Ryan Tham

Some Lesser Known Facts About Ryan Tham

• Ryan Tham is a Mumbai-based restaurateur.

• He grew up in a well-to-do family in Mumbai.

• He hails from one of the oldest Chinese families in Mumbai. He is the third generation of the Tham family who is into the business of restaurants.

• Tham’s grandfather, Mon Yiu Tham, was born in a family of hairdressers in Kolkata. In the 1960s he moved to Mumbai along with his wife, where they set up a small salon. His grandfather later shut the salon and decided to start a Chinese restaurant in Mumbai.

• In the 60s, his grandfather opened two restaurants in Mumbai- Mandarin and Kamling. Talking about his grandfather in an interview, Ryan said,
  

  I still remember those days. Grandpa would close the till, lock the money in the safe, and only then would he go home.”

• Belonging to a family of top-notch restaurateurs, Ryan wanted to open up his own restaurant since his childhood.

• After he completed his graduation and returned to India from Australia, Ryan’s father was setting up a fine dining restro-bar named ‘Henry Tham’ in place of his grandfather’s restaurant ‘Mandarin’ (shut in 2003). He advised his father to add a bar to the restaurant, the idea which he imported from Australia. The restaurant was launched in 2005.

• Initially, Ryan helped his father in running ‘Henry Tham,’ but later, Ryan and his brother, Keenan, launched a nightclub named ‘Trilogy’ in 2010 at Hotel Sea Princess, Juhu. The nightclub was shut in 2017. Talking about his restaurant ‘Trilogy’ in an interview, Tham said,
  

  Most of the music festivals would host their pre- and after-parties there. Nightclubs usually last two to three years. Our target was to survive three New Years; we got seven.”

• In 2014, Ryan, along with his brother Keenan and four of their friends from the GD Somani Memorial School, set up their business venture Pebble Street Hospitality.

• Their venture’s first launch was a modern European gastropub called ‘The Good Wife’ in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.

  

• In 2016, they opened ‘Koko’ (meaning big brother in Chinese), an Asian-themed gastropub in Kamala Mills, Mumbai.

  

• Their venture’s other outcome was ‘Foo,’ an Asian bistro located in Lower Parel, Mumbai.

  

• Ryan likes to party and travel in his free time.

• Ryan’s maternal grandfather, Laxmichand Gupta, was a trader. His maternal grandmother’s name is Reba Gupta.

• He is the first cousin of the Indian actress and talk show host Pooja Bedi.

• Kabir Bedi (Indian film actor) is his uncle and Protima Bedi (Indian classical dancer) was his aunt.

  

• For their restaurant Foo, Ryan and his brother, Keenan, have introduced a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine called ‘Nikkei’ which is a favourite of many.