Michelle Goh, one of Michelin Guide Asia’s top female pastry chefs and one-half of the duo behind the newly starred Mia Bangkok, shares her top dining and shopping haunts in the City of Angels
Photography: Diego Arenas, Shutterstock
I was born in Kuching, Sarawak, in East Malaysia. I was always interested in food and grew up with my grandmothers on both sides; they both cooked a lot. My earliest memory of food is standing on a stool stirring the wok with my paternal grandmother when I was nine or 10 years old.
After secondary school, I moved to Sydney and studied at Le Cordon Bleu. I worked in Australia for three-and-a-half years until my visa ended, and then moved to Singapore to work at Pollen, the fine-dining restaurant inside the Flower Dome at the Gardens by the Bay. That’s where I met my Thai husband, Pongcharn “Top” Russell, who is also a chef. He wanted to move back to Bangkok and in 2016, we did.
I started working as a pastry chef at Suhring, which now has two Michelin stars. Top and I were later approached by a restaurateur to create Mia, which we opened in 2019. Mia offers a fine dining seasonal tasting menu, as well as an omakase dessert course showcasing French techniques with Asian flavours.
What people don’t really know is that chefs are just as happy when we’re not cooking – the last thing I want to be doing at home is more cooking! I love the convenience of living in Bangkok, where food delivery is everywhere. On our days off, we try to support others in the industry and love eating out in a nice place. I’m glad there are so many options in this city.
Sweet sensations
The milk tea with egg pudding at GAGA is super good. I think it’s a textural thing. People are into boba (tapioca balls) but I find them to be too chewy. Egg pudding is silky, so it’s like a dessert in a cup. For pastries, my all-time favourite dessert spot is Paris Mikki. I love the orangette cake, which is chocolate mousse shaped like an orange. There’s also something about their croissants that taste different from everywhere else. When they hold pop-ups at EmQuartier I grab my croissants there, but I think the best branch to chill and relax is at Central Embassy.
A spicy affair
My last visit to the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Sorn was something really special. On top of amazing food and service, it was the attention to tiny details that impressed me – there’s a designated staff who fixes the toilet paper so it’s folded in the shape of a leaf. It’s small touches like that that separate good restaurants from great ones. I’ve been to Sorn multiple times, but one of the best decisions they have made is to give an option for spice level. When I first went, all their food was way too spicy for me. They said that is the way authentic southern Thai food is meant to be, but it’s a smart move on their part to tone it down so it’s more enjoyable for everyone.
Thai food for visiting friends?
If they are into street food, I take them to Jeh O Chula. It’s always a fun experience with their photogenic Mama noodles. If they want Thai food, I definitely take them to Sri Trat Restaurant & Bar. It’s my favourite and not your typical green curry sort of place. My favourite dish there is the salak soup – the snake fruit tastes savoury and I like that acidic saltiness to it. Another dish I love is their stir-fried cabbage with fish sauce. They make their own fish sauce, so it tastes different from anywhere else.
Late-night munchies
Top and I really enjoy Daimasu. They open until late so we can still pop over after service at Mia. It’s “dirty” Japanese BBQ, where all the tables and chairs are just overturned crates. You barbecue your own squid or beef set on the charcoal in front of you. There’s a great vibe, worth the money; the branch at Silom takes last orders at midnight. For casual Italian, Gigi makes the best vongole in town. Their tiramisu is always good. It stays open later than others; last orders are at 11pm.
Retail temptations
When I first moved here, I went to Platinum Fashion Mall a lot. I try not to go anymore because I spend way too much on things I don’t need! I like clothes and when you’re there, everything looks cute. Now I only go when I really have to. I needed an evening dress for an event and found a perfect one there. It was cheap and good quality for THB 2,000.
Local chic
I recently found out that Jaspal is a Thai fashion brand – one of the brands under their company, Lyn, did a private new-collection launch event at Mia to showcase their handbags. I love the weird shoes from Quinn, which is another brand from the Jaspal group. One of my favourite pairs is a hot pink heel, but with a comic strip in the front. Zippers on either side say “bam” and “pow”. It’s super-fun.
