Mikko Kataja brings a culinary expertise to Krabi

Finding one’s calling is by no means an easy feat and can take many years of life experience.

Mikko Kataja, on the other hand, found his at an early age in the kitchen of his mother. As a child growing up in Finland, he would enthusiastically take part in the cooking and baking process. Furthermore, he spent a lot of time on fishing and hunting trips as well as with the cultivation of the family’s vegetable garden.
With this strong foundation, the young cook began his culinary studies in Helsinki including the Hotel Radisson in 1997.

Eventually, he moved to England in 2002 where he furthered his education in the Langar Hall Hotel in Nottinghamshire. A big breakthrough occurred two years later when he became senior sous chef at the renowned Mirabelle Restaurant in London. It was a Michelin star restaurant run by the prolific star chef Marco Pierre White who was the youngest chef to have been awarded three Michelin stars. Chef Kataja held his position for four years until his path led him to yet another restaurant recognized by the Michelin guide: Orrery also situated in England’s capital. This restaurant prides itself on a modern take on classic French dishes, which was always a big influence on Chef Mikko’s cooking. He then proceeded to step up on the culinary ladder when he became an integral part in both rebranding and reopening the modern British establishments of Avenue Restaurant and the Michelin star Launceston Place.

After over ten years of learning from and working with the best, Mikko Kataja left England in the early months of 2012. His next move took him halfway across the world to Thailand.

There his stellar reputation secured him the position as chef de cuisine at the famous Red Sky and Fifty Five venues inside Bangkok’s Centara Grand Resort.

This was indeed a prestigious position in equally prestigious establishments. Nevertheless, only 1 ½ years later the Finnish chef set his eyes to the southern part of Thailand. The Krabi province was already an up-and-coming tourist destination with luxurious hotels, resorts, and villas popping up along the beaches and main road. However, Chef Mikko thought that there was something missing: A high-class restaurant in a classy setting serving contemporary dishes with a European influence. What he wanted to provide for the town was food that was easily recognizable regardless of where his customers came from.

This was a culinary gap that Mikko Kataja filled in December 2013 with Jenna’s Bistro & Wine in Ao Nang. It proved to be a huge success and it continues to be the number one restaurant for all diners who are looking for this special “something” to this day. The success was, in fact, so great that it prompted the Finnish chef to open Café8.98 in November 2015. The basic idea was to delegate the breakfast menu to his new coffee house. The potential for such an informal café and eatery certainly was there as evidenced by the popularity among newcomers and regulars alike. Therefore it was only a matter of time until Chef Mikko decided to expand his brand to other locations. In December 2017 he then found the right location in Krabi Town on Maharaj road close to the Chao Fa Pier.

In conclusion, Mikko Kataja brought a culinary expertise to Krabi that allows him to combine his deep knowledge of the European cuisine with the harmonious Thai kitchen. And one can only hope that this partnership will continue for many years to come.