Bastian Ballweg has been Executive Chef of The Pavilions Phuket since March 2022 and is also the chef of the Firefly restaurant located on the hotel grounds. He previously worked – for a good four years – as Executive Chef at the Marriott Nai Yang – Resort and Spa, which is also located on Phuket.

Bastian is an open and straightforward guy – he is very reliable and always on the ball, scoring points especially with his Thai colleagues with a calmness and balance that is second to none. Well, he has seen a lot as a chef in the last twenty-six years and has not lost his flair for innovation.

I particularly remember an omelette he surprised me with for breakfast. The eggs came from his own ducks and he used them to conjure up a fusion creation with green Thai curry – a dream I can tell you, you definitely have to try it!

Bastian completed his training in Bielefeld, where he also spent a large part of his first years as a chef. However, he also ventured on a detour to the Mövenpick Hotel Zurich Airport or worked as a saucier in the Doppeleiche restaurant on the island of Fehmarn.

So, he was always on the move to learn new things before he ended up in Thailand. Bastian also invested a good two years of his life in Lübeck at the Carl Friedrich von Rumohr Hotel Management School to look beyond the “edge of the restaurant kitchen”.

As always on Meet the Chef, I took the opportunity to ask Bastian a few questions about his career and his love of cooking.

[Erik]: Bastian, when did your love of cooking begin?

[Bastian]: At a very early age – when I was about 11 to 12 years old – I started cooking small dishes and then more and more often without supervision, but at that time I didn’t really want to become a chef.

[Erik]: Who inspired you?

[Bastian]: My mother and grandparents, because my grandparents had already been independent restaurateurs for over 30 years at that time. My mother helped in her parents’ business when she was young, so she can cook very well. I spent a lot of time in my grandparents’ restaurant when I was a kid because I found the gastro life very exciting – both in the kitchen and in the dining room.

[Erik]: Who and for how long were you trained?

[Bastian]: Most of my training took place in Bielefeld, two years of which were spent at Hotel Restaurant Brands Busch and then another year at Wernings Weinstube. The apprenticeship lasted three years – but you only really learn after that!

[Erik]: What are your favourite dishes (starter, main course and dessert)?

[Bastian]: Not an easy question, I’m always open to new things. But if you ask me directly – I’m generally very fond of salads, no matter what kind. As a main course, I love Sauerbraten – but I prefer it without sultanas – with red cabbage and bread dumplings, especially made from my “mother” or home-cooked. As a finale, I find lukewarm pudding a great thing, even if there’s a calorie or two in tow….

[Erik]: What are your goals for the future?

[Bastian]: I would like to help preserve the tradition of cooking as a craft. I am open to new things, but I think that the basics should always be the foundation of a good and down-to-earth cuisine. Of course – and this has been the case for me for a long time – sustainability and animal welfare are permanent fixtures in my kitchen!

[Erik]: When will you get your first Michelin star?

[Bastian]: Honestly, I am convinced that you can cook at star level, but without having to or wanting to have one. Back in 1996, in my two apprenticeships, we did the same and both were the best houses around there at that time!

Bastian has now been rooted on the popular Thai holiday island for almost ten years. Of course, he now also speaks Thai, which is an advantage for him, especially when he goes shopping at the local markets.

Bastian attaches great importance to doing the shopping himself or at least always being there – too often he has had experiences with delivered food that was nothing like what he had ordered. Cooking is a matter of trust and so it is important that the quality of the ingredients always meets the chef’s requirements, only then will the guests get impeccable food on their plates.

With his start at The Pavilions Phuket, he has now seized the opportunity to give both the Firefly restaurant and the entire gastronomy of the house his down-to-earth signature. Here he can develop freely on a high, but not snobbish level and create a culinary WIN/WIN situation for himself, his team – the house and the guests – I wish you much success in this, Bastian!