Bo.lan
Duangporn "Bo" Songvisava | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bangkok, Thailand |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, restaurant owner |
| Years active | 2000s–present |
| Known for | Co-founder and manager of Bo.lan, appearance on Chef's Table (season 5) |
Duangporn "Bo" Songvisava (; born ) is a prominent Thai chef and restaurant owner. Alongside her husband, chef Dylan Jones, she founded and manages Bo.lan, a celebrated dining establishment located in Bangkok's Thong Lo district. In 2018, Songvisava appeared in the fifth season of the documentary series Chef's Table.
Early life and education
Born in Bangkok, Thailand, to a Thai mother and Taiwanese father, Duangporn Songvisava—commonly known as "Bo"—was raised in a household where her parents operated a canning enterprise. Her early experiences assisting with the preparation of Thai-Chinese cuisine at home played a significant role in shaping her culinary interests. Despite exposure to Western culinary traditions, her dedication to Thai food remained paramount.
Although her parents initially encouraged her to follow a conventional academic path, she began by studying English and French before transferring to Griffith University's Hotel Management School, where she earned a business degree specializing in Restaurant and Catering Management. Facing difficulties securing hotel employment, she pursued further education in Australia at the University of Adelaide and Le Cordon Bleu, ultimately obtaining a master's degree in Gastronomy.
Career
Songvisava’s professional journey started at Amanda Gale's Cy'an, a Mediterranean restaurant in Bangkok, where she worked as a commis 3. This experience revealed gaps in her knowledge of authentic Thai cuisine and highlighted how few local chefs had expertise in traditional recipes. At that time, most Thai eateries catered primarily to tourists rather than focusing on genuine culinary heritage. In 2005, she joined the Michelin-starred Nahm in London as a chef de partie under David Thompson, where she met her future husband, who was then a sous chef. The couple relocated back to Thailand in 2008.
That same year, Songvisava and Jones launched Bo.lan in Bangkok’s Thong Lo area by converting an old bungalow into a restaurant dedicated to slow food principles and traditional Thai dishes. The New York Times referred to it as "perhaps Bangkok's first chic Thai restaurant," while The Daily Telegraph commended its "sophisticated but unpretentious" menu. Drawing inspiration from historic cookbooks and local farmers, Bo.lan prioritized sustainability through initiatives such as solar energy use, an on-site vegetable garden, water purification systems, waste recycling programs, and sourcing ingredients directly from regional farmers and artisans. Its wine selection showcased emerging Thai vineyards. Rather than pursuing organic certification, Bo.lan chose to support small-scale farms through direct partnerships built on trust. After operating for 13 years, the restaurant closed temporarily in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions but resumed limited service in March 2022 and fully reopened by December 2023.
In addition to her restaurant work, Songvisava has taught courses on food and beverage management as well as Thai cooking at two universities. She also hosted the PBS television program Kin Yu Kue (Eat Live Be), which addressed various food-related topics.
In 2014, the couple organized a pop-up event in New York’s Greenwich Village. The following year, they opened Err, a casual dining venue offering shared plates inspired by Thai street food; The New York Times described it as "rustic drinking food with a focus on quality ingredients." Another pop-up took place in Hong Kong in 2016.
Songvisava’s profile expanded with her appearance on Netflix’s Chef's Table Season 5 in 2018 and participation in the Swedish documentary series Four Hands Menu. In 2019, she and Jones served as judges for the finals of Hyatt's Good Taste Series competition.
Awards and recognition
Bo.lan received a Michelin star during the first edition of the Michelin Guide for Thailand. The founders, Jones and Songvisava, along with their mentor David Thompson, were acknowledged by CNN for their efforts in rejuvenating traditional Thai cuisine.
In 2013, Songvisava was honored as Asia's top female chef by 50 Best Restaurants in Asia, while Bo.lan secured the 36th position on their ranking. By 2017, the restaurant was featured on the Culinary Institute of America's Plant-forward Global 50 list and achieved 19th place on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. The subsequent year, Bo.lan ranked 37th on the same Asian list.
In 2019, Bo.lan was recognized among the world's leading 18 restaurants by the World Restaurant Awards and attained the 19th spot on S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna Asia's 50 Best Restaurants.
Personal life
Songvisava is married to Dylan Jones, an Australian native whom she met during her tenure at Nahm in London. The couple wed in 2012 and are parents to two sons.