Assumption School of Commerce instead. The education system there was set up to be more career-oriented, consisting of typewriting, calculator-based mathematics, with a focus on day-to-day business. In hindsight, it felt like a good match, given my family’s strong roots in the retail business. After that, however, I was drawn towards studying Law, even though the concentration I had just completed wasn’t conducive to getting into University in that area. With extra tutoring at Siam Square, I was accepted into the Faculty of Law department at Thammasat University.
After graduating from Thammasat, I realized that Law was perhaps not an area of interest for me, and spent the next year trying different things, in hopes of finding my true passion. I ended pursuing an MBA at Oklahoma City University, graduating with top honors, something that brought great pride to my family, and a level of trust in my future career.
As for my culinary experience, I studied basic cooking with Professor Srisamorn Khongphan at the Yingcharoen Home Science School. I also attended Le Cordon Bleu Dusit cooking school, where I studied the art of making both savory and sweet dishes, and was a member of the first graduating class in Thailand in 2007. Upon completion, I was also invited to be the Brand Ambassador for the institution. I then attended the Gelato University in Bologna and in addition, studied the basics of Japanese cooking with Hiroko Kobayashi.
Education, to me, is a continual process. To this day, I take additional lessons and seek out new information relevant to my work, when time allows.
Photographer: Oh Sirangkul
MY WORK
What took us to come together.
Phol Tanthasathien started his career in the entertainment industry by appearing in the sequel Kookrum 2, playing Yoichi, the son of Kobori and Ungsumalin. At that time, Phol worked in the Marketing field at C.P. 7-11 Company Limited, while concurrently working in the entertainment business for two years, before taking the decision to plunge wholeheartedly into the entertainment business, taking up roles in television soap operas and stage theaters, as a singer and television show host.
Life in the entertainment industry allowed Phol to try out roles in many different professions, from being an illustration artist to showing how to prepare food on various occasions. These occasions served as bridges that led to his current profession, centered around the culinary arts. Phol started to get closer to this world by starting out as a food columnist for many magazines. He then opened his own restaurant called Spring Dining Room and Summer Chocolate House, located between Sukhumvit Soi 39 and 49. Starting a restaurant has its challenges, and Phol faced them like any other restaurant owner, with his love for food pushing him on, inspiring him to seek out new knowledge in this area, via opportunities that presented itself, or opportunities that were created.
Today, the knowledge accumulated has pushed Phol into the world of culinary arts, making him one of the leading chefs and experts in this area in Thailand today. In addition to being the chef of the restaurant, Phol also hosts his own cooking show on Modern 9 TV, called “Phol Phak Nak Prung” and started a food website called PholFoodMafia.com. In addition, he is also a food consultant for many institutions today.