Two Michelin-recognised chefs for Crown Sydney

Crown is bringing Michelin-recognised Thai chef Pichaya Soontornyanajii and Swedish chef Björn Frantzén to Crown Sydney in 2027.

Pichaya Soontornyanakij, fondly known as Chef Pam, is the owner of Michelin-starred venue POTONG in Bangkok. POTONG has been recognised on World’s 50 Best Restaurants lists, while Chef Pam was crowned The World’s Best Female Chef 2025 and Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024.

Chef Pam will launch a new restaurant concept called SEK at Crown Sydney in 2027. SEK will offer a chef-led journey through contemporary Thai cuisine, with an open-kitchen, refined service and interactive tableside moments that will bring theatre to the dining experience.

Chef Pam said she had a deeply personal connection to Australia through her grandmother, who was born and raised in NSW.

“Opening my first Australian restaurants is incredibly meaningful,” she said.

“My current venues are about respecting the foundations of Thai cuisine and expressing them in a modern and personal way. Australia's beautiful local produce makes it the perfect destination for this next chapter.”

Crown Sydney CEO, Ken Janssen said: “This marks an exciting new chapter in Australian dining, and we’re honoured to be working with Chef Pam in bringing her unique, modern style to our guests."

The announcement follows Crown revealing that globally acclaimed Swedish chef Björn Frantzén is bringing the cuisine and creativity behind his triple Michelin-starred restaurants to Sydney.

Björn Frantzén is the only chef in the world to achieve three Michelin stars for three restaurants simultaneously.

His Michelin three-star restaurants; Frantzén in Stockholm, Zén in Singapore, and FZN in Dubai have earned global acclaim for their innovative fusion of Nordic heritage, Asian influences and French technique.

In Sydney, Én by Björn Frantzén will be a fine dining experience with views across Sydney Harbour and is set to open its doors early next year.