In food-obsessed Singapore, one can never get tired of food festivals. For the very first time, Kita Food Festival is making its presence felt on the little red dot. This October, Singapore, along with Malaysia will play host to the Kita Food Festival, which will feature a number of internationally famous chefs and culinary thought leaders who will participate in knowledge-sharing forum called Kita Conversations. Along with Kita Conversations, you can also expect a series of casual and fine dining events and multi-chef cook-ups that seek to entice gourmands.
Kita Conversations
Conversations about food are always on the table in Kita Conversations. The objective is to provide a public forum where those in the food and beverage sector can have an open conversation about the way forward. Discussions will centre on the development, history and consumption of food in the Southeast Asian region.
For Singapore, the Kita Conversation will happen in Singapore on 23 October 2023 at 9.30am at the Projector, Golden Mile Tower along Beach Road. In Malaysia, it will kick off in Kuala Lumpur on 30 October 2023 at Petaling Jaya Performing Arts in Utama Shopping Centre and will also start at 9:30 am.
Singapore’s Kita Conversations Speaker Roster
The Kita Food Festival’s Singapore Weekender, curated by chef Ivan Brehm of Michelin-starred Nouri, features a top-notch speaker lineup that includes the following:
One of the speakers Khir Johari.
London-based chef, teacher and author Anissa Helou, who specialises in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African cuisines, will be at the food festival to share on Islamic food and its influence on modern cuisine.
Khir Johari, a historian and author of ‘The culinary of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels Through the Archipelago’ and winner of the 2023 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, will discuss ‘My Neighbours in Kandahar Street’ with a focus on Malay culinary culture.
Prateek Sadhu, India’s most innovative chef, will tackle the notion of a single Indian food identity.
Nithiya Laila, host of ‘Edible Wild’ on Channel News Asia, will talk about the international recognition of the endemic Kampot pepper. The show showcases how netizens in Asia’s megacities produce, forage, and cook with local products.
Also included in the lineup is Nithiya Laila.
Dr. Farshad Shishehchian, a pioneer in inland aquaculture and MixotrophicTM system developer, will highlight green food production through shrimp farming revolution.
Australian Matt Stone, a leading sustainable chef and author of ‘The Natural Cook’, will speak about how a chef’s mental health affects managerial tactics.
Chef, author, and guest chef on Netflix’s Chef’s Table, Will Goldfarb, will engage audience about permaculture to succession forest evolution and food as a therapeutic tool.
The Australian Pete Smit of Underdog Inn is famed for his ‘nose-to-tail’ approach to cooking and will examine ‘The Whole Beast: Crafting Entire Menus Out of One Animal’.
Bangkok’s Michelin-starred Haoma’s Deepanker Khosla, known for his sustainable ecosystems, will chart the path from a garden to large-scale farms and from food truck to Michelin star.
Chef Kurt Sombero from Kubo in Singapore will expound on the social and cultural issues of balancing tradition and innovation in Filipino cuisine.
Kuala Lumpur Kita Conversations Speaker Lineup
Kita Food Festival co-founders Darren Teoh of Michelin-starred Dewakan and Leisa Tyler of Weeds & More have assembled an international food industry leader lineup composed of the following:
Khir Johari, author of The Food of Singapore Malays, will highlight the linked culinary histories of Singapore and Malaysia, emphasizing political borders over cultural ones.
Diana Chan, Malaysian-born Australian resident chef and Season 9 MasterChef winner.
Dr. Eric Olmedo, an expert in food anthropology, will speak about chefs’ influence on alternative food networks.
Benjamin Lephilibert, founder of Light Blue and food waste hacker, will talk about minimising food waste to save money.
Chef Chele Gonzalez from Gallery by Chele will tackle how local foods can redefine luxury in the Philippines.
Channel News Asia’s ‘Edible Wild’ presenter Nithiya Laila showcases how netizens in Asia’s megacities use natural foods to grow, scavenge, and cook.
Famous Canadian chef and speaker Oliver TruesdaleJutras from Lo&Behold group will highlight hospitality basics, including core values and the potential for hospitality workers to impact the world.
Executive Sous Chef Steffan Heerdt of Grand Hyatt Singapore will explain their sustainable approach to the hotel.
Swedish-born John Regefalk, Head of Culinary Innovation at the Basque Culinary Centre in San Sebastián, Spain, will share ideas on the development and validation of new food products.
For more information about Kita Food Festival, visit the website.
