Kita Food Festival (KFF) has quickly established itself as one of Asia’s most compelling food events.
So there was high anticipation as it officially announced the program for its Singapore Weekender pop-up event, to be held from October 19-23, 2023.
The pop-up is part of the overall Kita Food Festival, with the main festival held in Malaysia (Kuching, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur). However, this special pop-up event marks the festival’s debut in Singapore.
For Kita Food Festival 2023’s Singapore Weekender event, chef Ivan Brehm from Michelin-starred Nouri and Appetite will be the guest curator.
The Singapore Weekender pop-up will comprise four- and six-hand dining events at various restaurants, along with a Big Sunday Barbecue and Kita Conversations, which is a series of TED-style talks from leading chefs, food thinkers, and producers from around the world.
This year’s Singapore Weekender pop-up is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board.
In 2024 and 2025, the main KFF festival will be held in Singapore with pop-up weekends to be held in Kuala Lumpur and other Southeast Asian cities.
“In my mind, Kita’s success is the result of content and its potential for community impact and development,” commented Ivan Brehm.
“An event built by and for our F&B family of chefs, diners, farmers, thinkers, and innovators. This year we are happy to announce a selection of panelists who have made it their life’s work to develop the F&B industry each in their own diverse and topical ways.
“Guest speakers and chefs whose contributions not only impact the way we cook but also engage with food culture, our impact in the world and its food security, our relationships at work, our choices, the health of our minds and our bodies.
“The opportunity to host talks that are meaningful, free of lip service and true to the regional and universal realities of feeding people, is why I believe Kita Singapore is a force for good. I am convinced that anyone who cares for what they cook and eat should come to be a part of it.”
Guo Teyi, Director, Retail and Dining at Singapore Tourism Board, added: “We are honored that Singapore has been chosen as a launchpad for Kita Food Festival’s regional expansion, fostering camaraderie amongst the foodie community and bolstering Singapore’s reputation as a culinary capital.
“The festival’s inspiring program provides a platform for many celebrated regional and Singapore-based culinary talents to learn, collaborate and showcase their wonderful creations. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Singapore Weekender pop-up event.”
Darren Teoh, Kita Food Festival co-founder and chef of Michelin-starred Dewakan in Kuala Lumpur, said: “When we started Kita, we knew that the community needed to be at the heart of everything we did. These past few years have seen the culinary landscape go through unprecedented changes, from the way we do business, to the way food is consumed.
“We felt it was time stakeholders from across Southeast Asia’s food and hospitality industry found a voice and spoke across the region.
“We aspire to build a platform to discuss issues important to the industry here and now; to become a center for knowledge generation and distribution; a beacon for the next generation of professionals; and more importantly, we also want to have a good time.”