Latest news with #Ton
Korea Herald
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Thai celebrity chef Ton's first Malaysian eatery Sood features fun Thai cuisine
GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia (The Star/ANN) -- In Thailand, Thitid Tassana-kajohn, better known as chef Ton, is widely recognized as a national culinary icon. Ton has been instrumental in elevating Thai cuisine with his innovative Bangkok restaurants Le Du (one Michelin star) and Nusara. Both restaurants rank high on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list. Ton has also been featured on Netflix's Chefs Uncut series and is a judge on Top Chef Thailand. His reputation spans far and wide and yet in person, he remains incredibly humble, sweet and soft-spoken. Ton was in Penang recently for the launch of a new menu at his first Malaysian restaurant, "Sood By Chef Ton," which opened in January this year. In many ways, Sood represents Ton's love for Penang, a relationship that has been fostered and nurtured for well over a decade. "I've been going to Penang for more than 10 years and it reminds me of Phuket, where I have another restaurant. So when the opportunity came to open a restaurant in this mansion, I wanted to do something special and unique; I wanted to present real Thai flavors but in a modern and elevated way," said Ton. Sood is housed in a charming heritage mansion that dates back to the late 19th century and has been preserved to maintain its staid white aesthetic appeal. The interior meanwhile is more bold, with dark red color accents and rooms carved out into dining spaces. It is very evident that this is not a fine-dining space. Instead, Ton's idea was to create a fun dining space that Penangites and visitors to Penang alike would be able to appreciate. "I think trends have shifted and I see that in the next five years, this is the sort of concept that people will be very comfortable with. I call it casual fine-dining and I think it is very well-received even on a global scale." "And for our Penang restaurant, our target was to get people to come back regularly. We want people to come every two weeks or at least once a month, so it has to be a restaurant that fits into the community," he said. At Sood, Ton said he tries to incorporate as many Malaysian ingredients as he can. While this initially proved to be a challenge at the beginning as he was unfamiliar with suppliers and producers, he had a little help from fellow Michelin-starred chef Su Kim Hock of Penang's Restaurant Au Jardin. "The community here is very nice and the local chefs have become good friends. Chefs Kim Hock and Johnson Wong (of Gen Penang) helped me find contacts so that I could push local ingredients onto the menu as well," he said. While Ton does periodically pop into Sood, he is obviously a very busy man so the restaurant is ably led by Natthasak Prangthong, who previously worked with Ton at Le Du and has honed his craft at top restaurants around the world. Sood recently rolled out its new menu and there is plenty to whet the appetite. Start with the prawn toast with tobiko. The dish features a crisp toasted shard fashioned out of prawns, which is then topped with grilled prawn, cucumber and shallots in what proves to a riotously fun aquatic-themed sojourn. The toast holds all the flavors together and adds a deeply winning briny undercoat to the meal, which is then livened by the tobiko and cucumber in this assemblage. The dish exudes a fresh yet fishy vibe that is ultimately very flavorful. Up next, from the medium plates on offer, have a go at the shrimp paste relish with Thai crispy roll. The foundational structure of this meal is the shrimp paste, which is interspersed with fish sauce, chillies and young mangoes. The relish is spread over the paper-thin crackers provided on the side and topped with an assortment of fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, Thai eggplant and long beans. The result is a constellation of fresh flavors juxtaposed against the fiery funk of the shrimp paste in what proves to a wild, bombastic explosion on the palate. The only downside is that the crackers are a tad feeble and don't really hold all the ingredients together as well as they should. Then there is the steamed squid with red seafood sauce which as its name implies, is made up of steamed squid coated in a furiously spicy red sauce. The squid is steamed to perfection and retains a spring and bounce in its step and a tender texture that still yields easily on the palate. The red sauce meanwhile is a fiery vixen that lives up to its name and is intent on lacing your tongue with as much red-hot heat as it can. Be forewarned: water is a necessary accomplice in the quest to complete this dish. From the soup selections, try the young coconut tapioca chicken soup. This is an ancient Thai palace recipe that Ton said is rarely seen even in Thailand. "You won't see this in normal restaurants because it's a recipe that is hundreds of years old. And the interesting thing about it is there is no sugar added; the sweetness comes from coconut water, so it is considered very rustic," he said. The soup is very simple -- chunks of tender chicken breast and coconut water interlocked together in harmonious, soothing companionship. It won't blow your mind but it will soothe your soul. From the large plates on offer, look at indulging in the Panang curry tiger prawn. The Panang curry is roasted to thicken it and is then infused with coconut milk and peanuts. This is then layered across the plate, upon which local grilled tiger prawns are placed. The result is a lovely voyage through the fresh, fluffy sweetness of the prawns and the rich, robustly flavored curry, which is nutty and intensely flavorful. End your meal with an ode to banana in the form of the cheekily-named Banana Banana Banana. Here, banana cake, banana ice-cream, banana mousse and banana crumble vie for your attention in the ultimate culinary equivalent of going bananas! Each component exudes covert banana flavors that collude to provide a memorable banana-centric experience that no human (or monkey) can resist. Ton is now hard at work expanding his Malaysian empire to Kuala Lumpur where he will soon be launching another restaurant. "It's in the capital city so we will be opening one restaurant with two concepts. One will be a very small chef's table and the other will be a casual restaurant that won't be crazy expensive," he said, laughing.
Mint
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
‘Bridgerton' Season Four wraps filming as fans await Benedict's love story, set to hit Netflix in 2026
'Bridgerton' Season Four has officially wrapped filming, according to a new video shared by Netflix on its official Instagram account. The short clip, posted on social media, shows various cast members exiting their trailers — first dressed in their Regency-era costumes, and then reappearing in everyday clothes. Some actors kept their wigs on for fun, marking the end of another glittering season. The video was shared with the caption, 'Do join us in bidding our dear Ton a farewell as they conclude the production of the forthcoming season! Indeed, there is much to look forward to…' The video sparked excitement among fans, but also raised a few eyebrows. Notably absent were Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton), Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton), and Simone Ashley (Kate Sharma). Their absence led to concern among viewers. One fan commented, "WHERE IS OUR COLIN??? THIS IS NOT COOL??? I MISS HIM???" Another wrote, 'Love this so much but also where is Luke Newton (sic).' Despite the speculation, the biggest reveal remains that Season Four will centre around Benedict Bridgerton, played by Luke Thompson. As the second son of Edmund and Violet Bridgerton, Benedict's romantic journey is based on Julia Quinn's novel 'An Offer From a Gentleman'. The story follows his infatuation with a mysterious woman he meets at a masquerade ball, known only as the Lady in Silver. His search eventually leads him to Sophie Baek, portrayed by Yerin Ha — a young woman forced into servitude by her cruel stepmother. The upcoming season promises a Cinderella-esque romance, rich with intrigue, hidden identities, and the drama of crossing social boundaries — all the elements fans adore in Bridgerton. The fourth season will arrive on Netflix in 2026. The date, however, still remains a mystery.
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Business Standard
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
IndiGo appoints Ton Dortmans to lead A350 service, MRO growth plans
IndiGo has announced that Ton Dortmans will be joining the airline around mid-August 2025. He will play a key role in preparing for the technical entry into service of IndiGo's Airbus A350 aircraft and help enhance the airline's overall Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities. Dortmans brings four decades of experience from his time at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. He spent the last 13 years there as Executive Vice President of Engineering and Maintenance. Supporting IndiGo's growth strategy In line with IndiGo's strategic plan, 'Towards New Heights and Across New Frontiers', introduced in mid-2022, the airline has been launching various growth initiatives. One major step includes the order of Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft, expected to start arriving in 2027. These aircraft, equipped with Rolls-Royce engines, mark a significant step as IndiGo enters the wide-body segment for the first time. With a current fleet of over 400 aircraft and more than 900 on order, IndiGo is working to develop extensive in-house MRO capabilities in India. As part of this effort, the airline opened its second hangar in Bengaluru in 2023. Dortmans will report to Chief Operating Officer Isidro Porqueras and work closely with Senior Vice President of Engineering, Parichay Dutta. IndiGo has also set up an office in Amsterdam to support its expansion in Europe. From July 2025, flights to Manchester and Amsterdam are set to begin. Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers said, 'Ton has a wealth of experience in the field of MRO and wide-body airline operations that IndiGo will benefit from. At IndiGo, we are delighted and grateful that, post retiring from his illustrious KLM career, Ton will join us to support IndiGo's team for the next phase to become a Global Aviation player. The opportunity to develop such MRO capabilities in-house for IndiGo in India with home-grown talent and the volumes of our operation was just not to be missed.' Vikram Singh Mehta appointed IndiGo's new chairman In a separate announcement, IndiGo has named Vikram Singh Mehta as the new chairman of its board. He will take over from Venkataramani Sumantran, who has served as chairman for the past three years. Sumantran stepped down following the completion of his five-year term as a board member, as stated in an exchange filing. 'Sumantran was appointed as the Chairman of the Board in May 2022 and post Covid, navigated the Board during IndiGo's strong recovery and incredible growth over the past three years,' the company noted.
Gulf Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Syrians hope for justice, but face long road ahead
After searching for years for his son and brothers following their arrest and disappearance by Bashar Al Assad's forces, Syrian real estate broker Maher Al Ton hopes he may finally get justice under the new authorities. Last week, the government announced the creation of a national commission for missing persons and another for transitional justice. That, along with the new rulers' arrests of alleged human rights violators linked to the ousted president's government, have made Ton feel hopeful. 'I feel like my son might still be alive,' the 54-year-old said. Mohammad Al Abdallah, executive director of the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre, said that 'there are random arrests of individuals without a plan to search for the missing or to open central investigations into the crime of enforced disappearance, or even to protect mass graves.' Assad's forces arrested Ton's son Mohammed Nureddin in 2018 near Damascus when he was just 17 years old, and has not been heard from since. 'I hope justice and fairness will prevail, and that they will reclaim our rights from the Syrian Arab Army which unjustly took our sons,' he said, using the since disbanded military's official name. Rights groups have welcomed the establishment of the justice commissions, but criticised the limiting of their scope to crimes committed by Assad's government. Syria's war erupted in 2011 with a brutal government crackdown on democracy protesters that saw tens of thousands of people accused of dissent either jailed or killed. Over time, armed groups emerged to battle Assad's military, including radical forces that committed atrocities. During the war, rights groups accused the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) group, once affiliated with Al Qaeda, of abuses including unlawful detention and torture. HTS spearheaded the offensive that ousted Assad in December, and its leaders now form the core of the new government. Diab Serriya, a co-founder of the Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Saydnaya Prison, said that while Assad's government was 'the biggest perpetrator of human rights violations,' that does not 'absolve the other parties in the conflict.' The new body, he said, 'does not meet the aspirations of victims'. Agence France-Presse
Los Angeles Times
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Fountain Valley girls, Newport Harbor boys earn top-five finishes at CIF D1 swim finals
WALNUT — Fountain Valley High School sophomore Alyssa Ton celebrated her Sweet 16 birthday on Saturday. Ton gave herself two great gifts at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Swimming Championships. She won the girls' 200- and 500-yard freestyle events going away, posting personal-best times in each event in the process. 'I didn't know [the meet] was on my birthday until maybe a couple of weeks ago,' Ton said. 'I think honestly, it's pretty fun to have it on my birthday. To go lifetime bests in both [events] on my birthday, that's really fun.' The special talent helped the Barons' girls place a strong third place as a team, up two spots from a year ago. Newport Harbor's boys set three school records at the Division 1 finals and finished tied for fifth as a team. Ton repeated as Division 1 girls' 200 freestyle champion, going out fast and cruising to a first-place finish in a time of 1 minute, 44.12 seconds. 'I wanted to go out pretty fast and see if I could hold on, and I think I did just that,' she said. She won the girls' 500 freestyle by nearly five seconds, cruising to the wall in 4:43.19. Fountain Valley coach Nathan Wilcox said that at Thursday's meet preliminaries, Ton had broken the 1974 school record of Olympic champion Shirley Babashoff in the event. She lowered that time by more than a full second on Saturday. She also swam leadoff as the Fountain Valley 200 medley relay team, which also featured senior Kaitlyn Nguyen, freshman Audrey Prall and senior Leyna Nguyen, touched third in 1:45.04. Kaitlyn Nguyen finished second in the 200 IM and fourth in the breaststroke for the Barons, while Wilcox said his team also benefited from the improvement of Leyna Nguyen, who made the 'A' final in the 50 free and the 'B' final of the 100 freestyle. 'We're building something really good at Fountain Valley,' Wilcox said. 'We're hoping that in three to five years, we're up there with Santa Margarita and we have a chance of winning it every year. That's the goal. That's what we're trying to build.' Newport Harbor junior Connor Ohl won the boys' 50 free in 20.04 seconds, a week after swimming a 19.79 at Sunset League finals to become the second Orange County boy to go under 20 seconds. 'I only wanted to win when I came here today, and that's what I did,' said Ohl, who also placed fourth in the 100 freestyle. 'It's obviously not a 19, but to win any day is a great day. It's awesome.' Sailors senior Aidan Arie won the consolation final in the boys' 200 IM in 1:48.83, a time that would have placed him second in the championship final. In doing so, he broke the school record in the event set by Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol in 2000. It was the third individual school record of Arie's high school career. '[Peirsol] still has a standing world record, that's the crazy part,' said Arie, who also took second place in the butterfly. 'The 200 back is still his. I was looking at his record on the board, and I was like, 'Can I do that?' It's pretty cool to take him down. I'm just stoked.' Later in the meet, Arie also helped the Sailors also set school records in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. The 200 free relay quartet of Dash D'Ambrosia, James Mulvey, Arie and Ohl touched third in 1:22.63, while the 400 free relay featuring the same swimmers in the same order also finished third in 3:01.63. Newport Harbor coach Kevin Potter said the Sailors boys set school records in six of 11 events this year, while Arie also set the 500 freestyle record last year. The Newport Harbor pool is under reconstruction and set to reopen next school year. 'Next year, when that new record board goes up, it's going to be a lot of new names on there,' Ohl said. 'Mulvey and Dash really wanted to have their names on that board.' Fountain Valley junior Peter Vu finished third in both of his individual events, the 200 IM and the breaststroke. In the girls' breaststroke event, CdM sophomore Sofia Szymanowski broke her own school record and placed a strong second in 1:00.79, less than four-tenths of a second behind repeat champion Bella Brito from Mira Costa. Szymanowski said a bee sting suffered during preliminaries affected her in her other strokes, but not as much in the breaststroke. 'I'm going to be sad when they're graduated next year,' Symanowski said of Nguyen, who is her training partner in club swimming at Irvine Novaquatics, and Brito. 'I just love racing against them.' CdM's Nikki Lahey, Szymanowski, Alex Milisavljevic and Kennedy Smith placed eighth in the medley relay, while Szymanowski, Milisavljevic, Josie Alaluf and Lahey were ninth in the 200 free relay. CdM's girls also finished ninth as a team. Lahey, a senior, capped her high school career with two individual championship finals. She was seventh in the girls' 100 free and eighth in the 50 free. Edison junior Holden Lee also made two championship finals, finishing fourth in the boys' backstroke and eighth in the butterfly. Costa Mesa's boys, who had won the Division 3 championship in 2023 and the Division 2 title last year, found the going more tough in Division 1. Still, Mustangs junior Avrum Xagorarakis was the consolation champion in the 200 freestyle on Saturday. Santa Margarita's girls won their 11th straight CIF team title at the meet, while the Santa Margarita boys won their fifth straight crown. Wilcox said that several his top Irvine Novaquatics club swimmers will now turn their attention to the USA Swimming National Championships, set for June 3-7 in Indianapolis. But Arie said he will compete at the CIF State Swimming Championships, which begin Friday at Clovis Olympic Swim Complex. Marina senior Jadyn Chaffins finished fifth in the 50 free on Friday at Mt. SAC, touching in 24.59 seconds and ending her career as the second-fastest in the event in Vikings history. Among other swimmers in championship finals, Costa Mesa sophomore Melanie Pang placed sixth in the 100 breaststroke and Sage Hill senior Dylan Rosmann finished fifth in the boys' 100 freestyle. Ocean View sophomore Thai Nguyen placed ninth in the boys' 100 breaststroke, pacing local finishers on Friday at Mt. SAC. Ocean View's girls placed ninth as a team at the finals Thursday at Mt. SAC. Seahawks senior Morgan Carles placed top three in each of her individual events. She was second in the 100 backstroke in 59.68 and third in the 100 freestyle in 53.11. Fellow Ocean View senior Gabrielle Singer was eighth in the 100 free. The Ocean View girls' 400 free relay team of Singer, Gaby Zifcak, Serena Ruiz and Carles placed third in 4:01.90.
