Bangkok (Thailand) – September 1, 2015 (travelindex.com) – Following the success of previous World Gourmet Festivals, the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel is delighted to host the 16th edition of the annual World Gourmet Festival from September 7 to 13, 2015. Since its inception, the World Gourmet Festival has become a premier event, bringing together the world's best chefs, winemakers, and food experts for a week, offering an exceptional array of culinary delights and fine wines.

The full lineup of chefs at the 16th annual World Gourmet Festival is as follows: – Chef Francesc Rovira, Fonda Spa, Crans-Montana, Sur, Switzerland – Chef Patrick Raingeard, Cap Estel, Èze-Bord-De-Mer, French Riviera, France (1 Michelin star) – Chef Sean Connolly, Sean's Kitchen, Adelaide, Australia – Chef Hirofumi Imamura, Kazuo Okada Restaurant, Kowloon, Hong Kong (1 Michelin star)

The event is coordinated and led by Nicolas Schneller, Executive Chef of the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, in collaboration with chefs Satoshi Sawada (Shintaro), Daniele Bettini (Biscotti), and Anchalee Pongrungsit (Madison). It is held in cooperation with Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia.

Each guest chef will host two evenings at one of the hotel restaurants. This year's World Gourmet Festival also features an exclusive sake tasting paired with complementary Thai dishes. Sake master Keith Norum, an American who has worked for the Miyasaka Brewing Company in Japan since 2005, educating its customers worldwide about sake, will lead the event. Also new to the festival is High Tea, featuring tea pairings by the world-class tea masters of Mariage Frères France. The ever-popular World Gourmet Brunch, one of the festival's highlights, will take place on the final day, Sunday, September 13. If you missed some of the chef dinners, this is your chance to sample some of their creations.

The Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel has created the "World Gourmet Festival" package so that guests can return to their rooms satisfied and refreshed after one of the festival dinners, ready for a restful night's sleep. The package costs 23,900 Baht and includes one night in a deluxe room with a view, access to the Kasara Lounge including breakfast buffet and evening canapés, as well as tickets for two people to a selected World Gourmet Festival dinner (excluding the Japanese dinner).

We are proud to support the "Save a Child's Life from AIDS" project initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali under the patronage of the Thai Red Cross. This project provides medication for pregnant women with AIDS. The proceeds from the auction during the event, as well as 600 baht from every dinner ticket sold, will be donated to this charity. The 16th World Gourmet Festival would not be possible without the help of our friends and partners. We thank our main sponsors, Citibank NA, Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Ltd., and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, for their financial support, as well as our official media partners, Travel+Leisure Magazine, Prestige, and Hello Magazine.

Guests can make reservations for dinners at the 16th annual World Gourmet Festival starting Monday, August 3, 2015. For more information or to make a reservation, please contact the hotel at +66 (0) 2 126 8866 or by email at [email protected]. Individual dinner tickets can also be booked by email at [email protected] or online at www.worldgourmetfestivalasia.com.

Chef Francesc Rovira, Fonda Xesc, Gombrèn, Girona, Spain

Like many great chefs, Michelin-starred chef Francesc learned the art of cooking from a young age from his mother at the family's village inn, "La Fonda," which specialized in traditional Catalan cuisine. After graduating from school, he enrolled at the "Escola d'Hosteleria de Barcelona" to further develop his culinary skills and expand his knowledge. Following his studies, Francesc worked in a number of renowned restaurants alongside many famous chefs, most notably the legendary Santi Santamaria, the first Catalan to be awarded three Michelin stars, who significantly influenced Francesc's own cuisine.

Chef Francesc returned to "La Fonda" and began introducing new dishes while the kitchen was still run by his mother. Eventually, he and his sister took over the management and transformed the restaurant into a celebrated establishment, earning a Michelin star in 2009.

Like many chefs these days, Chef Francesc likes to use regional ingredients. Mushrooms are an essential part of Catalan cuisine, as the region offers them in abundance, and they are arguably his signature ingredient.

The restaurant “La Fonda Xesc” is located in a building dating back to 1730 in Gombrèn, a small village in the Catalan Pyrenees. Nestled in a picturesque landscape, it is an oasis of authentic Catalan tradition, far removed from the modern world.

Chef Jean-François Bérard, Hostellerie Bérard & Spa, La Cadière d'Azur, Provence France

Jean-François Bérard comes from a family whose passion is hospitality and gastronomy, and gained his first culinary experience at his parents' boutique hotel, the Hostellerie Bérard and Spa, located in a hilltop village called La Cadière d'Azur, which is steeped in the magic of Provence.

Since his father, the master chef René Bérard, introduced him to the art of cooking with the finest ingredients from their own garden and the region at an early age, Jean-François, together with his father, performs true culinary miracles. Like father, like son: both have received numerous awards, including the highest Michelin star for their restaurant.

The Bérard family, consisting of mother Daniele and sister Sandra, worked together as a family and team, giving this extraordinary Hostellerie Bérard & Spa its very own magic.

Chef Francesc Gimeno Manduley, Bohemic Bistro, Barcelona, ​​Spain

Chef Francesc Gimeno Manduley conveys emotion, passion, and sincerity – qualities reflected in every one of his creations. With his dishes, he transports guests back to their childhood, a time when everything was undiscovered and there was no time for worries.

At the end of 2006, he opened a tapas bar, La Cocina de Mandu, which soon evolved into a restaurant where the chef expressed his exuberant creativity in a variety of styles, inspired by his time in renowned establishments.

Chef Francesc's Bohemic restaurant relies on a sophisticated concept: After a pasta-sized appetizer, guests can choose from a variety of miniature dishes and round off the menu with a dessert.

Chef Pierre Crépaud, LeCrans Hotel & Spa, Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Chef Pierre, who simply calls himself a cook, draws his culinary inspiration primarily from nature. A staunch supporter of local farmers, he selects the finest vegetables and regional produce, which form the basis of his recipes. This results in dishes with playful aromas, colors, and shapes. His cuisine is based on flavor and theatrical presentation.

Growing up in the mountains of the Drôme, he spent his childhood growing vegetables with his great-uncle and loved enjoying homegrown food. Nothing suggested he would be interested in cooking, yet he completed a two-year apprenticeship and then spent another two years acquiring professional qualifications. His desire to become a chef stemmed less from working with food itself and more from the fascination of creating finished dishes from simple ingredients.

After honing his culinary skills in various hotels and restaurants in France and Switzerland, he eventually settled in Crans-Montana and has since been the head chef at the LeMontBlanc restaurant in the LeCrans Hotel & Spa, which won the Gault & Millau Award in 2010.

Chef Patrick Raingeard, Cap Estel, Èze-Bord-De-Mer, French Riviera, France

Patrick, who inherited his love of cooking from his grandmother, loved watching her prepare fried potatoes as a child and was fascinated by the way the butter foamed on the stove – it burned without actually burning. He pursued his interest and found his way into the culinary world, teeming with top chefs. Working with renowned chefs like Alain Passard of the 3-Michelin-starred L'Arpège and Jacques Maximin of the 2-Michelin-starred Ledoyen and Élysée Lenôtre gave him the confidence and motivation that ultimately culminated in his first Michelin star for the Zebra Square restaurant in Monaco.

Since his restaurant Cap Estel was awarded a Michelin star in 2013, chef Patrick has practiced his cuisine intuitively and in a contemporary style, reflecting his deep connection to nature. His five-year collaboration with a Japanese chef instilled in him a love for exotic flavors, and he is a strong advocate for regional, seasonal produce. He and his team are proud that Cap Estel uses some of the vegetables from its own garden.

Chef Sean Connolly, Sean's Kitchen, Adelaide, Australia

Chef Sean Connolly is one of Australia and New Zealand's most respected chefs, boasting an impressive list of awards and achievements. A true visionary with extensive experience and tireless dedication, he has now opened his first restaurant in Adelaide, South Australia – the aptly named Sean's Kitchen. The New York-inspired brasserie, located within the Adelaide Casino, offers delectable dishes with a focus on using exceptional local produce and was named the city's best new restaurant within a year of opening.

Like many other master chefs, Chef Sean drew inspiration from his grandmother, which continues to shape his cuisine today: generosity, imagination, and a healthy respect for excellent ingredients. His formal training began at the age of 13 with an apprenticeship in several five-star hotels and restaurants in Great Britain. His culinary experience includes stints on the luxury cruise ship QE2, five-star hotels such as Park Lane (now Sheraton on The Park), and various independent restaurants. He hosted the critically acclaimed 13-part television series "My Family Feast," a celebration of the Australian love of food and family life. The series won Best Television Program at the 2010 Australian Food Media Awards and Best Television Series on Food and Wine Culture at the World TV Food & Wine Festival. His cookbook of the same name, "My Family Feast," was awarded Best Celebrity Cookbook in the World at the 2011 Paris Book Fair.

The awards and accolades he has received throughout his culinary career are a testament to the success of Chef Sean's burgeoning career. The restaurant, inspired by New York brasseries, showcases the finest South Australian produce in a modern style.

Chef Hirofumi Imamura, Kazuo Okada Restaurant, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Born in Japan, chef Hirofumi dreamed of becoming a chef from the age of four, after first discovering the joy of cooking for his parents. He honed his skills at the Japanese restaurant Kawazhou in his hometown of Fukushima and quickly rose to the position of head chef at Sakagura in New York. In this role, he refined his knowledge of pairing food and sake, earned his sake sommelier license in 2004, and created a sake menu featuring 200 different varieties. This led to Sakagura ranking first in the Zagat Survey in the "Nightlife" category and becoming one of the most popular restaurants in New York. In 2006, he moved from New York to Las Vegas, where he worked at a Japanese restaurant in a five-star hotel, transforming it into one of the city's most sought-after Japanese restaurants. This was followed by a stay in Macau, where he impressed gourmets with his mastery of teppanyaki, robatayaki, sushi, and traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine. Today, he runs the Michelin-starred Kazuo Okada restaurant in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Chef Hirofumi is admired for his unique way of giving each dish a special touch. He firmly believes that every dish should have its own blend of spices and therefore searches the world for the perfect ingredients. He also carefully considers the presentation of the dishes, ensuring they are presented optimally in every season. One of his culinary philosophies is that every dish should appeal to all five senses – the sense of smell, the texture of the ingredients, and the sounds of eating.

Thank you very much for your kind support.

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Department: Tel.: (66 2) 126 8866 Fax: (66 2) 254 5390

Nannadda Supakdhanasombat – App [[email protected]] Director of Marketing Communications and Public Relations Annabelle S. Daokaew [[email protected]] PR Consultant