Header images, clockwise from left: Hiroe Higuchi; André Chiang; Vijay Mudaliar; Long Xiong, Richie Lin and Kai Ward
On Monday 26th March, some of Asia's best chefs and bartenders will gather at Wynn Macau for a unique culinary conference as part of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2018 awards programme. "#50BestTalks: exploring identity" will see some of the most renowned names in the Asian gastronomic scene – including the Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award winner André Chiang and leading female chef Hiroe Higuchi – discuss topics from sourcing Asian produce to developing a national culinary identity in a series of talks, discussions and live interviews.
Follow the event in real time by tuning in to the livestream on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Facebook page from 10:30am Macao local time (GMT +8) on Monday 26th March. Find out more about each of the speakers in the videos and profiles below.
André Chiang
Live interview: the next chapter
Chef Chiang sent shockwaves through the culinary world in October 2017, when he announced the closure of his flagship venue Restaurant André in Singapore. Less than two weeks after the closure on 14th February 2018, Chiang was announced as the winner of the Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award – Asia 2018. The chef will participate in a live interview on stage at #50BestTalks with Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Group Editor William Drew, during which he will reflect on his career to date, his next projects and the life cycle of his restaurant.
Hiroe Higuchi
Sustainability, Japanese produce and French influence
Shima Kanko Hotel's chef Hiroe Higuchi is a signature name in the Asian gastronomic scene. Having started her career heading restaurants in Japan at the age of 23, Higuchi was the first female chef to be honoured for a role in local gastronomy in the Ryori Masters 2017. Higuchi's talk will focus on issues of sustainability and the winning combination of Japanese produce with French technique.
Vijay Mudaliar
Asian sourcing, Asian mindset
Mudaliar heads up the team at Native bar in Singapore, where he has made a name for himself by creating unique cocktails that incorporate foraged ingredients such as jasmine blossom and turmeric leaves. In 2017, Native made its debut on the Asia's 50 Best Bars list at No.20 and later in the year on The World's 50 Best Bars list at No.47. Mudaliar will talk about the significance of locally sourced produce in the creation of an Asian mindset while giving a live cocktail-making demonstration.
Richie Lin, Long Xiong and Kai Ward, Mume, Taiwan
Forging a fresh culinary identity in Taiwan
The international trio of chefs – one from Hong Kong, one from Australia and one from the US – are at the helm of Taipei restaurant Mume, where they celebrate the quality and diversity of Taiwanese produce while using modern European and New Nordic techniques. Mume first appeared in the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2017 at No.43. The chefs will tackle the topic of creating a new culinary identity in Taiwan and they will give the audience a taste of their unique cuisine.
The Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 list will be revealed at an awards ceremony in Wynn Palace, Macao on Tuesday 27th March. Find Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants on Facebook to watch the livestream of #50BestTalks and the live awards ceremony. Follow The World’s 50 Best Restaurants on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date with all the latest news.
