Guest Blog: Bonnae Gokson

I don't bake. But I was privileged enough to have enjoyed an upbringing that offered immense exposure to the fine art of cooking, entertaining on a grand scale and gracious hospitality both at home and in my extensive travels around the world. These indelible experiences shaped my taste, style and destiny. My years spent at the pinnacle of high fashion serving as the right-hand woman of my fashion doyenne sister, Joyce Ma, and crafting the image of Chanel in the Asia Pacific region further sharpened my creativity and passion for the latest lifestyle and food trends.

I conceptualised JOYCE Cafes for my sister in the mid 90's, offering good, wholesome home-style menus that I still serve, an inspiration for many in the food and beverage industry of Hong Kong today. Opening SEVVA in 2008 was a real labour of love and passion, as was my bespoke Ms B's CAKERY and neighborhood cafe-bar, C'est La B. It's through these ventures that I express myself, be it through food, music or designing interiors, packaging or even uniforms.

So, what are emerging as hot food trends all over the globe? Having been to quite a few cities like London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Sydney just recently, I am glad that we're back to a more relaxed yet bold culinary invention. Bored by gastro-nostalgia, people are out for new thrills and mixing and matching global flavours intensely.

I recall six years ago when my friend took me to the "hottest dive" in New York called Momofuku Ssam Bar, it was interesting to taste unexpected combinations of "unusual mix" like pork belly, kimchee coleslaw, exotic mayo in a steamed bun. Steam buns are common in northern China and so is braised pork belly and being half northern and southern Chinese myself, these were what I have been accustomed to since I was a child, but never did I mix them with Korean or Western ingredients.

Little did we know, this was going to be one of the biggest food trends today. Everyone is inspired by it! I have now tried this simple steamed bun with pulled pork, foie gras, peanut butter, mayo and salad in Sydney; crispy pork, green papaya salad in Manila; again, pork, fancy mayo and pickled cabbage, chips with the same bun in quite a few other cities and I must say, some are just too OTT.

The new way with mayo now are all mixed with either jalapeno peppers, sriracha or wasabi and more, for example chipotle pork chop with burnt sugar glaze, carrot kimchee and tarragon mayo. Duck is finding itself with more flavours than just a l'orange and South American influences like Peruvian food is having a moment. Many are putting out ceviche with great combos. We see also seafood and fish are deliberately clashing flavours with meats for example serving pork cheeks with apple cider and jalapeno. Vegetables, the more organically grown, the better. As far as cupcakes, it's already a past fad; look out for its new replacement, good ol' fashioned cakes and pies.

So whatever your choices are, let's celebrate these new experiences where cooking is at a crossroad and where everything collides and there's no right or wrong . . .