Arun Sampanthavivat

What's cooking when a scholar uses a whisk instead of his faithful pen? He creates a storm. Indeed, Arun Sampanthavivat made waves in Chicago with his namesake restaurant ~ Arun's. Be mesmerized by the magic of Sampanthavivat's cuisine at Club Chinois.

With his innovative Chef's Design Menu exclusively served at Arun's, Sampanthavivat ignites the rich and inexhaustible traditions of Thai cooking with an edge. Born and raised in Trang, the southern province of Thailand, Sampanthavivat was clearly the intellect in the family. A string of impressive honours beholds the humble-looking man.

Armed with a Degree in literature and foreign languages at Chulalongkorn in Thailand, a Master's Degree in International Relations at Sophia International University in Tokyo, a Master's Degree in Political Science and later a Ph.D in Asian Affairs at the University of Chicago in United States, Sampanthavivat took the challenge in the highly competitive restaurant business.

Success prevails with Sampanthavivat's dedication and well-conceptualised plans for Arun's. Bestowed with a four-star rating by Chicago Tribune, Arun's also received the 1995 Ivy Awards from Restaurant & Institutions magazine, and was inducted into the Fine Dining Hall of Fame in 1996 by the Nation's Restaurant News. Reflecting a similar success path he had in his academic field, Sampanthavivat also won the "DiRoNA Award ~ the Award of Excellence from Distinguished Restaurants of North America" for consecutively two years.

Savour this chef-poet's intuitive Thai flavours with the fine wines of Schlossgut Diel, Germany.

Browse Arun Sampanthavivat's recipes:
- Larb – Spicy Chicken Salad
- Prik Khing
- Thai Curry Paste