This World Cocktail Month, MGallery Collection partners with Chef Pam Pichaya Soontornyanakij to to pair cocktails with a range of well-executed bites across a global stage.
For years, the modern cocktail bar has edged closer to the kitchen – borrowing its techniques, discipline, and increasingly, its sense of narrative. This World Cocktail Month (from May 2026), MGallery Collection pushes that evolution further, positioning the bar not merely as a prelude to dinner, but as a highlight in its own right.
For this year’s global programme, the hotel group collaborates with Chef “Pam” Pichaya Soontornyanakij, founder of Bangkok’s Michelin-starred Potong, who was also The World’s Best Female Chef 2025 and Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024. With both Chef Pam and MGallery Collection sharing a belief that hospitality should tell a story, the collaboration feels like a natural progression. Beyond her culinary achievements, Pam is also a passionate advocate for women in hospitality, mentoring emerging talent through her Women for Women initiative – a shared commitment that brings depth and authenticity to this partnership.
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Guests can enjoy the programme in 16 MGallery properties worldwide, spanning heritage city landmarks to coastal sanctuaries and design-led urban retreats in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. In Asia, the menus will be available at MGallery hotels such as Naru Ambassador Hotel Seoul - MGallery Collection, Hotel Sosei Sapporo, Ming Hotel Nanjing and The Silveri Hotel Hong Kong. In Europe, the participating hotels include Athens Capital Hotel, Palazzo Tirso Cagliari, Domaine de la Reine Margot Paris Issy, among others.
Beyond The Glass
The concept is straightforward: cocktails paired with bites. But in the hands of Chef Pam, the idea is elevated and treated with greater precision. These are not standard bar snacks, but creations designed to heighten what’s in the glass.
For Pam, the flavour is a language shaped by contrast, memory and emotion. Her progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine has consistently explored the interplay of five flavours and five emotions. “With MGallery Collection, we wanted to let that language unfold beyond the plate and into the bar. These bites are not simply accompaniments; they are intentional compositions, designed to create dialogue between sip and taste. Together, we are celebrating a creativity that transcends borders, where global inspiration is expressed through the soul of each destination,” says the chef. To develop the pairings, Pam travelled to several of the MGallery properties worldwide, working closely with the respective hotel teams.
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Across selected properties, a curated cocktail collection is served alongside her globally inspired bites, some subtly woven with Thai flavours. For instance, The Botanist’s Waltz concoction is paired with addictive deboned chicken wings served with a lightly spiced Thai dip. The clean and assertive Prohibition Martini is matched with beef tartare perked up with chilli crème and luxurious caviar. Elsewhere, the Midnight Fizz Society meets a generous crab roll, while the Cult of Verde cuts through the earthy indulgence of polenta truffle.
Chef Pam’s five signature bites anchor the experience. Golden crab toasts arrive crisp and decadent, while deep-fried crispy squid dusted with seaweed powder and served with an ink dip, is tender and addictive. The latter is paired with a savoury concoction dubbed Archive of Tomorrow.
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Alongside the core menu, regional interpretations draw on local ingredients and culinary references, allowing each property to reflect its own sense of place. In Seoul, for instance, guests can expect a delicate tart filled with diced apples and tofu, topped with shavings of Parmesan – also offered as a vegetarian option.
What emerges from this vibrant experience is a rethinking of the bar ritual itself. Not a quick stop before dinner, nor simply a standalone indulgence, it becomes a curated experience. And perhaps that is the point — the boundaries between kitchen and bar continue to blur in an era where dining is increasingly experiential.