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What's cooking?In Asia, the hot action these days is in the kitchen, where a new generation of celebrity chefs are stirring unprecedented recognition, as evidenced by the growing popularity of food festivals. In the run-up to the World Gourmet Summit, sort of Singapore's own World Cup of Cuisine, we take a look at this tasty trend.By Ron Gluckman/In Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand THE CELEBRITY CHEF, a concept already enshrined in the West, has finally arrived - for better or worse - in Asia.
Most of the new stars hail from overseas, at least for now. But the increased attention given to cooks rather than kitchens already suggests a minor revolution that could increase the profile of promising Asian chefs. This relatively new phenomenon was on display at "Grand Indulgence," the 10th anniversary of the annual dining extravaganza that was hosted in February (2005) by Singapore's Raffles Hotel. Festivities included lavish meals, wine tasting and talks, cooking classes, and private dinners where world-famous chefs prepared and explained their scrumptious creations -- to the audience's thunderous applause. While food celebrations are hardly novel in Asia, their size and scale are reaching unprecedented levels, and have a newfound emphasis on chefs who are revered like rock stars.
Mr. Passedat's floppy hair and bemused, self-deprecating humor only added to his rock-star luster. His fresh seafood created a stir at previous events, so it was no surprise to find his eggs floating on an olive-oil rich bed of ginger jelly, with chunks of fresh lobster. Mr. Cracco presented a variation of his signature goat-cheese raviolis. But the real stars were the event's headliner chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, who between smiling for photos and signing autographs created a tour-de-force with blended eggs poured into martini glasses. The Pourcel brothers were the youngest chefs -- and first twins -- to earn top marks of three stars from Michelin, the rating that is considered the industry standard. Two months ago they opened Shanghai's French eatery Sens & Bund, and have a handful of chic Asian operations, all opened in the last few years.
None in his circle professed to be a foodie, but that didn't stop them from getting caught up in the excitement. "It's a real thrill to see all this fantastic food prepared right in front of you by these famous Michelin three-star chefs," his friend explained. "I don't think I'll eat again for a week," proclaimed another giddy guest after an 11-course dinner. His resolution lasted as far as the next morning, when he was back in the dining room to sample eggs that were scrambled, poached and sautéed by the world's top chefs, to be washed down with buckets of champagne and fresh-squeezed juice.
And sometimes the pomp is even for a good cause. In February (2005), Bangkok hosted a charity "superchef cook-off," where the famed Jean-Georges Vongerichten was joined by David Thompson of London's Nahm, the first Thai restaurant to gain a Michelin star, and Australian cooking icon Neil Perry. Diners paid $265, with all proceeds going to tsunami victims. While the rise of the superstar chef in Asia in many ways mirrors what happened in Europe and the U.S. about a decade ago, in Asia the trend is moving slower and chefs have yet to attain the same celebrity status as in the West.
The difference may be in part due to more widespread spending on fine dining in the West. "In Europe one is actually stopped in the street, asked for autographs, invited to A-list parties and so on. One of the primary reasons for the chef to evolve into a celebrity is a combination of a wealthy society, a true love and appreciation for the art and toil of a cook's life, more leisure time, not to mention chefs arriving who can actually carry it off," says David Laris, an Australian chef who broke out last year with "Laris," his lavish restaurant on Shanghai's Bund. Mr. Laris notes that Asia has long eschewed leisure icons in favor of those from the business realm. But there are other explanations as well. Perhaps Asia's lag is due to diminished exposure, as seen in the small number of cooking programs on Asian television, as compared with the West.
Asia's food-lovers will reap the benefits of this trend. The heightened interest in chefs and cuisine brings better taste and choice to the consumer, who is becoming more educated thanks to events like cooking classes and wine tastings. Meanwhile, dining celebrations like Singapore's Grand Indulgence allow chefs to gain valuable job training and exposure to new ideas. So it's a win-win situation for most everyone, except for those who don't want to spend $100 for brunch. Ron Gluckman is an American reporter who roams around Asia for a wide variety of publications like the Asian Wall Street Journal, which ran this story in its weekend edition on March 4, 2005. All photos by Ron Gluckman. To return to the opening page and index push here |
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