Q: You wear many hats, including your role in supporting organisations. Given your unique perspective, how do you envision the Singaporean restaurant scene evolving and adapting in the next few years? Will it see a rise in specific cuisines, dining experiences, or sustainability practices?
I think the scene is going through some stress right now because of the cost-of-living crisis and inflation so restaurants are having to be more innovative and to be more agile and lean to survive. I think in the years ahead this will stand the industry in good stead. It will be leaner, fitter and better able to compete.
Q: Unlisted Collection boasts Michelin-starred restaurants. Can you share some of your biggest challenges in building this collection? What key attributes do you believe are essential for overcoming such hurdles and maintaining such a prestigious lineup?
It’s really all about the talent. There are so many variables that make a great restaurant but getting the right talent is the one thing you can’t compromise on. We invest so much into our people because hospitality is nothing without its people. I think especially at the very leading edge of the industry, where the restaurants fight for Michelin stars, the only competitive advantage you can have is to have the best talent possible and to keep that talent motivated.
Q: Technology and AI are rapidly transforming various industries. How do you foresee these advancements impacting the culinary world and specifically fine dining in Singapore? What are some critical technology trends you believe will shape restaurants in the coming years?
I do see it having an effect on consumer behaviour. The recommendations and the reviews, finding the right target customer or the right restaurant for you, all these things will change dramatically with the onset of AI driven booking engines. I think its already happening. Automation is also a big movement in the kitchen right now and I think it will really push the envelope on productivity in the coming years. This has the potential to push talent into areas where it can have the largest impact, which is the creativity part of the business. The more mundane things, I think a lot of that will become automated in the next few years. It will really be quite revolutionary I think.
Q: Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) is a major industry event. Can you elaborate on how you see FHA contributing to the growth and development of the Singaporean food and hospitality sector? In what ways does it facilitate collaboration and innovation within the industry?
FHA is the leading industry event for the whole of Asia. Its where the industry come to network and also to see what the rest of the industry is doing and what advancements are available. This means that Singapore has a front row seat to these developments and our industry is renowned for how quickly it adopts new ideas and new technology. Having FHA here is a real catalyst and enabler for this.
