The signal for survival begins on the plate. This year’s Bangkok Design Week 2026 comes with the code "DESIGN S/O/S," which doesn’t mean a cry for help but a sign of endurance in an ever-changing world. A key challenge is the Sustainable Future—designing for a lasting tomorrow.
Third-year students from the School of Home Economics, majoring in Culinary Technology and Services at Suan Dusit University, tackled this challenge by engaging in real-world practice at Lan Khon Muang. They transformed the space into a business sandbox to learn firsthand about profits, losses, and practical problem-solving.
Through seven vendors in the Wellness & Nostalgia category, they demonstrate that surviving the future may require revisiting traditional wisdom combined with health trends and zero waste principles to build sustainable food security.
1. Bongkot
Signature dishes: Fried lotus root with shrimp and lotus root juice.
Aligned perfectly with the zero waste theme, the Bongkot team uses Thai ingredients—specifically lotus—in every possible way. They offer a fresh take on lotus root, often just seen in clear soups, by thinly slicing it into uniform sheets, frying them until golden and crisp, and stuffing them with shrimp and chicken mixed with lotus seeds for a rich texture. Served with a seafood mayo sauce that cuts through the richness beautifully. Leftover lotus roots are boiled to extract a fragrant lotus root tea blended with lotus pollen, paired with chewy "lotus seed pearls." This carefully crafted snack set aims for zero food waste.
2. Happy Guts Fish Rice Bowl
Signature dishes: Fried Tilapia fish rice bowl, crispy baked tempeh, and cha-muang leaf chili paste.
Believing the gut is the body’s second brain, this eatery serves dishes focused on digestive health. Their "Fish Rice Bowl" isn’t simply fried fish on rice but features carefully selected tilapia, fried crispy and deboned for easy eating. The highlight is tempeh, a fermented high-protein soybean product rich in probiotics that balance the gut. The flavors are completed with city-style chili paste infused with cha-muang leaves, providing a mild sourness, accompanied by skewered vegetables like roselle and cucumber. This quick meal fully satisfies health-conscious diners.
3. Khanom Jeen Sao Nam with Jang Lon Noodles
Signature dish: Khanom Jeen Sao Nam served with jang lon fish noodles.
Reviving a rare traditional Thai dish, the students present "Khanom Jeen Sao Nam" in a modern style to connect younger generations with ancient flavors. The special feature is "jang lon noodles," adapted from jang lon—seasoned grilled fish paste usually formed into balls—now reshaped into long, soft noodles. Paired with a perfectly balanced coconut milk broth combining sour, sweet, and salty notes with sliced ginger, garlic, and pineapple, this ancient food pairing refreshes and cools, reflecting the intricate beauty of Thai cuisine.
4. Glimpses of Siam
Signature dishes: Ma Hor and Ma Ouan.
This venue acts like a time machine, bringing back rare traditional Thai snacks nearly lost today. They modernize "Ma Ouan," a snack resembling shumai but intensely seasoned in Thai style, steamed in small clay cups to suit contemporary tastes. Reviving these dishes isn’t just business but cultural heritage preservation. They also serve "Ma Hor," a snack combining sweet-sour fruits like pineapple, turmeric mango, and starfruit with sweet-savory pork and peanut filling, delivering refreshing bursts in every bite.
5. Tofu Culino
Signature dishes: Tofu dumplings and soy milk ice cream.
Breaking the stereotype of bland tofu, Tofu Culino offers plant-based tofu dishes that are fun and accessible. Their "Tofu Dumplings" have a firm, chewy texture rivaling meat fillings, perfect for those reducing meat but craving familiar flavors. They finish with "Soy Milk Ice Cream," smooth and creamy from real soybeans, lightly sweetened and healthful, proving that healthy food can be exciting.
6. Ice Guts Ice Cream
Signature dishes: Khao Mak (fermented rice) ice cream and butterfly pea honey lemon jelly soda.
Drawing on ancient fermentation wisdom, they transform "Khao Mak," a traditional Thai sweet rich in natural probiotics, into smooth ice cream with a sweet, tangy, and fizzy flavor that aids digestion. They also serve a refreshing honey lemon butterfly pea drink enhanced with lime jelly soda, combining taste and medicinal benefits, offering traditional delights in a youthful format.
7. Gingmanee
Signature dish: Skewered steamed Thai desserts (Khanom Tan, black sesame rice cake, and Piaek Poon).
Reinventing Thai sweets with a fun, modern twist, their "fusion steamed sweets" resemble Japanese dango but combine three classic Thai flavors—Khanom Tan, Piaek Poon, and black sesame rice cake—on one skewer. These chewy, soft treats are designed for easy eating and portability, suiting young lifestyles while elevating Thai desserts’ international appeal and value.
Bangkok Design Week 2026 is more than a one-off event; it acts as a tangible economic catalyst. Join in driving Bangkok forward and supporting Suan Dusit University students’ first steps into the business world.
Visitors are advised to come hungry and experience the S/O/S flavors that turn hunger crises into delicious opportunities, from 29 January to 8 February 2026, location:Lan Khon Muang(in front of Bangkok City Hall) in the Phra Nakhon district