i. Biography
The Path
Chinese cooking is the base of Ronald Shao’s practice, and that background is what gives his work at Mia its structure. The kitchen reads that lineage not as decoration, but as a working framework: it shapes how he tastes, how he builds flavor, and how he moves through service. In that sense, Shao’s place at Mia looks less like a break from the past than the point where accumulated experience becomes legible on the plate.
The Work Today
At Mia, Ronald Shao’s long Chinese-cooking background meets the pace and demands of a modern dining room. The result is a style of cooking that stays grounded while still feeling immediate in service. In practice, that means the restaurant’s rhythm, dish composition, and overall balance are carrying that history forward rather than setting it aside. That relationship between tradition and present-tense work is central to the appeal of Mia. Shao treats tradition as something active, not fixed, and the cooking reflects that approach. The voice at the pass is measured and personal, built from years of practice and from the specific expectations of his current post.
Signature
Taste of Mia and Baked Pork Chop Rice are the signatures associated with Ronald Shao, and both titles point to different parts of his range. Taste of Mia suggests a dish meant to carry the restaurant’s identity in a concise form, while Baked Pork Chop Rice speaks to comfort, familiarity, and repeat value. Taken together, they show a kitchen working with recognizable forms while still aiming for distinction. As markers of style, these dishes do more than fill a menu. They give shape to how Shao is read at Mia: through a cooking style that is expressive without being abstract, and accessible without losing precision. In a trade where novelty often gets the attention, a signature dish still does the practical work of making a chef’s priorities visible.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ronald
What is Ronald Shao's current role?
Ronald Shao is a chef at Mia in Bangkok.
