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ACE is back with Seroja x Helm as first of many 2023 collaborations
Asian Culinary Exchange is something I started back in 2018 with the intention of learning from chefs and industry experts from neighbouring Asian countries, and in turn, letting them discover our cuisine and share experiences with local talents. It’s normally a two-day event, composed of a conference open for all interested parties, as well as four-hands dinners that simultaneously happen in a single night.
Some of the chefs who have participated in passed ACEs were Michelin-starred chefs Rishi Naleendra and Sun Kim from Singapore, and Vicky Cheng and Peggy Chan from Hong Kong, all of whom shared personal captivating learnings for our audiences. During the pandemic, we did a webinar to ensure the network and connections stayed strong; among the panellists were Erica Paredes from France, Charles Olalia from the US, plus Tristin Farmer of Zen and Julien Royer of Odette, both restaurants from Singapore.
See also: Key Coffee Kissaten, an East-meets-West Japanese café at Mitsukoshi Mall BGC
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Now that travel restrictions have been lifted, ACE is back and for 2023, has partnered with the Singapore Tourism Board to do a series of collaborations. It kicks off this April with Kevin Wong of Seroja cooking for one special night with Josh Boutwood at the new location of Helm. Happening on the 16th of April, the multi-course dinner comes with wine pairing care of the Artisan Cellar Door.
I had the fortunate chance to dine at Seroja (one of the latest and much-talked-about restaurants in Singapore at the moment) which gives an ode to the Malaysian roots of Chef Wong. After experiencing his food and appreciating the beauty of the subtlety of his interiors, I thought that no one else could be a better match for him than Boutwood, here in Manila. And both chefs believe so too.
“Josh is a chef that is very technique and flavour-driven,” says Wong, the winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Asia Region in 2021, “And myself as well. Our food seems to be very simple and straightforward. It will be fun to be cooking together because even our spaces look very similar.”
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The chef of Helm has nothing but nice words to say about Wong too. “He is pretty chill and easy to talk to. We look forward to having him visit and cook in the Philippines and to share knowledge and ingredients with his team,” Boutwood shares. He adds, “This will also be a great experience for my team in the new restaurant—to work with someone new for a few days.”
Also expected to fly from Singapore to join us here in the Philippines this year are chefs Louis Han of Naeum, Bjorn Shen of Smalls, Edward Chong of Peach Blossom, and LG Han of Labyrinth.
Keep an eye out during the third quarter of the year for the Singapore Tourism Board is bringing 10 renowned bartenders to Manila for collaborations with homegrown talents too! ACE is definitely back with a lot of much-anticipated culinary action.
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