Three-Michelin-Starred Chef Ángel León’s Plankton Rice Makes Waves in Bangkok

Famed dish by Spain’s ‘Chef of the Sea’ heralds the future of sustainable seafood

BANGKOK (Dec. 22, 2025) – LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar will serve one of the most innovative dishes in contemporary gastronomy, crafted by a leading figure in sustainable seafood who champions alternative food sources that reduce reliance on conventional seafood and do not deplete fragile ecosystems.

“Plankton Rice”, a signature creation of world acclaimed Spanish chef Ángel León, renowned as ‘El Chef del Mar’, which translates to ‘The Chef of the Sea’, will be on offer exclusively at LUZ, crowning the 33^rd and 34^th floors of INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, for a limited one-month run from Dec. 30, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2026.

Chef León’s pioneering work at his restaurant Aponiente in Cádiz, Spain, has been awarded three Michelin Stars and a Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainability by discovering new sea ingredients, cultivating marine plants and using previously overlooked marine products.

He has drawn acclaim for turning ocean research into high cuisine, particularly through his innovative use of pure marine phytoplankton, a highly nutritional and sustainable ingredient packed with the likes of protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as the development of cultivating a “sea rice” from eelgrass in the ocean’s waters.

In a bold reimagining of what ocean ingredients can be, “Plankton Rice” is a rice dish infused with pure marine phytoplankton, the microscopic algae that form the base of the ocean’s food chain, making the dish vivid emerald in colour with an aroma reminiscent of the open sea. After many years of research, Chef León was the first chef in the world to obtain authorisation to use 100% natural, food-grade phytoplankton in cuisine.

Prepared in accordance with Chef León’s techniques and using the same premium-grade phytoplankton used at Aponiente, Plankton Rice will be offered in limited quantities daily at LUZ, known for authentic Spanish tapas and sweeping views of the Bangkok skyline.

“Chef León’s culinary work is incredibly inspiring and we feel privileged to share with diners, right here in Bangkok, a phenomenal glimpse into a future in which part of our food system could shift from land to sea,”. “Plankton Rice showcases how innovation and creativity intersect with gastronomy and sustainability to imagine new possibilities for how we feed the world.”

 Tarek Beheiry, General Manager, INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s.

The 208-room urban lifestyle hotel, which has been recognised by the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2025 as among the Thai capital’s top four hotels, will offer Plankton Rice following ‘Stars of the Sea: A World-Class Culinary Journey’ on the evening of Dec. 29 at LUZ. The event features both Chef León and Juan Ignacio García Racionero, a.k.a “Chef Nacho”, LUZ’s chef de cuisine. Organised by Meliá Hotels International, the tasting journey will be underpinned by Chef León’s signature marine philosophy and Chef Nacho’s “Spanish tapas with soul”. The event is open to the public but with limited seats available confirmed by registration only.

Chef León’s groundbreaking research has also focused on harvesting small edible seeds, that behave much like rice or quinoa yet are cultivated entirely underwater, from eelgrass, a bountiful marine plant growing naturally in coastal waters. The grain absorbs the flavour of the sea and, like pure marine phytoplankton, offers potential as a new model of sustainable food production. Eelgrass salt-water meadows require no freshwater irrigation, pesticides, or arable land; resources heavily consumed by conventional rice and cereal crops. Eelgrass also sequesters large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

LUZ is open daily from 4pm until midnight. For further information and to make a reservation, visit https://linktr.ee/luzbangkok_tapasbar, https://www.tablecheck.com/en/innside-by-melia-bkk-luz-bangkok-tapas-bar/reserve/ or call +66 2 340 5499.

Plankton Rice will be THB 890++ (USD 27.60++).

For more information or to make a booking at INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, visit melia.com, email reservation.innside.sukhumvit@melia.com or call +66 2 340 5499.