Speaking & Culinary Engagements

Food is more than what we eat — it is history, culture, memory, and identity.

As a food writer, cookbook author, and culinary educator, I design and deliver talks, panel discussions, cooking workshops, and culinary experiences that explore the connections between food, culture, and sustainability.

Drawing from my books Wet Market to Table and PlantAsia, I share stories about Asian ingredients, culinary traditions, disappearing food knowledge, and the ways food can bring people together.

I work with universities, corporations, cultural organisations, festivals, and community groups to create engaging experiences that encourage curiosity, conversation, and connection through food.

  • Selected engagements include:

    • The Forgotten Plants of Asia: Exploring overlooked vegetables, herbs, and edible plants across Asia, and why preserving culinary biodiversity matters. Previously presented at the National University of Singapore.

    • The Place of Wet Markets in Hypermodern Singapore: An exploration of how wet markets continue to shape food culture, community, and identity in an increasingly modern Singapore. Previously presented at the National University of Singapore.

    • PlantAsia: Rethinking Vegetables Through Asian Culinary Traditions: How Asian culinary traditions can inspire more flavourful, joyful, and sustainable ways of cooking with vegetables. Previously presented for Rijk Zwaan (Poland, Germany, & the Netherlands).

    • Food Authenticity in the Singaporean Context: Examining how migration, identity, and memory shape our understanding of authenticity in Singapore's multicultural food landscape. Previously presented at the National Library Board Singapore.

    • Sustainability & Increasing Vegetable Consumption: How flavour, culture, and culinary traditions can help encourage more plant-forward eating. Previously presented at the National Library Board Singapore.

  • Selected engagements include:

    • National University of Singapore (Singapore): Food culture talk, wet market tour, and communal cooking workshop exploring Singapore's edible plants and culinary heritage.

    • Rijk Zwaan (Poland, Germany, & Netherlands): International talks, tasting experiences, and cooking workshops in Germany and the Netherlands exploring vegetable-forward cooking through Asian culinary traditions.

    • Unilever(Netherlands): Asian vegetarian cooking workshop inspired by PlantAsia.

    • Laziz Kookstudio (Netherlands): Hands-on Asian cooking workshops introducing participants to Asian ingredients and techniques.

    • Daylesford Longhouse (Australia): Asian cooking workshops in a farmhouse setting.

    • Tong Tong Fair (Netherlands): Live cooking demonstration celebrating Indonesian culinary heritage through the preparation of chap chye.

Let’s Work Together

Interested in collaborating on a talk, workshop, or culinary experience? I would love to work with organisations that share an interest in food, culture, sustainability, and storytelling.