Singapore chefs Barry Quek and Keith Teo at Whey Hong Kong

Up to that point, the Joel Robuchon and Les Amis alumnus had cut his teeth largely in fine-dining kitchens, including Melbourne’s Attica and London’s Michelin-starred Portland and neighbourhood bistro Clipstone. In 2017, he moved from London to Hong Kong to work at the now-defunct contemporary European bistro Beet before opening Return of Lemak at food hall BaseHall, serving hawker fare such as nasi lemak, laksa and beef rendang.

That stall became the springboard for Whey in 2021. At the tasting menu-only fine-dining restaurant, Quek reinterprets Singaporean flavours through a modern European lens, using Southeast Asian ingredients. At the time, Hong Kong’s fine-dining scene still tended to draw a clearer line between Asian and Western cuisines. Bringing the two together harmoniously in dishes featuring ingredients such as asam paste, Mao Shan Wang durian and petai was a test of conviction and confidence.