It was a series of coincidences that brought us to Locus Native Food Lab. First, we weren’t supposed to be in Northern Thailand at all—we had planned to visit Ko Lipe in the south. When bad weather hit there, we changed our plans at the last moment and headed north instead, where the weather was perfect: blue skies and 25°C (75°F). Second, I hadn’t intended to do any more fine dining on this trip, as I mentioned in my review of R-Haan. But while relaxing by the pool at our hotel in Chiang Rai, I started looking for restaurants and stumbled upon Locus Native Food Lab. Since the Michelin Guide doesn’t cover this area, it has no stars, so technically I’m sticking to my plan of avoiding Michelin-starred restaurants. (If Michelin did cover this region, this place would probably earn at least one star.)

The restaurant was founded by Chef Kongwuth Chaiwongkachon (known as Chef Kong) in 2016 and operates exclusively as a chef’s table. There is a single set menu priced at THB 3,000 (about €80), served to all guests simultaneously. The wine pairing is optional (THB 2,800, about €75). Dinner runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. When we visited, there were only six guests, though the space appeared to accommodate up to ten.

In addition to being a trained chef, Chef Kong is a certified sommelier. At most of my favorite restaurants, the chef and sommelier work closely together, which I believe is essential for achieving the best possible food and wine pairings. Combining both roles in one person makes this even more seamless.

According to the website, the restaurant’s mission is “to bring traditional Northern Thai cuisine to the forefront in a contemporary and innovative way. The chef’s vision is to ensure that while embracing modern food trends, the essence and authenticity of Northern Thai cuisine remain intact and celebrated.”

What made the experience even better was that Chef Kong speaks fluent, unaccented English (I didn’t ask, but it sounded like he had spent considerable time in the U.S.). He has four staff members handling all the prep and service, which allowed him to focus entirely on the guests during the meal. He provided detailed explanations of each dish, its ingredients, and the wines, and answered all our questions. I usually struggle to understand English spoken with a Thai accent, which is often very strong, and because of that I missed much of the commentary at R-Haan. Being able to follow everything perfectly this time was a real plus.

The chef is clearly a wine enthusiast, with wine fridges and handmade glassware prominently displayed. He explained that the amuse-bouche and four appetizers were his own creations, crafted with local ingredients and inspired by regional dishes, but designed specifically to complement the wine pairings. The second part of the menu would be strictly traditional, featuring authentic flavors and spiciness without any adaptation for European palates.

The first wine was a sparkling rosé from the Rhône Valley (IGP Méditerranée), Rouanne Brut Nature 2023. It’s made from Mourvèdre (55%), Cinsault (20%), Marselan (10%), Syrah (10%), and Grenache (5%). Produced using the traditional method with a second fermentation in the bottle, it was aged for 18 months on the lees. (There was some confusion about the grape varieties, as Chef Kong announced Grenache while the printed menu listed Mourvèdre. I confirmed the actual composition on the château’s website.) A very elegant sparkling wine—and probably the first I’ve ever tasted from the Rhône Valley.

This was an excellent pairing for the wonderful selection of amuse-bouche:

• A fizzy, carbonated strawberry with sweet and spicy fish sauce
• A savory twist on the Portuguese Pastel de Nata, filled with a cream made from Chiang da, a traditional Northern Thai leafy vegetable
• A mini panini inspired by Jor Pak Kad, a Northern Thai sour curry soup with mustard greens, transformed into a toasted sandwich
• A tartlet topped with Sai Ua, the classic Northern Thai pork sausage flavored with red curry paste and lemongrass

We continued with a Txakoli, a crisp white wine from Spain’s Basque Country, made from the white Hondarribi grape. Txakoli is known for its high acidity, but in this case it was beautifully balanced by a subtle, creamy texture.

This was an excellent pairing for Chef Kong’s interpretation of Gang Gra Darng, a Northern Thai winter specialty traditionally made as a gelatinous curry. He explained that the dish originated because nighttime temperatures in winter can drop below 10°C (50°F), cold enough for pork gelatin to set naturally.

In this version, he used chicken and prawn instead of pork, with the two layers clearly visible from the side. The wine beautifully highlighted the flavors, especially the prawn.

The next wine was a Chenin Blanc from Vouvray in the Loire Valley (France), classified as “sec tendre,” or tenderly dry. The few grams of residual sugar, which don’t register as sweetness, were essential for pairing with the apple in the dish. Chenin Blanc is renowned for its bruised apple aroma, making this an excellent choice.

Chef Kong explained that duck is rarely eaten in Northern Thailand and that there used to be a taboo around serving it. For this reason, the duck in the dish was hidden beneath delicate peanut tuilles. Underneath was shredded duck confit, rich and tender with a deep, savory flavor and silky texture, paired with crisp apple and a wild banana blossom salad that was crunchy and brightened by a tangy, spicy dressing. The dish was named Yum Jeen Ped, combining Jeen Ped (duck prepared in a Chinese style) with Yum Hua Plee (banana blossom salad). The wine pairing and the interplay of flavors and textures were outstanding.

The next wine was a Lambrusco—red, sparkling, and dry, with vibrant berry aromas. Lambrusco often suffers from a bad reputation, but I already knew there are excellent examples out there, and this was certainly one of them.

This was a good pairing for the chicken waffle with Nampak. The grilled chicken was of exceptional quality, sourced from a nearby farm where the birds are raised longer for deeper flavor. The meat was juicy and richly savory, complemented by the earthy crunch of a black rice waffle, a fragrant curry paste adding warmth and spice, and a crisp, refreshing coleslaw that provided brightness and balance.

The final wine with a savory dish was a Nero di Troia from Puglia (Italy). Chef Kong confessed that he had blended wine from a freshly opened bottle with wine from one opened the previous day to combine freshness with fully developed aromas. The result was impressive: ripe, fruity aromas and a soft, velvety texture.

This was another excellent pairing with the Paupiette de Lanna, a sausage roll of pork belly filled with Lanna Larb and pistachio. The pork belly was rich and tender, while the larb inside added a spicy, aromatic kick with a hint of nuttiness from the pistachio. A mellow sweet-and-sour sauce softened the heat and balanced the richness, while the wild leaves salad brought freshness and a slight bitterness for contrast.

Next came the traditional part of the menu. As always, several dishes were served together with sticky rice. This was paired beautifully with Seii Nama Sato, an unpasteurized, fresh-style rice beverage (Chef Kong noted it shouldn’t be called rice wine), similar to Japanese namazake (a type of sake). The dishes were:

• Nam Prik Ma Khua Som, an acidic tomato chili dip, much more tangy and fiery than Nam Prik Ong, meant to be eaten with a selection of fresh leaves. Its sharp acidity and heat made it bold and refreshing.
• Gang Hung Lay, a Northern Thai sweet pork curry with Burmese roots, rich and aromatic with a gentle sweetness balancing the spices.
• Khua Ham, stir-fried chicken with croton leaves and curry paste, offering tender chicken with earthy, herbal notes from the leaves.
• Gang Pak Kad, a rustic mustard leaf curry with pork belly, combining the bitterness of the greens with the savory depth of the pork.

Although Chef Kong had warned us about traditional chili heat, only the tomato dip was truly spicy. All of these dishes had precise, well-defined flavors and textures, making this a great conclusion to the savory part of the meal.

A granita with coconut sugar as a palate cleanser before moving on to the dessert.

The dessert wine was Moscato d’Asti, a sweet sparkling wine from Piemonte, Italy. It’s often paired with desserts, but this was one of the best pairings I’ve ever experienced. The wine enhanced the dessert by bringing out additional aromas.

The dessert, called Amethyst, is Chef Kong’s signature creation and holds deep sentimental value for him. It combines three traditional Thai sweets into one dish: Bualoy (rice-flour dumplings in sweet coconut milk), Krongkrang (crispy deep-fried pandan or rice crisps), and Tuptim Krob (water chestnuts coated in tapioca pearls and served in syrup, also known as red rubies).

Next to us were two cousins, both active in the wine business: Marcel, a wine importer in Thailand who collaborates with Chef Kong and had flown in just for this dinner, and Roger, a winemaker from Priorat in Catalunya, Spain. It was a pleasure to chat with them during the meal and share our passion for wine and food.

Because Marcel and Roger were there, Chef Kong decided to share a special wine with us and served it blind so we could guess what it was. We all agreed it was Spanish, but not from the usual varieties like Tempranillo or Garnacha, so we guessed it might come from an island. Chef Kong confirmed it was from the Balearic Islands, and I correctly identified it as Callet. I thought it had some bottle age and guessed 2014 or 2015, which turned out to be right—2014. It was an excellent wine and a wonderful bonus to share. Chef Kong also wanted to pour a 2004 Shiraz from Chiang Mai that is no longer produced, but unfortunately all his remaining bottles had gone bad.

We had a wonderful evening at Locus Native Food Lab. The food was exquisite, and the wine pairings were flawless—something you wouldn’t expect anywhere in Thailand. I’m so glad we ended up here by coincidence, and even happier that Chiang Rai has an airport, because we’ll definitely return next time we’re in Thailand. This is truly a hidden gem.