Cover Chef-owner Hafizzul Hashim of Fiz (Photo: Fiz)
Chef-owner Hafizzul Hashim of Fiz (Photo: Fiz)
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At Fiz, chef-owner Hafizzul Hashim draws on decades of global experience and painstaking research across the region to create a dining experience that celebrates Southeast Asia’s rich culinary heritage through a distinctly contemporary lens
For much of modern fine dining’s history, Southeast Asian flavours have played a supporting role—borrowed ingredients and fleeting aromatics folded into menus rooted firmly elsewhere. At Fiz, chef-owner Hafizzul Hashim is rewriting that narrative.
The Kuala Lumpur-born chef spent more than two decades in some of the world’s top kitchens, from Michelin-starred restaurants in London to Jean-Georges in Tokyo. It was there, far from home, that he had a revelation: makrut lime, galangal, torch ginger and turmeric—ingredients he had grown up with—were prized in the world’s finest restaurants, while the cuisines they came from remained largely overlooked.
Fiz was born from that realisation. A contemporary Southeast Asian restaurant, it treats the region’s culinary traditions with precision and genuine curiosity, translating heritage for the modern diner through refined technique, meticulous sourcing and storytelling woven into every course. “Southeast Asia has so much to offer,” says Hafizzul. “It is possibly one of the most diverse regions on the planet, with an abundance of culinary traditions that deserve their time in the spotlight.”
That conviction shapes every aspect of Fiz; from the tasting menu to the hospitality and the dining room itself, each element is designed to immerse guests in the richness and diversity of the region.
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Above Hafizzul Hashim was working at lauded restaurants in London and Tokyo when he had a realisation that Southeast Asian cuisine was largely overlooked
Hafizzul Hashim was working at lauded restaurants in London and Tokyo when he had a realisation that Southeast Asian cuisine was largely overlooked
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A Journey Across Southeast Asia
The restaurant is the culmination of years of research. Following his revelation in Tokyo, Hafizzul travelled extensively across mainland Southeast Asia, exploring markets, villages and historic culinary destinations from Luang Prabang to Siem Reap. He also built a library of regional cookbooks and rare recipes once served in the royal Thai courts, drawing on knowledge he had acquired earlier in his career from chefs who had cooked for Malaysia’s royal households. These experiences reinforced his belief that royal courts were the true custodians of the region’s culinary heritage, preserving and refining traditions across generations.
Rather than viewing Southeast Asia as a collection of distinct national cuisines, Hafizzul sees it as a connected culinary landscape. While every country possesses its own identity, common ingredients, techniques and traditions flow across borders, revealing a shared cultural heritage. At Fiz, it is these connections—and the nuances that distinguish them—that shape every menu.
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The tasting experience debuts in chapters known as “Episodes”, each exploring a different region or cultural narrative and refreshed every few months. The current instalment, Episode 3.0: Sajian Warisan, pays tribute to Nusantara’s rich tradition of food preservation. Smoking, fermenting, pickling and curing—techniques born from the need to preserve food in a tropical climate—are reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, transforming methods of survival into expressions of craftsmanship. The menu explores how the land, seasons and local communities have shaped the region’s culinary identity for generations. Highlights include sotong sumbat sambal hitam, featuring stuffed squid with squid ink and latok, and rice husk salai shima aji, smoked horse mackerel inspired by the flavours of asam pedas, finished with heirloom Beras Adan rice espuma.
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Above The space is inspired by sacred architecture across Southeast Asia
The space is inspired by sacred architecture across Southeast Asia
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More Than a Restaurant
The storytelling extends beyond the plate. Designed by Akira Kita, the dining room draws inspiration from sacred architecture across Southeast Asia, including Angkor Wat and Borobudur, interpreted through a palette of stone, timber and terracotta. Architectural details evoke temple processions and cascading rice terraces, subtly weaving the region’s shared visual language throughout the space.
Its intimate setting also makes Fiz an ideal destination for private celebrations, corporate gatherings and bespoke dining experiences, where personalised hospitality is as thoughtfully curated as the menu itself.
For Hafizzul, hospitality has always been about more than exceptional food and polished service. “Restaurants can certainly be more than just about feeding oneself,” he says. “It can be about honouring culture and history, where identity is embellished and where diners leave with their appetites satiated and their minds enlightened.”
Credits
Images: Fiz
Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
