Back, bigger and better: Kita Food Festival 2024
Kuala Lumpur’s ultra-foodies are in for a treat with the fourth edition of this gastronomic fest.
Corralling some of the biggest names in the regional culinary scene, Kita Food Festival is making a highly anticipated return to Kuala Lumpur from September 4 to 8, 2024. The innovative event continues to lead the charge towards a more connected and sustainable future for food and beverage in Southeast Asia through education and cultivating appreciation.
This year’s agenda promises something for everyone, from an exciting Four-Hands Dinner to a uniquely curated Kitchen Takeover and a Masterclass from world-class experts. Kita Food Festival is slated to head to Singapore, its next pitstop, from January to March 2025.
Check out the full lineup of Four-Hands Dinners and Kitchen Takeovers at Kita Food Festival 2024:
September 4 & 5
Jimmy Ophorst of PRU (Phuket, Thailand), Phuket’s first and only restaurant to have a Michelin star which it has retained since 2018 and a leader of the farm-to-table movement, will be doing a four-hands dinner alongside Masashi Horiuchi at Potager.
September 5 & 6
Ben Devlin of Pipit in Pottsville (New South Wales, Australia), recognised as a Regional Restaurant of the Year finalist in Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide 2023, will run a Kitchen Takeover at Yellow Fin Horse, Else Kuala Lumpur, featuring native Australian bush foods cooked with Malaysian-grown produce. An optional whisky pairing is available on September 5, featuring the Royal Brackla core range.
Johnson Ebenezer of Farmlore (Bangalore, India), which was recognised as Best Earth-Friendly Restaurant at the NDTV Food Awards 2024 and 2023’s Best Restaurant in South India by the ET Hospitality Awards, will be doing a four-hands dinner alongside Shaun Ng of HIDE. Designed to take guests on a culinary journey of provenance around Malaysia, each course will spotlight a high-quality ingredient from Malaysia’s ethical producers.
September 6
Prin Polsuk of one-Michelin star restaurant and #29 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, Samrub Samrub Thai (Bangkok, Thailand) will bring Southern Thai Fisherman cuisine to Raw, Else Kuala Lumpur. There is a Royal Brackla whisky pairing option for the meal.
September 6 & 7
Hans Christian of August (Jakarta, Indonesia), #46 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, will shine a light on the emerging trend of New Nusantara cuisine at Akâr Dining alongside Aidan Low.
Louis Tikaram – 2014’s “Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year" as awarded by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide who is known for his innovative fusion of Fijian, Chinese and global culinary influences – of Stanley (Brisbane, Australia) will bring his take on Modern Chinese comfort food to Fifty Tales. A Royal Brackla whisky pairing is available on 7 September.
September 7
Christophe Lerouy, Chef Patron of one-Michelin Star Lerouy (Singapore), will cook alongside Masashi Horiuchi at Entier.
The KL Weekender with its shortlist of the region’s finest chefs popping up in restaurants around the Klang Valley, bringing to life narratives that explore true farm-to-table relationships, modernisations of local cuisine and the fusion of different cultures and local produce continues the food-fuelled excitement with the debut of A Food Affair at The Toffee on Jalan Raja Chulan. The full-day event will feature keynote speakers and fireside talks by regional food experts: Su Kim Hock (Au Jardin), Ben Devlin (Pipit), Vanika Choudhary (Noon) and more; interactive food and wine masterclasses by Pete Smit (Dirty Supper), Wong Yin How (Somlay) and others; as well as a vibrant marketplace with artisan products from around Malaysia and elsewhere.
In true Kita Food Festival tradition, the Big Sunday Barbecue will wrap up the KL Weekender on September 8. Manning the grill are these champion chefs from our capital city and beyond:
- Pete Smit of Dirty Supper (Singapore) will be teaming up with Ignis (Kuala Lumpur)
- Su Kim Hock of one-Michelin star Au Jardin (Penang) will team up with two-Michelin Star Dewakan (Kuala Lumpur)
- Vanika Choudhary of Noon (India) will partner with Nadodi (Kuala Lumpur)
- Home cook internet sensation Anis Nabilah (Kuala Lumpur) will be cooking alongside SAJ Bistronomy by Leen’s (Kuala Lumpur)
