THE ‘WE’ BEHIND KITA
We are well-fed old friends hoping to create a new narrative around food and its production in Southeast Asia. Together we have more than 100 years of experience with food, festivals, farming, media and business up our sleeves.
Malaysian-born chef Darren Teoh is the head chef of one-Michelin star Dewakan in Kuala Lumpur. Drawing from his storied Chinese-Indian family heritage, he is in the vanguard of a new culinary identity emerging in Malaysia; that which explores gastronomic provenance and culture through the country’s finest and freshest ingredients. Through his cooking, Darren hopes to inspire consciousness and reshape the future of Malaysian food. He has represented Malaysian cuisine in dozens of international food forums, festivals and events; in 2019 Dewakan was the first ever Malaysian restaurant to win a place on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Darren Teoh, Founder/Director
Australian-born Leisa Tyler has been an Asian-based food and travel journalist since 1998, writing for publications such as TIME Magazine and National Geographic. Leisa sat on the board of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants for ten years and launched Asia’s 50 Best, directing the event’s symposium and masterclass programme. She has organised, curated, and run multiple food events, including the {Re} Food Forum on food waste and environmentalism in Bangkok. Leisa also co-owns Weeds&More, which grows heirloom vegetables and edible flowers in Malaysia’s highlands for restaurants and hotels in Singapore and Malaysia.
Leisa Tyler, Founder/Managing Director
Malaysian-born Adrian Yap wears many hats. As the founder of event and brand marketing company Freeform, he runs Malaysia’s longest-running creative arts festival, Urbanscapes, and Tiffin Culinary, a platform for multi-layered dining experiences inspired by the world’s love affair with food. Under the Tiffin Culinary brand, Freeform organises and manages a food hall (Tiffin Food Court) and F&B-centric pop-up events. Additionally, Tiffin Culinary offers culinary consultancy services to brands wanting to tap into the growing trend of culinary-focused activations to engage their target markets.
