Kongwuth Chaiwongkachon, known as Chef Kong, is a Thai chef whose work explores the culinary heritage of Lanna and the Upper Mekong through a contemporary perspective. For him, food is more than flavour. It is a language that carries the history, culture and knowledge of the people who shape it.

His approach begins with understanding. Over the years, Chef Kong has travelled through ethnic communities and villages across Northern Thailand, learning from local knowledge holders, farmers and home cooks. He studies native ingredients, cooking techniques, fermentation and preservation at their source, then interprets these traditions through contemporary cooking while respecting the culture behind them.

In 2017, he founded Locus Native Food Lab in Chiang Rai, a chef’s table created to bring traditional Northern Thai cuisine into a contemporary setting. The restaurant became an expression of his commitment to preserving Lanna culinary heritage while exploring new ways to communicate its stories through food.

Today, Kongwuth Chaiwongkachon serves as Executive Chef and Concept Creator of TAANG Restaurant. Through “The Journey of Upper Mekong Cuisine,” he connects local ingredients and contemporary techniques with the people, cultures and stories of the region. He is also behind WIANG Khao Soi & Grill Bar, a more approachable expression of Lanna cuisine. Together, the two restaurants share one continuing narrative: TAANG is the caravan’s journey, while WIANG is its resting place.

“The best food begins with understanding.”

For Chef Kong, understanding people, land, culture and nature comes before creating a dish. This philosophy guides the way he approaches ingredients and traditions, allowing each menu to carry something beyond taste: a memory, a story and knowledge passed from one generation to the next.