What and Where Inspires 5 of the Best Female Chefs in Asia

MEET FIVE OF OUR FAVORITE CHEFS across Southeast Asia—who happen to be female. All their restaurants are worth traveling for, and if you want to supplement your trips with their must-visit restaurant, bar and hotel recs around the region

RENATTA MOELOEK

By Kathryn Romeyn

“WHEN I FOUND cooking I just [realized]: This is my jam,” says Indonesian chef Renatta Moeloek, a judge on Masterchef Indonesia and the talent behind Jakarta’s new Glou Wine & Bistro (instagram/glou.jakarta)—a collaboration with her friends from VIN+ Wine & Beyond—and the private dining and event space Ruma Dining. As a young teen, Moeloek began experimenting in the kitchen, cooking meals as “a ritual between me and my friends.” After stage-ing (from the French word stagiere, which means intern) at two Jakarta restaurants during high school, she decided to pursue culinary school, and the now-29-year-old’s compelling, native produce–informed cooking has evolved ever since.  

More than a particular style of cooking, Moeloek savors the discovery of new-to-her ingredients, which are seemingly limitless in Indonesia. The eastern Maluku Islands, for example, which she visited for a YouTube documentary on street cuisines and very old-school tribal food. “It was beautiful, pristine,” she says. “The eating culture is different, I find it almost Scandinavian how everything is fresh, not heavy, full of spices and fat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them fry anything—it’s very clean and aromatic. 

She milks candlenuts, typically only featured in spice paste, and prefers citrusy green peppercorns to dried ones, but is currently most jazzed about super-rare red kulat pelawan mushrooms from the Bungka Belitung islands that only grow under pelawan trees during heavy rains once a year. “The flavor is very, very special and strong—in between chanterelles and morels,” says Moeloek, who cooks with them at Glou, which she describes as “a melting pot where you want to hang out and ask your friends to do pop-ups.” At the casual “eating house” everything is meant to be shared.  

The concept makes sense considering she started out cooking for those she loved. “I think the philosophy around food changes over time,” Moeloek reflects. “Back in the day I was so into refined food—there’s a bit of your ego that [makes] you want to show what you can do. It was more of a performance.” But, she says, “As I get older, when I cook it’s for others.” The chef strives for a middle ground between what makes her happy and what makes diners even happier. “That’s the rewarding part,” she says.  

Moeloek favorite spots:  

Maluku Islands, Indonesia

I have a documentary on YouTube where we go around Indonesia to check out street cuisines and very old-school tribal food. We went to the most eastern Maluku Islands and it was beautiful, pristine. The eating culture is different, I find it almost Scandinavian how everything is fresh, not heavy, full of spices and fat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them fry anything—it’s very clean and aromatic. 

Thailand

I really enjoy Thai food and every time I visit Thailand I’m amazed how everything, even in the smallest corner street stall, is somehow perfectly cooked. 

Jakarta & Bali

I go back and forth between Jakarta and Bali, and in Bali the community between chefs is very strong: we go to restaurants to hang out and for nightcaps.  

Sangsaka
For a very chill, relaxed, modern Indonesian place to drink, I really like Sangsaka. They change their menu quite often and it’s a go-to place when I have foreigner friends who want to try Indonesian flavors. They never disappoint. sangsakabali.com

Riung Rasa  is an outdoor backyard barbecue in a garden—very familial with good food and good people always. It feels like home. instagram/riungrasa

Lulu Bistrot  
In Canggu, I really like Lulu Bistrot for French cuisine lulubistrot.com

SKOOL Kitchen  
I enjoy dining at SKOOL Kitchen for great food kissed by fire with a nice bar facing the beach. skoolkitchen.co

7.AM Bakers Club
I get my bread, pastries and best sandwiches at 7.AM Bakers Club. instagram/7am.bakers

Glou Wine & Bistro
In Jakarta I’m always at Glou, but when I crave Japanese food. instagram/glou.jakarta

Kaihomaru
I go to Kaihomaru  in Little Tokyo in Blok M, then hop into izakaya bars around the area for highballs. instagram/kaihomaru_melawai

Carbón
I love the Latin American cuisine at Carbón instagram/carbon.jkt

Acta Brasserie
The ambience is serene at Acta Brasserie, where they serve simple, tasty food next to a golf course.  biko-group.com/acta

PICHAYA ‘PAM’ UTHARNTHARM

By Megan Leon 

BANGKOK-BASED Pichaya ‘Pam’ Utharntharm belongs on the multi-tasking leaderboard. Perhaps you’ve heard of her good-luck-getting-a-reservation restaurant Potong, where her already famous smoked duck is worth the wait. Here, she creative-directs your whole dining journey by way of video menu supplements, eclectic drinks pairings that always start with kombucha and perhaps take in a stop at Opium bar on the roof, a ride in a micro-elevator that’s more like a dumbwaiter, and effusive championing of her local suppliers. But she also has a pair (so far) of Texas barbecue restaurants, has launched a private catering company, she’s a judge on a TV series in search of the next generation of leading Thai chefs, travels the world to share her knowledge and skills, and is the mom of a preschooler.  

Pam took over the narrow, ancient building that housed her family’s traditional Chinese herbal medicine shop in Bangkok’s Chinatown and turned it into one of the most sought-after restaurants in the country. After only two years Potong boasts a Michelin Star and ranks No. 35 on the Asia’s 50 Best list—in the name, she says, of paying homage to her ancestry. 

Thai-Chinese food has been around since Chinese immigrants first settled the riverfront area in Thailand’s nascent capital at least 150 years ago. But her edgy innovation brings it into modern times. Her culinary principle of ‘The 5 Elements’ intertwines her philosophy on heritage and cuisine with the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, and five elements—salt, acid, spice, maillard reaction, texture. “Each of the elements are meant to formulate a memory that can only happen when the senses are initiated simultaneously,” she says. 

The fragments of this thought process started to take shape earlier on in her career, while cutting her teeth at Jean Georges in New York. She ventured into private dining, and started grill-and-fire-focused Smoked because she’s actually a trained American barbecue pit master. Now she has a catering company called The X Project. Her universe is constantly evolving, but she’s committed to staying grounded. “My favorite comfort food place in Chinatown is Lao Tang Braised Goose (467/1 Yaowarat Rd.), where they serve stewed goose that reminds me of my childhood,” she says. “At the moment I’m traveling constantly post-covid, but I’m trying to minimize travel as much as I can to be close to Potong and my kid.”  

Pam’s Favorite Spots 

Bangkok 

Lao Tang Braised Goose 
My favorite comfort food place in Chinatown is Lao Tang Braised Goose, where they serve stewed goose that reminds me of my childhood. This joint has been around for over 30 years and serves simple dishes, but for Pam, it is very heartwarming and one of the best in the city.  (467/1 Yaowarat Rd,, Bangkok 10100) 

The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya 
My favorite hotel in Bangkok is the luxurious The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River. fourseasons.com

The Siam Hotel Bangkok
I’m also fond of The Siam Hotel Bangkok. thesiamhotel.com

Siam Paragon 
For shopping fashion finds I recommend Siam Paragon. siamparagon.co.th

 EmQuartier
The EmQuartier is another favourite of mine. emquartier.co.th

JJ Market
And for local handmade or artisanal products there’s nowhere better than JJ Market also known as the Chatuchak Weekend Market. 

Opium Bar
For drinks I recommend Opium Bar Because it’s my bar! opiumbarbangkok.com

Mahaniyom Bar
I love it for their use of locally-driven ingredients. instagram/mahaniyom.cocktailbar

Nuss Bar
This place boasts of gorgeous temple views. intstagram/nussbarbkk

Bangok Social Club
Pop by here for drinks and soak in the luxurious hotel experience. fourseasons.com

ARCHAN CHAN 

By Ron Gluckman 

ARCHAN CHAN MAY be among the more diminutive chefs in Hong Kong, but she’s had a huge impact since leaving Australia after 13 years in some of the top kitchens there, returning home to helm the delightfully kitschy Ho Lee Fook. 

The quirky modern Cantonese diner has been the rage in so-hip Soho since its opening in 2014, and a 2021 renovation has made it even livelier. Chan added her imprint as one of a few female chefs helming top Cantonese kitchens in the food-crazed city. 

Chan’s resume Down Under reads like a where-to-eat guide: stages at Attica, Acme, Automata, Quay and Six Penny. Having impressed legendary chef Andrew McConnell, Chan took over the bar menu at his two-hatted Cutler & Co. in Melbourne’s trendy Fitzroy suburb, was sous chef at his now-closed Asian-fusion spot Golden Fields in St. Kilda, and then moved to Supernormal—everyone’s favorite always-buzzy, Tokyo-, Shanghai-, Seoul- and Hong Kong-inspired hotspot in the CBD. 

This was a perfect launchpad for her move to Ho Lee Fook, Hong Kong’s lair of lucky cats and hip hop. She added more connections to traditional dishes and flavors she grew up with, when she spent time with her grandmother in the kitchen in Sham Shui Po and learned about nurturing through food. We’re particularly glad of her razor clams. Another of her girlhood favorites was pigeon: she loved the juicy roasted version, but also fried with crispy skin. Instead of choosing, Chan combined both. “It took a bit of research and development, but we created a master-stock crispy skin pigeon.” 

Chan believes that the best contemporary chefs needn’t untether from the past, rather, find less-known angles to probe. For example, Grand Majestic Sichuan in Hong Kong, where “talented chef Theign breaks the stigma of Sichuan only being spicy and shows what the cuisine is all about,” Chan effuses. “Usually, I start with champagne or a cocktail at The Majestic Garden, enjoying the view. They offer a glass of Champagne every time you visit the restroom!” 

A lover of the wok, Chan says that tool is actually a big reason it’s tough to “modernize” Cantonese food—thus doing so is less her goal than exploring and working hard to build a supremely tasty menu. “People recognize that Ho Lee Fook is serious Cantonese food,” she says, “in a playful setting.” Ho Lee Fook still connects with international visitors and local expats, but she is particularly proud to see more Hong Kongers like herself there sharing meals, and memories, with parents and grandparents.  

Chan’s favorite spots: 

Grand Majestic Sichuan, HK
Talented Chef Theign breaks the stigma of Sichuan cuisine only being spicy and shows what the cuisine is all about. Usually, I start with champagne or a cocktail at The Majestic Garden, enjoying the view. They offer a glass of Champagne every time you visit the restroom! grandmajesticsichaun.com

Ju Xing Home, HK
I came across this place by chance. My parents live across the street. The comfort and hearty dishes served here have become my go-to whenever I host overseas chefs.  

This place, I chanced upon – my parents live across the street! Comfort and hearty dishes — it has become my go-to whenever I host overseas chefs. juxinghome.com

Yong Fu, HK
I do not know if I can call it a hidden gem, now that it is on the Asia’s 50 Best list. Ning Bo cuisine is new to me. Dishes here are well-balanced, yet flavorful.  yongfu.hk.com

Jeow Melbourne
Chef Thi is one of the most respected chefs in Melbourne, very driven, full of curiosity and integrity. I have learnt so much from her and how she respects and treats her produce. jeow.net.au

JOHANNE SIY

By Kissa Castañeda

THERE WAS NO LIGHTBULB moment that fueled chef Johanne Siy’s decision to leave her safe, corporate career in Procter & Gamble and start afresh in the hospitality industry. “There was always this compulsion in me to do something I’m passionate about and share that with others,” says the Singapore-based Filipina chef who was named Asia’s 50 Best Female Chef 2023. 

Siy, the head chef of Lolla, had always loved making food but didn’t think of it as a career. But experiences along the way showcased the power of food and convinced her that it was her ultimate calling.  

When she tutored struggling peers in university, she says, “I cannot forget the way their eyes lit up and how they became more attentive whenever I brought them food.” When she moved to Singapore 20 years ago, it wasn’t long before her apartment became the default weekend hangout because she cooked for her colleagues. Food was always the glue that held things together. Knowing this philosophy, it’s immediately obvious why Siy is drawn to multi-generational eateries like Keng Eng Kee for their pork liver claypot rice and moonlight horfun. “Paul, Wayne and the entire family have taken zi char dining to a whole new level with their personalized service. This is something unheard of and a definite game-changer in this category of restaurants.” 

When she made the leap to cooking full-time, first studying at the Culinary Institute of America in New York then into the kitchens of Le Bernardin, Restaurant Andre and Noma, she discovered that it wasn’t an easy environment, especially for a woman. “In the past, I’ve seen how women, including myself, were treated as second-class citizens in kitchens because we were regarded as physically weaker and emotional. You join a brigade and the chefs think they will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. People subconsciously judge you just because of your gender,” she says. 

Siy notes, however, that the world has changed thanks to extraordinary women who have fought against the existing biases and put women on equal footing. “Leaders have started to talk about how to make the workplace a more welcoming place for women. The kitchen is evolving, and it is for the better,” Siy stresses. 

As a flag carrier of the Philippines in Singapore, Siy is ecstatic to share Filipino flavors through her modern dishes at Lolla to a broad set of international diners most of whom are unfamiliar with Filipino cuisine. “While I don’t cook Filipino food per se, I draw a lot of inspiration from it and I am proud to tell the stories from my childhood,” she adds.  

When she has the rare downtime, Siy loves to travel and her trips are unsurprisingly built around food. “I make the restaurant bookings and food itinerary first and then everything else is planned around that. I eat on the streets, in the markets, in fancy restaurants, in convenience stores, and if I’m lucky, in people’s homes which always turn out to be some of the best and most insightful meals.” 

Siy’s favorite spots: 

Sweden 

Fäviken
“This restaurant by Chef Magnus Nilsson was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nature. It’s a very unique experience anchored by cuisine that is mindful, grounded, has a sense of place and above all delicious. I don’t think there is anything like it today and it’s unfortunate that it is not around anymore. That was a magical place.” Do we want to include this? 

Spain 

Disfrutar Barcelona
Disfrutar in Barcelona makes you feel like a child again—you begin to look at everything with a sense of wonder. www.disfrutarbarcelona.com; C. de Villarroel, 163, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; tasting menu a EU275 per person 

Quique Dacosta, Alicante
Quique wows by distilling the essence of the region on a plate. While you’re there, make sure you also go to Asador Etxebarri – it’s a restaurant that has long been on my list but have not had the chance to visit. en.quiquedacosta.es; Carrer Rascassa, 1, 03700 Dénia, Alicante, Spain; Tasting menu a EU275 per person 

Hong Kong 

Wing Restaurant
I highly recommend this place because of chef Vicky Cheng’s visionary approach to Chinese cuisine. I still dream about their fantastic sugarcane baby pigeon. wingrestaurant.hk; 29 F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong; HKD$1,980 ++ per person  

Japan 

I recently had the good fortune of eating at a number of superb restaurants in Japan. Japan is unique in that there are so many restaurants that are not accessible to the general public. My recommendations consist of restaurants that are democratic in that the only thing you need to book them is advanced planning. I love Sezanne, Florilège and La Cime (not in any order). Chef Daniel Calvert, Chef Hiroyasu Kawate and Chef Yusuke Takada are all doing outstanding things. Their flavor combinations are unique, with their DNA running strongly through the dishes. All elegant, exquisite meals using top-notch ingredients.  

Sezanne
Tokyo, Japan
www.sezanne.tokyo; 1 Chome-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo; the menu du jour a JPY22,000 (lunch only) 

Florilège
Tokyo, Japan
www.aoyama-florilege.jp/en.html; 2F Garden Plaza D Azabudai Hills, 5-10-7, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo; the lunch menu starts at JPY 10,000 

La Cime
Osaka, Japan
www.la-cime.com; 3-2-15 1F Kawaramachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka; lunch and dinner JPY 28,000 

Shishi-Iwa House
Karuizawa, Japan
I must mention that I also had a remarkable stay at a design-driven property in Karuizawa called Shishi-Iwa House. It’s a beautiful and inspiring property surrounded by nature and a lot of good local eateries, passionate artisans and natural wonders.” www.shishiiwahouse.jp; 2147-768 Nagakura Kitasaku District, Karuizawa, Nagano; Price: Rooms start at $270 per night. 

Singapore 

Keng Eng Kee
I love casual favorites like Keng Eng Kee for their pork liver claypot rice and moonlight horfun. Paul, Wayne and the entire family have taken zi char dining to a whole new level with their personalized service. This is something unheard of and a definite game-changer in this category of restaurants. www.kek.com.sg; 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-136, Singapore; around SGD $15 per person or SGD $68 for a set meal for four 

Rotanak Ros 

By Marissa Carruthers 

CHEF ROTANAK ROS, also known as Chef Nak, is championing Cambodian cuisine’s comeback. Her passion for cooking was fueled from a young age when her parents were involved in a traffic accident, and she had to cook for her family of seven. “As time passed, my connection to cooking deepened,” she recalls.  

At 19, the self-taught chef started working at Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), a non-profit dedicated to reviving the arts. During the horror of the Khmer Rouge regime, swathes of the country’s knowledge was destroyed, including recipes that had been passed down orally for generations. Nak realized these recipes needed reviving, akin to what CLA does with the arts. 

She took on the mammoth task of visiting villages countrywide to document the recipes that surviving elders remember from their childhood and ensure they are preserved for future generations in cookbooks. “Reviving our lost recipes is very important because it helps preserve our cultural heritage, our identity, who we are, and how we cook,” she said.  

This is why she appreciates Kravanh Restaurant in Phnom Penh, where many of the recipes came from home kitchens. “It offers a relaxed dining experience and serves traditional dishes, creating a nice blend of ambience and authentic flavors.” 

In 2017, she launched her business, Nak, with a focus on private high-end dining from a charming traditional wooden house on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Since then, Chef Nak has authored two cookbooks. Her latest debuted in May, Saoy: Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine is a four-year project drawn on the recipes of Princess Norodom Rasmi Sobhana from the 1950s and 1960s.  

Nak is also the inspiration behind the menu that reimagines royal Khmer cuisine at Rosewood Phnom Penh’s Brasserie Louis. And, she most recently opened Chef Nak Culinary Art Center in Phnom Penh. The dynamic hub hosts cooking classes, luxury home dining experiences, homestays, a dedicated studio for cooking shows, and a food and ingredient laboratory.  

“Rooted in history and rich in cross-cultural resonances, my approach is testament to the diverse narratives of my homeland,” Nak said. “I craft harmonious flavor profiles that evoke memories and offer a unique gourmet experience, elevating traditional Cambodian cuisine while staying true to its authentic roots.” 

Nak’s favorite spots: 

Phnom Penh 

Rosewood Phnom Penh
It’s the top choice for indulging in high-end Khmer dishes while enjoying a breathtaking city view. It stands out with its diverse menu, showcasing a commitment to the support and promotion of Khmer cuisine. rosewoodhotels.com 

Kravanh Restaurant
It offers a relaxed dining experience and serves a selection of traditional dishes, creating a nice blend of ambience and authentic flavors. kravanhrestaurant.com 

Central Market
Though not really a restaurant, it’s the go-to spot for the finest street food in town. People can relish delectable treats like grilled squid, steamed crabs, and fried rice noodles that capture the essence of local culinary delights.

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