A trip to Bangkok in the 80’s changed Thompson’s life. Born in Sidney in a family with no interest in cooking, Thailand opened up a new world of flavours and textures for Thompson under the guidance of a 90-year-old grumpy but wise lady who honed his curiosity and taught him all about ancient Thai cuisine in an old Thai palace.

But that was just the beginning. After that, the chef’s interests in capturing flavours and the essence of real Thai food led him to learn the language, enabling him to retrieve old recipes and feeds on them to recreate that sense-arousing food Thailand bathes in. Three years’ subsequent studies bore fruit in 2001 with the launch of his restaurant Nahm in London where he won his first Michelin star just six months after opening – and the very first such recognition being awarded to a Thai restaurant.

Years later, Thompson returned to Bangkok and opened another branch of Nahm, thereby entering the World’s 50 Best list in which it stayed for eight years. And finally, in 2014, he created his own restaurant group, Aylemr Aahran, through which he continues to bring Thai cuisine and culture to the public. This project has grown gradually to include the Long Chim concept (which translates as “come in and try”), with restaurants in Sidney and Perth (Australia).

Acclaimed by the public and critics alike, his work to promote traditional Thai cuisine is not limited to his restaurants. He is also the author of three cookbooks that have become a reference for lovers of this cuisine – Classic Thai Cuisine, Thai Food and Thai Street Food. Their mantra is always the same – to bring the wealth and breadth of Thai cuisine to the world.