02 February 2015

Renowned Chef Theo Randall Makes His International Debut at InterContinental Bangkok

New Italian restaurant ‘Theo Mio’ to open this year

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announces that InterContinental Bangkok in Thailand is set to become home to celebrity chef Theo Randall’s first restaurant outside the UK. The new Italian concept, Theo Mio, will open in the second half of the year and will focus on exciting seasonal menus created from top quality local ingredients as well as hand-picked Italian produce.

Chef Randall’s relationship with IHG began in 2006 when he opened Theo Randall at the InterContinental at InterContinental London Park Lane. Since 2006, discerning London diners have enjoyed Randall’s delicious creations, and the restaurant is recognised as the best Italian restaurant in London. With over 25 years’ experience in some of the world’s best kitchens, including Chez Panisse in the US and River Café in London – where he was Head Chef – Randall now brings his love of fine Italian food to Asia.

Speaking about the new restaurant, Randall said; “Italian food is all about celebrating the ingredients and preparing dishes that allow diners to explore and enjoy a culinary journey in an environment that is fun and relaxed. At Theo Mio, I want to give guests the opportunity to sample some truly exciting dishes.”

Highlights on the menu include Carpaccio of Beef Fillet with wild rocket, aged balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese; Fritto Misto of local shrimp, squash, artichokes, zucchini with fresh red chilli and mint; Pan Fried Squid with fresh chilli, anchovy parsley and Borlotti beans. As Theo is also renowned for his pasta, dishes like Tagliarini with brown shrimp, artichokes, butter and chilli as well as his Cappaletti di Vitello with porcini mushroom sauce, which won Best Restaurant Dish for 2014 by Tatler magazine, are also definite must-tries.

Diners can also look forward to sourdough pizzas with delicious combinations of fresh goats curd, Datterini tomatoes, rocket and black olive tapenade; or Proscuitto di Parma with tomato, wild oregano and fresh buffalo mozzarella. Amongst the seafood menu, diners can also look forward to grilled local snapper, served whole with spinach oil and lemon, spicy Tuscan lentils with Salsa Verde.

On the dessert menu are treats like Theo's Soft Chocolate Cake with crema di Mascapone and Amalfi lemon tart, which restaurant critic Jay Rayner from the British newspaper The Observer, described as “even better than Heston Blumenthal’s”.

With its open-kitchen concept, diners can view all the culinary action. The menu is designed so that diners can share all dishes and will feature a section of small bites and antipasta that can be eaten at the lounge bar, which serves the best selection of Aperitivi drinks, Proseccos and an extensive list of signature cocktails and Italian wine.

Randall recently lent his culinary talent to curate and conceptualise the InterContinental Planet Trekkers Menu together with best-selling author and child food expert, Annabel Karmel MBE. Designed to take young explorers on an exciting journey of food discovery, the signature menu was launched this year and is available at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts around the world. Randall has also been appointed an IHG Culinary Ambassador, which is part of the hotel group's newly launched Culinary Panel. Including Randall, the Culinary Panel features five celebrated chefs who have developed a repertoire of signature dishes which will be available at selected restaurants across IHG hotels in the company’s Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region.

Phil Broad, Vice President of Food and Beverage, Asia, Middle East and Africa, IHG commented; “The last twelve months have been incredibly exciting as we’ve introduced a host of new food and beverage initiatives. Partnering with top chefs allows us to explore and integrate new culinary approaches to our restaurants and menus with the people who are at the forefront of the industry.

“Theo’s new restaurant at InterContinental Bangkok is set to be a highlight of the booming Bangkok restaurant scene and his quality and style of cooking is perfectly aligned with our commitment to providing guests with exceptional dining experiences.

For more information on InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, visit www.ihg.com/intercontinental.  To explore IHG Rewards Club, the world’s largest hotel loyalty programme, visit www.ihgrewardsclub.com and for more information on IHG, visit www.IHG.com

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About IHG®

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organization with a broad portfolio of nine hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts.

IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty program with over 82 million members worldwide. The program was relaunched in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members including free internet across all hotels, globally.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,700 hotels and 697,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries, with almost 1,200 hotels in its development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

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