A 47-year-old Sicilian who has worked in Southeast Asia for 16 years is now the Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage at the first Hyatt Regency in Bangkok.
Frederik Farina assumed both roles last month at Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit, which is scheduled to open this fall not far from where he started with Hyatt Hotels in 2005 — Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok.
“It’s great to be back,” said Farina, who spent most of the last seven years in similar roles at Hyatt Regency Danang in Vietnam. “I was in Bangkok for almost 10 years the first time around. It’s like coming home.”
While Farina will oversee all culinary attractions at Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit, the competitive sea kayaker expects to put a lot of energy into the top three floors, where guests will find Bangkok’s first sky-high multi-purpose event venue and tapas bar as well as a two-level rooftop bar.
“I think those floors are going to be very compelling for tourists and locals alike,” said Farina, who speaks Thai fluently. “I’m working with a lot of the connections I made in the food industry when I was here before, and we’ve selected some highly skilled Thai chefs. So we’ve got exactly what we need to create something really special up there.”
Despite being raised by parents who worked outside the realm of gastronomy, Farina began carving out a career for himself in the food industry after discovering he was fascinated by ingredients.
He broke into the business in 1999 as a cook helper at Jonico Restaurant in his hometown of Siracusa, Italy, before taking culinary positions at renowned restaurants in Milan and Miami.
“We’re fortunate to have him,” said Sammy Carolus, Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit’s General Manager. “In Frederik, we have someone who is not only ultra-passionate about food, but a hard worker and dialed in to both the brand’s standards and what it is we’re trying to build at this property.”
Conceived by award-winning, Bangkok-based architectural firm OBA, the 273-room Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit will feature 21 elegant suites designed in a contemporary Thai style, three dining venues, more than 1,300 square meters of meeting space and a slew of recreational facilities including an indoor-outdoor swimming pool.
Located in the heart of the Thai capital on vibrant Sukhumvit Road and offering direct sky-bridge access to the Nana BTS Skytrain station, it will be the fourth Hyatt hotel in Bangkok, joining sister establishments Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Park Hyatt Bangkok and Hyatt Place Bangkok Sukhumvit.
