Meet the Tongdam Team at Dulverton:
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TINO – Manager / Co Founder : Was born in a small village named Taitoong, near
the famous Chatree Gold Mine, half way between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, in the Pichit Province.
He learnt the restaurant business back in Bangkok, quickly rising to the position of Manager at the Thai-Chin Restaurant, a beautiful Colonial building off Sathorn Road,
now owned by the Blue Elephant Restaurant chain and well worth a visit should you find yourself in Bangkok. He then moved to the equally beautiful Supattra River House Restaurant, built around the owner’s old family home and sharing space with their family museum and classical Thai Arts Centre. Resting on the bank of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, it overlooks the spectacular Royal Grand Palace.
Tino was headhunted by a Bangkok based restaurant chain that had purchased a restaurant opposite London’s Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge.
This gave him the opportunity he had been looking for and he packed his bags and headed for our famous British climate ! This move was short lived, but with his Thai contacts, joined the Management Team of the, now sadly closed, Sugar Hut Restaurant in Fulham, where he built a solid reputation. This stylish restaurant, which is the dining room pictured with Tino and friend at the bottom of our stairs, had a superb ambience. |
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ROBERT – Co Founder : Born in Guildford, Surrey but spent the last six years of childhood in Cornwall, schooling in Launceston and living in a small hamlet between Callington and Launceston, with the producer of Rick Stein’s favourite Cornish Clotted Cream, Barbara Lake as a neighbour, and when passing, still drops in to buy that irresistible product and which sometimes is available in the Dessert Menu !
His work history was not within the catering industry but it had been his passion to open a restaurant for over 20 years. He has lived and travelled within the Far East, living in both Singapore and Hong Kong. He has toured Malaysia, China, Philippines, Japan, Macau and of course Thailand. Whilst living in Hong Kong during the mid 80’s, he flew to Singapore and met with Bruno Vallette a good friend and superb French Chef and mused over the idea of opening an East-meets-West style of restaurant. The seed of an idea grew from that moment and 20 years on, became the seeds that have since flowered into the form of Tongdam Thai Restaurant, Dulverton. Incidentally, Bruno continues to this day to work closely with Master Chef Albert Roux of the famous Le Gavroche in London, travelling the world and occasionally drops in at Tongdam to see how the Restaurant is progressing ! |
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JOH –Head Waiter : Born in Thailand, he started work as a chef at the young age of 14 and has remained in this industry ever since. Leaving behind a wife, three children in Bangkok and a good position at the Shangri-La Hotel, he came to work in the UK back in early 2004. With Tino’s Thai connections we came to hear of Heng’s culinary skills and travelled to the Midlands to sample his food and afterwards, offered him a position on the spot ! He is an important part of the Team and has a wealth of knowledge, always surprising us with new ideas and variations. |
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HENG - Head Chef : Born in Thailand, he started work as a chef at the young age of 14 and has remained in this industry ever since. Leaving behind a wife, three children in Bangkok and a good position at the Shangri-La Hotel, he came to work in the UK back in early 2004. With Tino's Thai connections we came to hear of Heng's culinary skills and travelled to the Midlands to sample his food and afterwards, offered him a position on the spot ! He is an important part of the Team and has a wealth of knowledge, always surprising us with new ideas and variations. |
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AOR – Assistant Chef : Born in Ubonratchani in North East Thailand, Aor studied Communication Design at Bangkok University, leaving with a Bachelor Degree and joining the Le Meridien President Hotel in Bangkok where she spent the next five years working within her qualified field of learning. It was during her time at the Meridien that she started gaining an interest in the hotel’s quality cuisine, where after five years decided to follow her new found passion and underwent a complete career change and took a cookery course at the Bangkok Oriental Hotel. We met Aor in the UK and became so impressed with her passion for creative and innovative food, that we asked her to join us. She has now been with us since 2009 and constantly amazes us with her ideas. |
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LEK – Second Chef : Born in Bangkok, Lek studied in Trat before joining the luxurious 5 Star Bangkok Shangri-La Hotel in Silom, where she spent eight years, rising to the position of Demi Chef. She then joined the Le Meridien President Hotel on the Surawong Road, staying there for 5 years before leaving as Chef de Partie to continue her carrier in the UK, where she joined us in 2009. Bringing with her a wealth of new ideas in both modern and traditional Thai cuisine, Tongdam has incorporated many of her dishes into its already extensive menu. |
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We also have a great supporting team who live within our community in the Dulverton area and whose faces are, I am sure, well known to many of you.
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