Editor’s Note
Dear Tatler Community,
I’m excited to announce the launch of our latest venture, Tatler Weekend. This premium digital platform addresses our audiences’ evolving content choices and their desire to engage with Asia’s most compelling stories, people and communities.
Asia is full of fantastic narratives, brought to life by individuals and communities shaping the future of our region and making a positive impact on the world. Tatler Weekend will showcase thought-provoking and impactful interviews and features that highlight the innovative spirit and cultural richness of Asia. We will also bring you insights from global personalities whose contributions to culture and excellence inspire us all.
This initiative is more than just a digital platform; it’s a celebration of our region’s vibrant diversity and dynamic potential. Through rich, immersive content, we aim to connect with our community, offering stories that educate, entertain and inspire.
Tatler Weekend is published on our website and in newsletter every Saturday morning. We look forward to sharing these remarkable stories with you.
Michel Lamunière
Chairman & CEO
INTERVIEW
Chef Mathew Leong of Norway’s three-Michelin-starred Re-naa eats stress for breakfast
Singaporean chef Mathew Leong helms Re-naa, the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Stavanger, Norway (Photo: Mathew Leong)
“If you work for the best, you will know what it takes to become the best,” says Leong of his approach to reaching the top of his game. This was the same mindset that spurred him in the early years of his career to pursue a job overseas.
Over six months, he sent more than 100 resumes to top-tier restaurants in Europe. “With a very weak CV, I tried my luck,” he says.
When Re-naa offered him the job, the then-21-year-old, who had been at the Tippling Club for about a year, asked without hesitation, “When can I come?”
IMPACT
Bing Chen, Prabal Gurung and Kevin Lin discuss how their non-profit Gold House is changing the future of the Asian diaspora
Bing Chen, founder of Gold House (Photography: Ivan Bideac)
“There is this amazing renaissance of Asian creativity,” says Chen. “We had the most awarded film of all time with Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022); the most watched Netflix series of all time with Squid Game (2021); and K-pop is still crushing it. I really want to unify the Asian diaspora worldwide and I’m very optimistic we’ll get that done.”
IMMERSION
Malala Yousafzai debuts as producer with ‘The Last of the Sea Women’, a heartwarming homage to the incredible haenyeo, South Korea’s female freedivers
‘The Last of the Sea Women’ will be released on Apple TV+ on October 11, 2024
The Last of the Sea Women is the first of three projects from Extracurricular, Nobel laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai’s new production company, for Apple TV+.
“I was looking for projects which were telling us very unique stories from women’s point of view, directed by women, written by women. And this was the project that I think I was looking for,” says Yousafzai, who made her debut as a producer on the documentary alongside a crew that was 90 percent women in what she has termed a kind of “matriarchal filmmaking project”.
EDITOR’S PICK
The two faces of Nigel Ng: Who is the man behind the character?
Fondly known as “Uncle Roger”, the beloved internet sensation is a household name (Photo: Fady Younis)
While some may argue the over-exaggerated portrayal of stereotypes, such as the Chinese accent, may work to discriminate against Asian culture, Ng disagrees: “Ultimately, this is me, an Asian person, celebrating our culture.”
Ng opened his first restaurant, Fuiyoh! It’s Uncle Roger, in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on September 11, 2024. “Living in LA, I wanted to be able to connect to Malaysians more as it is the country where I grew up,” he says. “Videos are nice, but having a physical outlet allows me to come back more often for a purpose too.”
