Even if you don’t know it by name, you’ve likely seen the donut bowl from Chef’s Tableware at Atlanta restaurants. Rounded and curved like a mushroom lamp, the smooth sculptural vessel gives a dish an otherworldly aura. Sauces gain dimension without overflowing, while textural dishes, like Bar Ana’s spiced apple cheesecake, pop off the subtle contours of the shallow bowl.
While it looks like it came straight from a Scandinavian design house, that bowl was actually crafted in Chamblee and retails for about $40. And you don’t have to be a chef working in restaurants to own it or to purchase any of the handmade ceramics from Chef’s Tableware.
From restaurants to ceramics
Owner Adidsara “Vicky” Weerasin has lived in Atlanta for 20 years and was first introduced to ceramic arts in high school. Up until 2023, Weerasin’s professional life revolved around the restaurant industry and Tum Pok Pok, the Thai restaurant she now co-owns on Buford Highway in Chamblee. But a trip back to Thailand reignited her love for ceramics and sparked the idea behind opening a handcrafted plateware business.
Weerasin initially launched Chef’s Tableware as a wholesale business, using her restaurant industry connections to find customers. In 2024, she opened the Chamblee warehouse on New Peachtree Road to the public. The front of the shop showcases Weerasin’s custom-made pieces and specialty items, including the donut bowls.
Her most beloved designs take inspiration from nature, with visual elements like bubbles, speckles, and lotus leaves.
A doorway beyond this small studio-like space leads to a sprawling warehouse packed with rows of tables piled with ceramic, stone, and porcelain plates, bowls, cups, and cooking tools imported from Thailand. Porcelain and bone china tableware is strong and simplistic, while stone and clay provide avenues for color and glaze.
Affordable beauty
Chefs Ben Skolnick of Boccalupo and Jared Warwick of Octopus Bar and Clockwork first encountered Chef’s Tableware on Facebook Marketplace three years ago. At the time, they were scouting plates and tableware to use for their upcoming pop-up dinner series Wick and Nicks.
“Ben came across a listing that caught his eye, and we managed to track down the warehouse address. We showed up to this pretty unassuming, nondescript building, but once you walk inside, it opens up into this beautiful showroom full of incredible pieces. It was definitely one of those unexpected finds,” Warwick said.
Skolnick and Warwick were immediately attracted to the quality and accessible prices at Chef’s Tableware. They quickly spread word to other area chefs looking for unique but affordable dishes and pieces for their pop-ups and restaurants.
Pastry chef Claudia Martinez learned about Chef’s Tableware from Warwick, after asking about where to source plates and serving dishes for her dessert and cocktail bar Bar Ana. The wide variety and affordability offered at Chef’s Tableware sealed the deal, Martinez said.
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More than just a pretty plate of food
Artistry in plating
Warwick has reached the point where he designs some dishes around his pieces he purchases from Weerasin.
“I’m lucky to have such a variety of [Weerasin’s] stuff that when I make something, I usually know exactly [which] plate or bowl I want to use,” he said. “A lot of her plates stack really well, which is super helpful when you’re doing a coursed-out tasting menu and need to have things set up and ready ahead of time.”
Different pieces accentuate different foods, Warwick added. Weerasin’s bigger, multi-colored bowls beautifully showcase Skolnick’s pasta, while her shallow-lipped coupe plates work best for showing off Warwick’s crudos. Martinez said she uses the donut bowl to plate the popular guava-glazed doughnuts served at Bar Ana.
“[Weerasin] also makes these cool little ramekins we use for amuse bouches. We tend to use lighter colored plates for seasonal salads and darker pieces for mid-courses or entrees, like lamb. It really just comes down to what [Chef’s Tableware piece] works best with the food,” Warwick said.
Chef’s Tableware, 5599 New Peachtree Road, Chamblee. Open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
