A major food festival that returns to Southeast Asia in September to October promises to serve up a smorgasbord of experiences that will help to lift the region’s appeal as a foodie wonderland.

Moving across Kuching, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, the Kita Food Festival will embrace everything from discussions about the region’s emerging food scene, to experiences featuring top chefs and winemakers, events to inspire the next generation of food producers and a mentorship programme for young Malaysian chefs.

“Kita Food Festival is in the vanguard for culinary initiative, innovation and thought leadership that puts community and creating a robust and sustainable F&B industry at the centre,” said Kita co-founder Leisa Tyler.

The festival will feature both regional and international chefs for a series of fine dining and casual dining events. It will also include a series of TED-style talks and symposiums, titled Kita Conversations, with discussions from chefs, food producers, historians, anthropologists and food suppliers.

Tyler and her cofounders Darren Teoh, head chef of fine dining restaurant  Dewakan in Kuala Lumpur, and Adrian Yap, founder of Tiffin Culinary, who hosts  F&B centric pop-up events, said the 2023 event will cast a wide net to attract  chefs, culinary historians and business leaders from across the world.

Mentorship for young chefs

New this year will be Horizons, a free-to-attend mentorship programme which is designed to inspire and broaden the horizons of Malaysia’s next generation of top chefs.

The programme will include 12 hand-picked young chefs (under the age of 28 years) who have demonstrated a commitment to their craft.  The chefs will be taken on a journey of culinary experiences from masterclasses and study groups as well as farm experiences around Malaysia.

Along the way, they will be mentored by some of Kuala Lumpur’s top chefs including Daniel Yap (Gooddam), Gary Anwar (Ember Modern Bistro) and Haznizam Hamzah (W Hotel Kuala Lumpur).

At the end of the programme the young chefs will cook a dinner for invited VIP guests using mainly proteins, vegetables and grains that are usually considered grade two or surplus, food that is often destined for landfill.

The Kita Food Festival will be held from 27 September (Kuching), 13-16 October (Penang), 19-23 October (Singapore) and 26-30 October (Kuala Lumpur).

Tickets for each event will go on sale in early August.