Kita Food Festival 2024 is here with an exciting lineup of culinary events
A celebration of food
For the fourth year in a row, the highly anticipated Kita Food Festival, named after the Malay word for ‘us’ or ‘we’—is making a comeback in just about a month. The festival will take place in both Malaysia and Singapore with the former’s events happening between 4 and 8 September and the latter from January to March next year.
Just like its predecessors, this edition of the Kita Food Festival will see a slew of legendary collaborations with four-hand dinners and kitchen takeovers, featuring celebrated chefs both local and international. Also on the agenda are F&B leadership events as well as the one and only Big Sunday Barbecue that will conclude the festivities. This year also sees the introduction of ‘A Food Affair’, a day-long symposium on innovation and authority in food. Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about this year’s Kita Food Festival, plus the full lineup of events!
ABOUT KITA FOOD FESTIVAL
Let’s start with some background. Kita Food Festival is an annual celebration of food and its culture, founded by Darren Teoh, chef-patron of two Michelin-starred Dewakan; Leisa Tyler, food journalist and owner of Singapore-based farm to table company, Weeds & More; and Adrian Yap of Tiffin Culinary and Freeform.
The annual festival brings together some of the region’s most decorated culinary talent—from chefs to producers—as a bid to shine light on our burgeoning gastronomic landscape. On top of the four-hands collaborations, with its numerous workshops, masterclasses, and its young chef mentoring programme—Kita Horizons—the festival aims to be a source of inspiration for fresh talents in the industry.
FULL SCHEDULE
KITCHEN TAKEOVERS & FOUR-HAND DINNERS (5-7 SEPTEMBER 2024)
4 & 5 September 2024 (Wednesday & Thursday)
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Jimmy Ophorst (Pru) x Masashi Horiuchi (Potager) at Potager
Coming in from Phuket, Thailand, Jimmy Ophorst is known for his dedication to the farm-to-table movement. He will be collaborating with Horiuchi for a special four-hands dinner at Potager, Bamboo Hills. Pru is Phuket’s first and only restaurant that holds a Michelin star, an accolade it has maintained since 2018. It also bears the first and only Michelin Green Star in the country.
5 & 6 September 2024 (Thursday & Friday)
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Ben Devlin (Pipit) at Yellow Fin Horse
Bringing native Australian bush foods to Kuala Lumpur is Ben Devlin of Pipit in Pottsville, Australia. He will be taking over the kitchen at Else Kuala Lumpur’s Yellow Fin Horse, showcasing staple ingredients of the cuisine—such as bunya nuts, Dorrigo pepper, and more—alongside Malaysian produce. The plant-forward meal will be meat-free, with seafood used sparingly in the garums and preserves. To add, there will also be an optional Royal Brackla whisky pairing for the 5 September dinner service.
Johnson Ebenezer (Farmlore) x Shaun Ng (Hide) at Hide
Together with celebrated chef Shaun Ng of Hide, Johnson Ebenezer of Farmlore will be presenting guests with a menu that showcases the produce of Malaysia. Farmlore was named the Best Earth-Friendly Restaurant at the NDTV Food Awards just this year. Diners will be taken on a flavour voyage around the country, with each course dedicated to a single, high-quality ingredient from ethical local producers.
6 September 2024 (Friday)
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Prin Polsuk (Samrub Samrub Thai) at Raw
Southern Thai Fisherman cuisine will be in the spotlight on this day at the hands of Prin Polsuk of one Michelin-starred Samrub Samrub Thai, which was also named #29 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024. This casual dinner will showcase the diversity and community-centric fare from the Island natives of the Southern Thai gulf. There will also be a Royal Brackla whisky pairing option for those who want to add a boozy touch to their meal.
6 & 7 September 2024 (Friday & Saturday)
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Hans Christian (August) x Aidan Low (Akar) at Akar
Jakarta’s Hans Christian of August will be joining forces with Aidan Low of Akar to showcase New Nusantara cuisine during their four-hands collaboration. August was recently ranked #46 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024.
Louis Tikaram (Stanley) at Fifty Tales
Known for his adept skills at melding Fijian, Chinese, and global gastronomic influences, Louis Tikaram will be popping into the Fifty Tales kitchen for a takeover. During his stint there, he will present diners with his unique take on modern Chinese comfort food. An optional Royal Brackla whisky pairing will also be available only on 7 September.
7 September 2024 (Saturday)
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Christophe Lerouy (Lerouy) x Masashi Horiuchi (Entier) at Entier
Horiuchi makes yet another four-hands appearance, this time at Entier alongside Christophe Lerouy of his namesake one Michelin-starred restaurant in Singapore. With Lerouy and Horiuchi both being masters of French cuisine, guests can expect nothing but exquisite flavours and flawless technique during the meal.
A FOOD AFFAIR (7 SEPTEMBER 2024)
An evolution from its popular Kita Conversations series, A Food Affair will debut at The Toffee on Jalan Raja Chulan during this year’s festival. On the agenda for the day are notable keynote speakers, talks by regional food experts, interactive masterclasses, a lively marketplace, and more. Here’s a quick rundown of the day:
Keynote speakers:
- Su Kim Hock (Au Jardin) | Where Have All the Sous Chefs Gone? Navigating the Restaurant Labour Crunch
- Ben Devlin (Pipit) | How to make use of every part of a squid
- Vanika Choudhary (Noon, Mumbai) | Ancient Indian fermentation techniques
- Dr. David Neo (Lecturer, Universiti Teknologi MARA) | Chitty Peranakan Food Culture
- Other speakers include Ivan Brehm (Nouri) and Jimmy Ophorst (Pru)
Masterclasses:
- Pete Smit (Dirty Supper, Singapore) | Nose to Tail: How to butcher a whole goat, making the most of every part of an animal and every cut
- Wong Yin How (Restaurateur and founding secretary of the Sommelier Association of Malaysia) | French wine and cheeses
Marketplace:
The marketplace portion of the day will feature a lineup of artisanal producers who will have their food and drinks for you to sample and buy. Additionally, Prin Polsul (Samrub Samrub Thai) will also be presenting bite-sized dishes, featuring his restaurant’s signature pastes. Here is the vendor lineup:
- Feeka Coffee Roasters
- Wonderbrew
- Paper Kite Beer
- Chocolate Concierge
- Oylhaus
- Mu Artisan Soy Sauce
- Secai Marche
BIG SUNDAY BARBECUE
To conclude the KL Weekender portion of this year’s Kita Food Festival, the Big Sunday Barbecue will see a stunning lineup of chefs teaming up and getting behind the grills to serve up some fiery plates. This Kita Food Festival tradition promises a lively afternoon with top tier food for everyone to enjoy. The teams are as follows:
- Pete Smit (Dirty Supper) and Ignis
- Su Kim Hock (Au Jardin) and Dewakan
- Vanika Choudhary (Noon) and Nadodi
- Anis Nabilah and SAJ Bistronomy by Leen’s
KITA HORIZONS
Back in May, 15 young culinary talents took part in the Kita Horizons programme, which connected them with parts of the industry that they have yet to gain access to. They participated in a full day of masterclasses with mentors Jack Weldie (Chipta 11A), Lim Heng Kit (Li Restaurant and Locus), Yavhin Siriwardhana (Nadodi) and watched a presentation from Chef Grzegorz Odolak, Executive Chef of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. Not to mention, the young chefs also got a tour of the hotel’s kitchen and farm.
On the second day of the programme, the cohort ventured to Natural Tropical Farm, Chocolate Concierge, and A Little Farm on the Hill to learn about various farming methods and produce. To showcase their newfound knowledge and skills, the 15 chefs will cook for an invite-only Thank You Dinner on 8 September. For this dinner, they have been tasked with cooking a menu using “grade two” vegetables and “secondary” cuts of meat in the spotlight.
Else Kuala Lumpur is offering a special Kita Dinner and Room package for guests. Learn more about it here.
Tickets for Kita Food Festival are available now, purchase them on its website. Stay updated by following Kita Food Festival on Facebook and Instagram.
Read more food & drink content here.
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