Seven chefs share their experiences and tell epicure what’s in store for the year ahead.
LOUIS PACQUELIN
Clos Pasoh
The French head chef and co-owner of the recently opened Clos Pasoh is no stranger to Singapore’s fine dining scene. The former chef de cuisine of BBR by Alain Ducasse at Raffles Hotel Singapore was in charge of the restaurant before the pandemic hit last year.
POWER OF CHANGE
“Change is inevitable. You just have to roll with the punches, and believe that your hard work will pay off. Before COVID-19, I thought that I was in the prime of my career. I was in my 30s, working for Alain Ducasse in one of the most beautiful hotels in the world and then the pandemic happened. It was the first time in my life that I stopped working for two consecutive weeks ever since I started this career at 15 years of age.”
KEY TO SUCCESS
“I believe in putting in the work, day in and day out. But at the same time, you also need to work smart. Self-awareness is important. That is the only way you continue to evolve and reinvent yourself. When I opened Clos Pasoh earlier this year as co-owner, it was the first time that I had the full autonomy to define my own cuisine. I am returning to the roots of my training in French brasserie classics from my time at Ducasse’s Aux Lyonnais. New school French cuisine is a shift from fine dining. The flavours remain true to the brasserie dishes that inspired me, but I have reinterpreted them to appeal to another generation of diners. The flavours, while familiar, are light and clean. I like to add acidity or a little kick of heat.”
NAVIGATING THE FUTURE
“Sometimes, you have to accept that things aren’t going to go as planned. I am learning new things from my business partner, JC Cadoret, and from my team. I am excited to welcome this new chapter of my career.”
MANJUNATH MURAL
Adda
Mural is the powerhouse best known as the first Indian executive chef to score a Michelin star for (the now shuttered) Song of India in 2016, a first for an Indian restaurant in Southeast Asia (Singapore). In November 2020, Mural opened his casual, 70-seater Indian restaurant Adda, serving soulful Neo-Indian traditional street food with contemporary twists and infusion of local flavours.
POWER OF CHANGE
“Chefs have to embody new innovative ideas according to the changing times. The only thing chefs have in their control is their menu, their passion and how they motivate their team. The menu can be regularly updated to accommodate new trends and expectations without compromising on the chef’s quality and reputation.”
KEY TO SUCCESS
“There is no limit to innovation and reinvention when a passionate chef decides to do something different. Having the courage to think out-ofthe- box with confidence is the key to new creations. My cooking style has changed so much. I used to be a traditional Indian cuisine chef, but now, I am equally confident in fine dining too. Winning a Michelin star has given me the confidence to venture into different projects such as Gunpowder Kitchen and Bar in Jakarta; and Hirtij in Brisbane, along with what used to be many travelling opportunities to promote Indian cuisine with a touch of local flavours. I’m not afraid to try new things now.”
NAVIGATING THE FUTURE
“The future of Indian cuisine is very bright. I will continue to do new things, but at the same time I will create a very fine dining Indian restaurant experience too.”
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JOEL SI JIN LIM
Si Jin
It doesn’t take long for this one-and-a-half-year-old modern steakhouse with Korean flair to take off. Apart from the exceptional premium cuts, dry-aged steaks and curated wine cellar, loyal patrons are flocking in to have chef owner Joel Si Jin Lim taking care of their meat-y requests. The South-Korean chef is no stranger to bovine refinery. Having trained under Wolfgang Puck’s Cut and in charge of the openings of Akira Back restaurants in Singapore, Jakarta and Dubai, Lim’s obsession with meat and deep reverence for Korean cuisine finds its place at SI JIN, his first venture.
POWER OF CHANGE
“I’ve realised that as part of the F&B community, we are all in this together. Since day one of the pandemic, SI JIN has decided to fight back, remain positive and creative. We had to adapt while taking care of our families, guests and supporting our local suppliers, producers and farmers. We went the extra miles – upgrading to HEPA air filters, using a thermal scanner, installed a touchfree and motion detection door, provided sealed cutlery and napkin pouch, daily sanitation, and even regular PCR tests. Despite the limitation and restriction, we are fortunate to have full support from our guests. I am grateful because their support enables us to keep moving forward.”
KEY TO SUCCESS
“Guests come for our curated selection of meats from across the continents. From conventional to the rarest cuts, we grill and serve it to the guests’ liking on their tables. Our latest gem is A5 Kuroge Washu Wagyu Beef from Hokkaido. At the moment, we have Sumatran Wagyu on the menu, highlighting the quality of local produce. We also work closely with local farmers to get the freshest produce, be it vegetable or sea salt.”
NAVIGATING THE FUTURE
“This pandemic undeniably changes the way food is prepared and consumed. I’ve learned that people are rooting for their local businesses. Our guests are willing to go out of their way to support such as ordering beef from us. Eventually, we will find a solution to end this pandemic. Until then, we must keep our heads up high, provide top-quality food and dining experience for our guests and support each other in the F&B community.”
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IVAN BREHM
Nouri and Appetite
This hugely talented chef and visionary behind one-Michelinstarred Nouri, Brehm opened Appetite one year ago on a mission to create a unique culinary experience in Asia. This multi-concept space located directly above Nouri focuses on transcending its restaurant roots by bringing together scientists, artists, musicians, and designers, and Brehm’s out-of-the-box vision with Appetite is to show how food, arts, music, and education are all interconnected. Appetite is home to a development kitchen for both restaurants, taking a creativity-as-science approach to food in tandem with Nouri’s research and development arm, resulting in new dishes that contextualise their collective research.
POWER OF CHANGE
“I guess embodying change literally means incarnating the dynamic spirit of seeking the new, despite the risks driving change. What things do chefs have in their control, and what elements do they have to adapt to? This interesting moment we live in has shown me nothing is in our control apart from the ownership of our own actions.”
KEY TO SUCCESS
“The star was a nice pat on the back, but also conditional to a certain set of things that could easily get in the way of progress. There is surety in a concept of sound techniques, pristine product, and heavy investments in décor. Smoke and mirror presentation, pomp and circumstance, but at some point in time, an individual needs to ask ‘what is it all for?’ Because if it is just money and fame, I’m sure there are easier ways to get there that don’t involve 16-hour days and crazy levels of stress. What we cook ends up inside people’s bellies and minds. To treat this as an afterthought, and not a main driver of one’s intent is borderline irresponsible.”
NAVIGATING THE FUTURE
“People forget, but the root word for innovation means to breathe new life into something that already exists, hence it is a reinvent. In the context of cooking, that is translated to cooking that is grounded by tradition, but that looks upwards to the new. Sitting on the shoulder of giants, we can choose to do the same, and be the same, but we can also choose to stand up and see new horizons.”
EELKE PLASMEIJER & RAY ADRIANSYAH
Locavore
Ranked 37 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2020 and Indonesia’s only entry to the prestigious list, Locavore was founded in 2013 by chef Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah in Ubud, Bali. Changing the game and pushing the boundary with sustainably sourced local ingredients has always been the soul of Locavore. Over the years, the enterprise has expanded to include the butchery Local Parts, casual bistro Locavore To Go, Indonesian restaurant Nusantara, cocktail bar Night Rooster, and the backbone of its progressive cuisine, LocaLAB.
POWER OF CHANGE
“When international borders were being closed, we received cancellation after cancellation until we had no choice but to close Locavore. From the beginning, we’ve done everything we could to stay afloat. We created readyto- eat hampers, vegetable basket, Indonesian food tiffin delivery, many things. We simply refuse to give up. We managed to keep our entire team until today. Having different business models also helped us to create various dining offers. As soon as the situation allowed us to travel, we went to Jakarta, Surabaya and Semarang with our team, doing pop-ups and restaurant takeovers. Bali is home but we also actively seek opportunities beyond the island”.
KEY TO SUCCESS
“Sustainability and showcasing local ingredients remain our priority. Our colleague at LocaLAB, Felix Schoener continues to experiment, producing marvels that we use on our menus. The bright side of this pandemic gave us the opportunity to go to different cities in Indonesia, sharing our explorations of local ingredients to many Indonesians who have never been to Locavore. We also managed to launch two tasting menus, Pancaroba and Rintik Rintik.”
NAVIGATING THE FUTURE
“We are done looking back and now we have set our gaze to the future. Locavore 2.0 is set to open next year in a new location in Lodtunduh, Ubud. We will move the lab, build a dedicated fermentation facility, koji room and garden there.”
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KEVIN CHERKAS
Cuca
Founded in 2013, Cuca’s playful tapas, inventive dishes and cocktails have made the restaurant a must-visit culinary destination in Bali. Led by Kevin Cherkas, an El Bulli and Arzak alumni, Cuca’s appeal lies in its eclectic global flavours, dedication towards using local produce and a casual approach to the dining experience. Those who have tried dishes such as Bali Breakfast, Cotton Betutu or BBQ Octopus would recognise Cherkas’s flair in evoking memorable moments through flavour.
POWER OF CHANGE
“Being on a tourist island without tourists has not been easy. We were closed for eight months and have only reopened lately on weekends. We have been very lucky that we’ve had so many good years to weather this crisis and take care of our team. So, the plan for now is to take the time to look at everything we do and simply become better.”
KEY TO SUCCESS
“We found that doing the same thing as we’ve done before simply doesn’t work. So, we reevaluated the landscape and tried to understand why people came to Cuca. We went through the painstaking process to make something new, something that you can’t find anywhere else. Since we can’t travel at the moment, the new menu is inspired by trips and memories of flavours from places like Japan, Greece, France, and Mexico. One of our new dishes, Beef Bone & Marrow is inspired by Taipei’s famous night market snack.”
NAVIGATING THE FUTURE
“We must get better every day, so when things slowly go back to normal, guests will find Cuca at its best. We have a new signature Hot Sauce. Cuca will also travel to other cities in Indonesia. There are exciting brunches to be had at our restaurant. This whole situation is like the monsoon season. When it starts to rain, at first you wait it out. But, the rain goes on and you must get on with it. We’ve accepted the rain, and are ready to work and get a little wet!”