This is the first Chinese chef to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants

The sixth annual Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards are just around the corner and already the programme has revealed some of the winners. The winning titles are decided based on votes by members of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy which comprises of over 300 leaders in the restaurant and culinary industries throughout Asia. One of these titles is the Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award—Asia; and the 2018 recipient of this award has been revealed to be Taiwan-born André Chiang.

If his name rings a bell, it’s because he is the acclaimed chef-owner of Restaurant Andre in Singapore and Raw in Taipei. The two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Andre in Bukit Pasoh Road  was No. 2 on the 2017 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list; and No. 14 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list of the same year—the only restaurant from Singapore to make the top 50, actually. However, Chiang closed the restaurant recently on 14 February, saying there was no special reason for the closure except that he simply thought “the timing is perfect” and he was happy with everything he did.” He told The Straits Times, “I’m satisfied”.

For the 2018 Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award—Asia, Chiang said: “While I was thrilled to be the first Chinese chef to appear on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, I am equally honoured to be the first Chinese chef to receive this prestigious award. My focus has always been to put Asia on the culinary world map and this recognition reinforces that goal. I will remember this moment forever.”

With over 30 years of experience in the field, Chiang has since returned to Taiwan with a “duty” to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of young chefs there. In the letter where he announced the closure of Restaurant Andre, he added:

“Following Michelin Guide’s expansion in Asia, I understand that Michelin will soon launch new editions in Bangkok and Taiwan (where my other restaurant Raw is located in Taipei). As my hope is that Raw will be the pure place where I can focus on educating, developing others, and cooking after my retirement from Restaurant Andre, I also request that Raw not be included in the Michelin Guide Taiwan (or Taipei).”

Chiang will formally receive his award at the sixth annual Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony on 27 March 2018, hosted at Wynn Palace, Macao.