{"id":88028,"date":"2026-09-26T11:57:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T03:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=88028"},"modified":"2026-09-26T11:57:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T03:57:03","slug":"singapore-chefs-barry-quek-and-keith-teo-at-whey-hong-kong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=88028","title":{"rendered":"Singapore chefs Barry Quek and Keith Teo at Whey Hong Kong"},"content":{"rendered":"


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While living in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic, Singaporean chef Barry Quek missed home so much that he found all sorts of ways to cook the food he loved.<\/p>\n

Up to that point, the Joel Robuchon and Les Amis alumnus had cut his teeth largely in fine-dining kitchens, including Melbourne\u2019s Attica and London\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

That stall became the springboard for Whey in 2021.<\/a> 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n