This year, Kita introduces a star-studded calendar in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, having kicked off last month with a series of happenings in Langkawi.
It aims to draw attention to Malaysia’s rising status among the global restaurant scene while highlighting the importance of the country’s culinary heritage and ethical producers, providing inspiration and training for the next generation of food producers, and building a platform for thought leadership and community.
Highlights include exceptional dining experiences, masterclasses and workshops, TED-like talks, and forums with some of the world’s finest chefs, winemakers and food thinkers.
Plus, as an annual ritual, keep a lookout for the Big Sunday Barbecue, where chefs co-create innovative dishes at their respective grilling stations.
Here’s what you can expect this month and next:
- George Town, Penang
Oct 14: At Gēn at The Prestige Hotel, chef Johnson Wong pairs with Andrew Martin from Bangkok’s one-Michelin-starred 80:20.
Oct 15: At Restaurant Au Jardin, chef-proprietor Kim Hock Su teams with Aitor Jeronimo Orive of Singapore’s one-Michelin-starred Basque Kitchen by Aitor for a sumptuous spread that draws from both chefs’ expertise in analogous French and Basque cuisines.
Oct 16: All four chefs will be part of The Great Mezze at art gallery and café-bar ChinaHouse, alongside Mathijs Nanne of Suffolk House, Nurilkarim Razha of Jawi House, Tan Hong Tat (aka Wagyu) of Communal by Gēn, and CC Lee of JuJu Lounge & Restaurant.
Partake of hot and cold mezze from locally sourced producers against a buzzing backdrop of art, cocktails, and live music.
- Kuala Lumpur
Nov 25: Singapore-based chefs Sun Kim of Meta and Ivan Brehm of Nouri collaborate with Darren Teoh at Dewakan, which ranks No. 50 on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Mui Kai Kuan and Johanne Siy of Lolla, ranked No. 75 on Asia’s Best Restaurants, collaborate in the kitchen at Shhhbuuuleee, a rooftop restaurant atop RexKL in Chinatown.
Rishi Naleedra of two-Michelin-starred Cloudstreet completes the evening by joining Shaun Ng for two nights in a row in the kitchen of his intimate restaurant, Hide.
Nov 26: California cuisine king David Tang of Rosemead, Singapore, teams up with Ka Hong Lau – grill master extraordinaire of KL’s Atelier Binchotan – and Haznizam Hamzah, maker of the colourful creations inspired by bold pan-Asian flavours at Flock.
Next up is a three-way tango between Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah of Bali’s Locavore, and Aidan Low of Akâr Dining.
And don’t miss the Latin-themed party hosted by Canchita chefs Daniel and Tamara Chavez, and Nouri’s Ivan Brehm and crew at the hip and happening Afro-Caribbean bolthole Joloko.
Nov 27: At KL’s much-lauded Entier, Jeremy Gillon of Singapore’s JAG collaborates with the maestro of melding French and Japanese cuisine, Masashi Horiuchi.
Christian Encina of Bali’s Pica parties up with Jun Wong and Chee Mun Leong at Raw Kitchen Hall in KL’s hot new boutique hotel, Else.
Finally, Jordy Navarra of Manila’s Toyo Eatery – No. 94 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants – gets saucy with Gary Anwar at Ember Modern Bistro.
For further information and to book your tickets, click here.
This article was written by Theri Burhan for Set the Tables. Set the Tables is positioned to inspire and educate those in the industry as well as the aspiring reader who dreams of a future in the food business, and maybe even the merely curious tantalised by the vast and irresistible universe of food and drink. Follow them on Instagram.