{"id":7582,"date":"2026-01-02T01:49:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T01:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/global-travel-news\/three-michelin-starred-chef-angel-leons-plankton-rice-makes-waves-in-bangkok\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T09:35:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T09:35:45","slug":"three-michelin-starred-chef-angel-leons-plankton-rice-makes-waves-in-bangkok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/global-travel-news\/three-michelin-starred-chef-angel-leons-plankton-rice-makes-waves-in-bangkok\/","title":{"rendered":"Three-Michelin-Starred Chef \u00c1ngel Le\u00f3n\u2019s Plankton Rice Makes Waves in Bangkok"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Three-Michelin-Starred<\/a>Bangkok, Thailand, January 2, 2025 \/ TRAVELINDEX \/ LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar will serve one of the most innovative dishes in contemporary gastronomy, crafted by a leading figure in sustainable seafood who champions alternative food sources<\/a> that reduce reliance on conventional seafood and do not deplete fragile ecosystems.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlankton Rice\u201d, a signature creation of world acclaimed Spanish chef \u00c1ngel Le\u00f3n, renowned as \u2018El Chef del Mar\u2019, which translates to \u2018The Chef of the Sea\u2019, will be on offer exclusively at LUZ, crowning the 33rd<\/sup> and 34th<\/sup> floors of INNSiDE by Melia Bangkok Sukhumvit, for a limited one-month run from Dec. 30, 2025 \u2013 Jan. 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Chef Le\u00f3n\u2019s pioneering work at his restaurant Aponiente in C\u00e1diz, Spain, has been awarded three Michelin Stars and a Michelin Green Star<\/a> for its commitment to sustainability by discovering new sea ingredients, cultivating marine plants and using previously overlooked marine products.<\/p>\n

He has drawn acclaim for turning ocean research into high cuisine, particularly through his innovative use of pure marine phytoplankton, a highly nutritional and sustainable ingredient packed with the likes of protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as the development of cultivating a \u201csea rice\u201d from eelgrass in the ocean\u2019s waters.<\/p>\n

In a bold reimagining of what ocean ingredients can be, \u201cPlankton Rice\u201d is a rice dish infused with pure marine phytoplankton, the microscopic algae that form the base of the ocean\u2019s food chain, making the dish vivid emerald in colour with an aroma reminiscent of the open sea. After many years of research, Chef Le\u00f3n was the first chef in the world to obtain authorisation to use 100% natural, food-grade phytoplankton in cuisine.<\/p>\n

Prepared in accordance with Chef Le\u00f3n\u2019s techniques and using the same premium-grade phytoplankton used at Aponiente, Plankton Rice will be offered in limited quantities daily at LUZ, known for authentic Spanish tapas and sweeping views of the Bangkok skyline.<\/p>\n

\u201cChef Le\u00f3n\u2019s culinary work is incredibly inspiring and we feel privileged to share with diners, right here in Bangkok, a phenomenal glimpse into a future in which part of our food system could shift from land to sea,\u201d said INNSiDE by Melia Bangkok Sukhumvit\u2019s general manager Tarek Beheiry. \u201cPlankton Rice showcases how innovation and creativity intersect with gastronomy and sustainability to imagine new possibilities for how we feed the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 208-room urban lifestyle hotel, which has been recognised by the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler<\/em> Readers\u2019 Choice Awards 2025 as among the Thai capital\u2019s top four hotels, will offer Plankton Rice following \u2018Stars of the Sea: A World-Class Culinary Journey\u2019 on the evening of Dec. 29 at LUZ. The event features both Chef Le\u00f3n and Juan Ignacio Garc\u00eda Racionero, a.k.a \u201cChef Nacho\u201d, LUZ\u2019s chef de cuisine. Organised by Melia Hotels International, the tasting journey will be underpinned by Chef Le\u00f3n\u2019s signature marine philosophy and Chef Nacho\u2019s \u201cSpanish tapas with soul\u201d. The event is open to the public but with limited seats available confirmed by registration only.<\/p>\n

Chef Le\u00f3n\u2019s groundbreaking research has also focused on harvesting small edible seeds, that behave much like rice or quinoa yet are cultivated entirely underwater, from eelgrass, a bountiful marine plant growing naturally in coastal waters. The grain absorbs the flavour of the sea and, like pure marine phytoplankton, offers potential as a new model of sustainable food production. Eelgrass salt-water meadows require no freshwater irrigation, pesticides, or arable land; resources heavily consumed by conventional rice and cereal crops. Eelgrass also sequesters large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

LUZ is open daily from 4pm until midnight. For further information call +66 2 340 5499.<\/p>\n

Plankton Rice will be THB 890++ (USD 27.60++).<\/p>\n

About Melia Hotels International<\/strong><\/p>\n

Founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Melia Hotels International has more than 400 hotels open or in the process of opening, in more than 40 countries, and a portfolio of nine brands: Gran Melia Hotels & Resorts, ME by Melia, The Melia Collection, Paradisus by Melia, Melia Hotels & Resorts, ZEL, INNSiDE by Melia, Sol by Melia, and Affiliated by Melia. The Company is one of the world\u2019s leading hotel chains in the leisure segment and its experience in this area has allowed it to consolidate itself in the growing market of urban hotels inspired by leisure. Its commitment to responsible tourism has led it to be recognised as the most sustainable European hotel company in the world (chosen as \u201cSustainability Yearbook Member\u201d in 2024 by S&P Global), as well as being a \u201cTop Employer 2024\u201d brand in Spain, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Italy, Germany, France and Vietnam.<\/p>\n

About INNSiDE by Melia<\/strong><\/p>\n

INNSiDE is a collection of unique urban and beach hotels designed for those with curious minds and fluid lives. Always true to their destination, they give guests the freedom to connect or disconnect among an independent community of like-minded travellers.<\/p>\n

INNSiDE provides guests with all the everyday essentials and extra-special details to make their stay all the more unique. From in-room comforts to the inspiring Big Idea Space, Open Living Lounges, and fitness studios, we allow guests to feel more-than-at-home.<\/p>\n

Sustainability is also packed into all the little details: every room is equipped with paper and plastic-free collateral and complimentary organic cosmetics. INNSiDE celebrates the culture of each of its locations with an events calendar, handy city guides for guests, and by spotlighting a local artist\u2019s work across the hotel walls and onto merchandise and staff uniforms.<\/p>\n

There are currently 38 INNSiDE by Melia properties worldwide, with the brand continuing to expand its global footprint. All properties are located in the best lifestyle neighbourhood travel destinations. Some of them are Spain (Madrid, Mallorca, Ibiza, Fuerteventura, Zaragoza), United Kingdom (Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester), United States (New York, Lima), Germany (Berlin, Bremen, Frankfurt, Munich, Dresden, D\u00fcsseldorf, Aachen, Leipzig, Hamburg) Czech Republic (Prague), France (Paris), Italy (Milano), China (Zhengzhou), Indonesia (Yogyakarta), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Netherlands (Amsterdam).<\/p>\n

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Bangkok, Thailand, January 2, 2025 \/ TRAVELINDEX \/ LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar will serve one of the most innovative dishes in contemporary gastronomy, crafted by a leading figure in sustainable seafood who champions alternative food sources that reduce reliance on conventional seafood and do not deplete fragile ecosystems. \u201cPlankton Rice\u201d, a signature creation of world …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7600,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[2315,37,14,2316,1966],"class_list":["post-7582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-global-travel-news","tag-global-travelnews","tag-news","tag-travelindex","tag-travelindex-media-group","tag-untourism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}