Thai Trade Center New York plans rice-focused chef dinner at Platform by JBF

By AI, Created 10:12 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The Thai Trade Center New York will host a one-night-only dinner on May 7, 2026, at Platform by JBF in New York’s Pier 57, bringing together award-winning chefs to spotlight Thai rice varieties. The event is designed to show how Thai rice can move beyond a staple ingredient and into modern fine dining.

Why it matters: - The dinner is designed to elevate Thai rice as a premium ingredient for modern American fine dining. - The event pairs Thai rice with a high-profile chef lineup, which could broaden its visibility among U.S. chefs, diners, and import partners. - The Thai Trade Center New York is using a culinary showcase to promote Thai products and strengthen market awareness in the U.S.

What happened: - The Thai Trade Center New York announced Collab Dinner: Thai Rice: A Journey Beyond Borders for Thursday, May 7, 2026, at Platform by JBF, 25 11th Ave., New York, NY, at Pier 57. - The event starts at 6:30 p.m. - The dinner will feature Noah Sandoval, 2025 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Great Lakes and chef at Oriole in Chicago. - The lineup also includes Neal Harden of abcV, Pithayakorn “Fo” Panapoi of La Dong, pastry chef Oksana Chepoy of Flore Café, and mixologist Chompon “Boong” Boonnak of Mahaniyom. - Tickets and more information are available through the event listing linked as Tickets and information.

The details: - The menu will reinterpret Thai Hom Mali jasmine rice, riceberry, brown rice and sticky rice through dishes and beverage pairings. - The program will include a signature “liquid rice” cocktail. - Guests will get a cocktail reception with passed hors d’oeuvre on arrival. - The dinner will include a multi-course menu with curated beverage pairings. - The evening will also include a Q&A with the featured chefs. - Sandoval leads Oriole, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant known for tasting menus. - Harden serves as culinary director of ABC Restaurants and executive chef of abcV, a plant-forward New York restaurant. - Panapoi’s Thai-Vietnamese restaurant La Dong earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand. - Chepoy is a Ukraine-born pastry chef known for dessert programs in Northern Virginia. - Boonnak is a Michelin Guide award-winning mixologist and will create the beverage program for the event. - A high-resolution image link was included in the announcement, but no public URL was provided in the source text.

Between the lines: - The event blends culinary prestige, Thai cultural promotion and trade outreach in one dinner format. - The chef roster signals an effort to frame Thai rice as versatile enough for tasting menus, plant-forward cuisine, desserts and cocktails. - The mix of chefs from Chicago, New York, Virginia and Boston suggests a national audience rather than a single-market promotion. - The Thai Trade Center New York is positioning the dinner as both a public-facing food event and a business-development showcase.

What’s next: - The May 7 dinner will give chefs a live platform to present their interpretations of Thai rice. - Thai Trade Center New York is likely to use the event to build additional awareness for Thai rice varieties and related products in the U.S. market. - Interested attendees can follow the Thai Trade Center New York on social media through its public Facebook page.