Chef
Riley Sanders
- Discipline
- Chef
Portrait of Riley Sanders
i. Biography
The line is plain, but it points to the kind of city that teaches by repetition: market runs, street traffic, seasonal shifts, and the daily decision of what earns a place on the plate. In Bangkok, Sanders found a working classroom where attention matters more than formula, and where the cook stays answerable to what the season is offering.
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The Essentials Seasonality sits at the center of Sanders’ kitchen approach. For Riley Sanders, the calendar is not a constraint to work around but the framework that gives the cooking its pace and direction. Freshness determines what moves forward, and the menu changes with what is available rather than forcing ingredients to fit a fixed plan. “I give a lot of importance to seasonal ingredients. We go to the market regularly, which helps us discover new ingredients that we want to use.”
Regular market visits are part of the work, not a side activity. They keep the kitchen responsive to what turns up, with room for an ingredient to shift the menu by merit rather than by expectation. In that process, sourcing is cooking: the decisions made in the market shape what happens later in service. For Sanders, the method is direct—stay close to the product, stay open to change, and let the day’s find determine the plate.
Signature
Riley's signature dishes include Oomph and Spiced crayfish. The two names point to a cook working with strong seasoning and clear intent, using dishes that register as expressions of a seasonal approach rather than departures from it. They fit a kitchen where freshness, market rhythm, and discovery carry the structure of the menu.
In Their Words “I give a lot of importance to seasonal ingredients. We go to the market regularly, which helps us discover new ingredients that we want to use.”
Recognition
Riley Sanders has received Michelin Guide, Michelin Star (2018). In 2025.
FAQ
Asked of Riley
What is Riley Sanders known for?
He gives a lot of importance to seasonal ingredients and goes to the market regularly, which helps discover new ingredients they want to use.
Who is Riley Sanders?
He is someone who came to Bangkok six years ago because he wanted to learn more about food and gives a lot of importance to seasonal ingredients.
Explore
The Sunday email
Read about chefs like Riley Sanders in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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