Potong, Bangkok Restaurant Review: No One Should Cook Duck This Well

Even Opium, Potong’s intimate lounge-cum-bar–so named because this is where Pam’s ancestors came to smoke opium each evening and gaze at Chinatown below–but you need to experience that evocative story yourself. That sturdy, slender furniture displayed vintage photos of family members and handwritten letters–revealed like museum pieces–as testimonies of those no longer with us. Experiential dining does not need to club you over the head; it happens in those moments of being present and absorbing the world around you.


Opium bar inside Potong.

Potong’s tasting menu

Potong’s menu is delicious and recognisable. Pam’s capable, earnest cooking is intelligently presented, meticulous, and unprovocative in its best moments, absent the visible stitches of hocus pocus.


Chef Pam Pichaya Soontornyanakiij inside Potong’s remarkably small kitchen.

Yet, when the menu arrives at the flag-draped re-interpretation of Pad Thai, I do wonder if my favourite Thai food is less progressive. Do I prefer sitting outside on a spike eating noodles in a broth the colour of dishwater? Maybe I do. There are one or two moments like Potong’s Pad Thai and a shell of two different crabs where, perhaps, the decision to zag off-road is more interesting than the output. Perhaps a return to Potong’s seeming simplicity elsewhere would be just (if not even more) enjoyable. Maybe I am the problem. Should I just succumb to the process? The trick of this writing lark is to not project one’s idiosyncrasies too strongly.

And, dear reader, despite that moment of self-reflective indulgence, know this: on returning to Dubai and travelling thereafter, I told everyone to book a flight to Bangkok. Eat the street food and wander aimlessly. Book lunch in Sühring’s resplendent garden greenhouse (I’m breathless with praise for it), stop into Ms Maria and Mr Singh only if you’re nearby but definitely book dinner at Potong because what Pam and that speck of a kitchen can reach triumphant heights.


Potong’s modern interpretation of Pad Thai.

We are impressed with an early no-waste dish that fully uses bananas in various ways–from skin to fruit to flowers–incorporating chicken liver pate, sticky rice or dried shrimp and a boozy cocktail of banana peel steeped in rum.

Pam’s famous roast duck likely ruins any future joy in this delicious bird for me. What’s that about comparison being the thief of joy? The duck’s roasted brain is a creamy balm of the mouth served inside the duck’s skull. The legs are roasted; the dark meat is chopped and tossed through stir-fried rice, practically bouncing with richness.

Thailand must raise the Dolly Parton of buxom ducks, practically tipping over breast first as they waddle. These blushingly pink, dry-aged duck breasts–the length of a toddler’s forearm–emerge armoured in lardaceous, glassy skin, deliriously crisp, where the fat melts like a candle on contact with the tongue. All this life-shorteningly good use of duck is balanced with a phalanx of housemade refreshing pickles. We ordered a second portion of duck. If I am going to die, I want my family to know I did it doing something I loved.


Chef Pam Pichaya Soontornyanakiij inside Potong’s remarkably small kitchen.

Angie, our lovely waitress, takes away the meagre remains of probably the best duck I’ll ever have. She is professional and engaging, like the rest of the team. I would tell you about the succession of desserts, but the wine pairing’s Moscato d’Asti kicked in at this point, and I was entranced by a frosted geometric cube–more than any one man should be. By the way, Thai Chardonnay, a revelation! Treat yourself.

We retire to Opium Bar, which everyone should do when they come to Potong. Our group disbands. Some slip off into the night for Bangkok’s special brand of exotic. Others, like me, head back to our hotel. Brushing my teeth feels like an act of hostility against all the cumulative remains of Potong’s hard work.


Potong’s frosted cube serving a round of dessert and Issara Estates Thai Chardonnay.

Potong, Would I Return?

Absolutely. Potong distils the kind of lightning in a bottle that cannot be captured. It’s quietly clever, with an authenticity and storytelling that I find admirable.

Potong, Who Should Come Here?

Lovers, friends, and spouses. There’s an intimacy and familiarity here that welcomes groups with such relationships. Potong is less corporate and feels cosier than, say, more formal fine dining like the sublime Sühring.

Written by Liam Collens // Find other reviews here. Liam was invited to Potong as part of a press trip across restaurants in Bangkok.



Potong’s historical stories of crab roe, blue crab and brioche.

Potong’s tasting menu costs THB5500, Wanderlust Excursion Wine Pairing costs THB3300, and Sommelier Selection pairing costs THB5500. Potong is located at 422 Vanich 1 Road, Samphanthawon, Bangkok, 10100. For reservations and more information, visit Potong’s website or Instagram.

Liam was invited to Ms Maria and Mr Singh as part of a press trip to Bangkok. You can follow Liam Collens on Substack, Instagram, Threads, or Facebook.

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