Chef Hervé Frérard — Thirty Years of French Cooking, Now in Sathorn

Quick answer: Hervé Frérard is the French chef in Bangkok behind Brasserie 9 at 27 Soi Sathorn 6, Silom. He has spent more than 30 years in French kitchens, cooked at Chefs Club in New York, Aspen and Taipei, and has prepared meals for Queen Elizabeth II, President François Mitterrand and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand. Since 2015 he has served as an honorary consultant to Thailand’s Royal Project Foundation. You can eat his cooking daily from 11:30 to midnight — reserve on 02 234 2588 or book through Chope.

Why the French chef in Bangkok matters when you choose a restaurant

French cooking is unforgiving in a way that hides nothing. A confit that was rushed, a sauce that broke and was rebuilt, foie gras that met a pan that was not hot enough — the plate tells on the kitchen every time. That is why, in French dining more than most cuisines, who is standing at the pass is the thing worth asking about.

At Brasserie 9 the answer has a name.

Thirty years, three continents

• Trained and shaped in France — Hervé built his foundation in French kitchens, where the classics are learned in order and there are no shortcuts
• Chefs Club — New York, Aspen and Taipei — a concept built around rotating acclaimed chefs through one kitchen, so the cooking is measured against outside talent constantly rather than settling into routine
• More than three decades at the stove — long enough to have cooked through several eras of French dining, from strict classicism to the lighter, produce-led approach that defines his food today

Cooking for a Queen, a President, and a Queen again

Three occasions stand out in a career this long:

• Queen Elizabeth II
• President François Mitterrand
• Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand

These are not the sort of kitchens where a dish gets a second attempt. They are also the reason his cooking is precise without being fussy — a discipline that shows in the way the brasserie plates come out today.

Thailand, and the Royal Project Foundation

In 2015, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit appointed Hervé an honorary consultant to the Royal Project Foundation — the initiative that works with highland farming communities in northern Thailand to grow temperate produce.

It is the part of his story that explains the food most clearly. He builds dishes around what local growers actually bring in, then applies French technique to it. French discipline, Thai produce — not fusion, but a French kitchen that sources honestly from where it stands.

Where to taste his cooking

The menu keeps to brasserie classics rather than chasing trends:

• Foie Gras Millefeuille — the dish the restaurant is best known for
• Duck Leg Confit (THB 790) — sarladaise potatoes, lemon thyme, red wine jus
• Australian Beef Tenderloin Rossini (THB 1,990) — grain-fed 200 days, foie gras, truffle Madeira sauce
• Frog Legs — a classic that has largely disappeared from Bangkok menus
• Traditional French Onion Soup — the simplest test of any French kitchen

Prices are subject to 10% service charge and 7% government tax.

When to come

• Set lunch — Monday to Friday, 11:30 – 14:00, from THB 690
• Sunday brunch — Sundays, 11:30 – 14:30, from THB 1,800, with frog legs and crêpe Suzette cooked at the live station
• Dinner and à la carte — daily until midnight
• After dinner — The Brass, the bar and cigar lounge on the ground floor

Brasserie 9 · 27 Soi Sathorn 6, Silom, Bangkok 10500 · minutes from BTS Chong Nonsi and Sala Daeng · 02 234 2588 · rated 4.6 from 731 reviews on Tripadvisor, ranked #258 of 8,844 Bangkok restaurants.

FAQ

Who is the chef at Brasserie 9?

Hervé Frérard, a French chef with more than 30 years of experience in French kitchens. He has cooked at Chefs Club in New York, Aspen and Taipei, and has been an honorary consultant to Thailand’s Royal Project Foundation since 2015.

Has Chef Hervé cooked for royalty?

Yes. He has prepared meals for Queen Elizabeth II, President François Mitterrand, and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand.

What is the Royal Project Foundation connection?

In 2015 he was appointed an honorary consultant to the Royal Project Foundation, which works with highland farming communities in northern Thailand. Local produce from these growers shapes what appears on the menu.

What style of French food does he cook?

Classic brasserie cooking rather than modernist plates — onion soup, duck leg confit, frog legs, foie gras and escargot, built on French technique and largely Thai-grown produce.

Can I eat his cooking any day of the week?

Yes. Brasserie 9 is open daily from 11:30 to midnight, with a set lunch Monday to Friday and Sunday brunch on Sundays. Reserve on 02 234 2588 or through Chope.