Round of Applause: Chompon “Boong” Boonnak’s Mahaniyom Wins Prestigious Michelin Awards
BU alum’s Brookline Thai restaurant won a Bib Gourmand designation, while he took home an Exceptional Cocktails Award
Round of Applause: Chompon “Boong” Boonnak’s Mahaniyom Wins Respected Michelin Awards
BU alum’s Brookline Thai restaurant won a Bib Gourmand designation, while he took home an Exceptional Cocktails Award
Awardee
Chompon “Boong” Boonnak (MET’13)
BU affiliation
Boston University Metropolitan College, Class of 2013; co-owner of Mahaniyom, a Thai restaurant in Brookline, Mass.
What is the honor you’ve received?
Mahaniyom and I won two awards from the Michelin Guide: Mahaniyom received a Bib Gourmand designation, which is “a special distinction recognizing restaurants that serve high-quality food at great value,” and I received a special Exceptional Cocktails Award, which recognizes “a mixologist whose creative and masterful drink creations have impressed inspectors.”
Why are these awards meaningful?
This is the first time the Michelin Guide included Boston in its Northeast Cities edition. Michelin is recognized worldwide and is the most prestigious award in the culinary world. To be selected by Michelin is a lifetime achievement and shows the hard work that we have put through all these years.
What’s next for you?
I want to take this moment to reflect and see if there’s anything we can do to bring out the best potential of our restaurants and our team. Most importantly, I would like to celebrate with our team since these awards are not just for me, but our entire team, who work really hard for this moment to happen
In this video, Chompon “Boong” Boonnak (MET’13) recounts his journey falling in love with cocktails and co-owning one of Boston’s most celebrated restaurants, Mahaniyom in Brookline Village.
Find a recipe, for Mahaniyom’s special cocktail Song in My Heart, a fizzy ode to cantaloupe and pandan, here, and for Pure Sin, a smoky rum old-fashioned, here
Round of Applause is a new BU Today feature celebrating student, faculty, staff, and alumni accomplishments, both big and small, across the Boston University community, from honors to grants to awards and more. If you know someone deserving of recognition, email us at today@bu.edu.