After nine years as chef de cuisine at French fine-dining powerhouse Le Normandie, Arnaud Dunand has left to open up his own restaurant to be called Maison Dunand.
Dunand’s passion project will soon open in the Sathorn area and pay homage to his Alps upbringing with an intimate, elegant setting featuring natural materials, warm colors, wood and stone.
As for the food, Dunand is throwing out convention to showcase personal touches using a wide range of ingredients — some local, some imported — on an ever-evolving menu.
Although Maison Dunand isn’t set to open until early 2022, diners will be able to get a sneak peek next month when Dunand and team will take over the light-dappled top floor of Gaggan Anand for three months.
There, they will present various set menus as an introduction for what’s to come. You can be assured that Dunand’s signature dish — Oscietra caviar with sea urchin and potato, an elegant soup of rich and salty seafood — will make an appearance.
The pop-up, starting Oct. 8, will serve lunch and dinner. At lunch, choose from four courses (THB2,200) or five (THB3,600); and six courses (THB4,600) or nine (THB6,900) for dinner.
Maison Dunand will be open noon until 2pm and 5:30pm until 6:30pm from Thursday through Monday. Dinner hours are subject to change, depending on curfew.
Open since 1958, Le Normandie soared into every top-tier foodie conversation under Dunand. Adding legitimacy to what diners already knew, the restaurant won two Michelin stars under his direction and has retained them since 2017.
Before landing in Bangkok, Dunand, who hails from the French Alps near the Savoie region, spent 15 years working across France for renowned chefs such as Georges Blanc at his eponymous restaurant in Vonnas, Marc Veyrat at L’Auberge de L’Eridan, and Jean-Francois Piege at Les Ambassadeurs in Paris.
