Bangkok, Thailand, July 7, 2025 / TRAVELINDEX / Join Chai Jia Chai for two dinners in July and embark on an epic culinary journey with Chef Naka Xiong from Singapore's Odette restaurant.

Together with chef Tsai Shih Wei from the Chai Jia Chai restaurant, we embark on a culinary journey through the diversity of Chinese cuisine, inspired by rare ingredients and the famous banquet dishes of Manchu Han cuisine. Head sommelier Lesley Liu will also be joining us to delight us with her wine recommendations.

Besides the culinary finesse that is typical for Odette, magic awaits us all.

Date: July 12th and 13th, 6:30 PM Location: Chai Jia Chai, Sukhumvit 31 Limited places available, starting at 16,800++ THB

Hosts: Chef Tsai Shih Wei, owner of the restaurant Chai Jia Chai (traveling from Odette, Singapore), Naka Xiong, Chef, Lesley Liu, Head Sommelier

Despite his parents' objections, Shih Wei pursued his dream of becoming a chef. In his first kitchen job at Zhujiang Banquet, a restaurant in Taipei, he chopped and prepared food daily, washed dishes, and unclogged sinks. Most importantly, he learned as much as possible to advance quickly, as the restaurant served up to 300 guests a day.

When Shih Wei discovered a particularly delicious dish, he would try to apprentice himself and learn from the master chef. "Back then, there were only books and apprenticeships, and that's how I learned."

His unforgettable first dish was a radish omelet. A fire, caused by an unplanned mix of oil and water, burned the egg and some of his hair!

In 2015, Shih Wei took the plunge and worked abroad, honing his skills in kitchens in Australia, Poland, and China. He climbed the culinary ladder, securing a leadership position exactly two decades after his legendary radish omelet. Finally, everything fell into place, and Chef Tsai Shih Wei opened his first restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand.

Chai Jia Chai opened in 2021 on Sukhumvit Soi 31 in central Bangkok. The first "Chai" in the name is the chef's name, the second means dishes, and "Jia" means home. As the name suggests, dining there feels like visiting the chef's home to enjoy a meal.

But from the walls of his first restaurant (or home) begins a comprehensive culinary journey, on which guests discover the wide spectrum of Chinese cuisine.

Precious and sophisticated ingredients such as sturgeon bones and tendons, as well as dried skin of the giant dragon grouper, are used in dishes and recipes that were once reserved for royalty. Chef Tsai doesn't limit himself to a single culinary style, but rather aims to make the most of his apprenticeship and share the diversity and richness of Chinese cuisine with everyone.

Lesley is an accomplished sommelier with an outstanding career in fine dining in Asia. She is currently head sommelier at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Odette and has over ten years of experience from renowned establishments such as Maison Lameloise Shanghai and Le Moût.

Lesley is the Tatler Sommelier of the Year 2025 and a two-time winner of the Sopexa award “Singapore’s Best Sommelier for French Wines”.

She holds an Advanced Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers and is also certified in French, Spanish and Italian wine specialization.

Known for her calm leadership and profound wine knowledge, Lesley continues to be a respected voice in the Asian sommelier community.

Singaporean Sheng Xiong, also known as Chef Naka Xiong, worked for over a decade under Chef Julien, rising to the position of Executive Chef at Odette Restaurant. Growing up near the sea, Sheng Xiong spent his weekends helping out on his father's fish farm and regularly going on fishing trips to the surrounding islands. This instilled in him a deep love for the ocean and shaped his passion for seafood and ethical practices, which continue to guide him today.

In 2010, he began his career as an intern at Brasserie Les Saveurs in the St. Regis Hotel Singapore, where he first met Chef Julien Royer. He eventually followed Royer to JAAN and worked his way up the career ladder there.

Sheng Xiong has been part of the Odette team since its founding, contributing his expertise and determination to service and customer support, as well as to the ongoing development of the menu. Under the guidance of Head Chef Julien, he has refined a culinary approach based on simplicity, influenced by his Asian heritage and modern French training.

In addition to Odette's annual four-hands series, he has also supported chef Julien at numerous international culinary events and experiences, including the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival in Switzerland.

Chef Daniel Boulud's annual benefit Sunday luncheon for Citymeals on Wheels in New York and, most recently, Le Dîner des Grands Chefs at the Abbaye de Collonges. He also filled in for Chef Julien during Odette's first overseas internship in the Maldives in 2022.