Chef Dalad Kambhu and Artist Rirkrit Tiravanija’s We Are Ona Paris Pop-Up, Dalad’s

Housed in a secret location near Place de l’Étoile, the six-day pop-up restaurant Dalad’s married the spectacular mise-en-scène of gastronomic studio We Are Ona with the flavorful Thai cuisine of chef Dalad Kambhu and the artistic vision of Rirkrit Tiravanija. From four-course lunches to eight-course dinners, the sleek, fog-saturated space came to life with the scent, taste, and texture of steamed eggs and fish roe, mackerel set upon red curry, and a signature temple dessert, composed of smoked brioche, coconut, jasmine sticky rice, and fruit glacé.

For a project of this scale—100 guests at a time—a sensory cohesion furthered the transportive concept. “Who else would have done this?” Kambhu asks Surface. “This amazing set. You realize the vision of an artist. You spotlight my menu. At the same time, the whole thing dances together. There is a Thai boat because I am Thai. It’s designed by my mentor [Tiravanija]. We have steam because one day I was cooking and I sent a video to Luca [Pronzato, creative director of We Are Ona] and he saw steam. ‘We definitely have to do that,’ he said.”

“We live in a time where everyone wants to have a design dinner. Everyone wants to work with a crazy designer,” Kambhu continues. “But the reason they aren’t all as magical as this is because Luca is such a foodie. It’s not just about architecture and design.” The chef says this translates to the guests, as well. “When you come to a We Are Ona dinner, you don’t just see artists and designers, you see people who care about food. You have people of all ages and from all nationalities. As a chef, it’s the most beautiful thing. Ultimately, it’s no longer about making every dish perfect; it’s about sharing my culture in this experience with everyone.”

More than a reference to traditional Thai fishing boats, the two modular stainless-steel tables acted as an invitation to communal dining. Further, Tiravanija positioned food preparation and service in the middle of the table arrangements, enhancing everyone’s sense of involvement. While visually arresting, each dish more importantly demonstrated the epicurean depth of the Paris pop-up collaboration, which marks the third between Kambhu and We Are Ona.