Eating With Korean Celebrity Chef Ed!

Yesterday, Life Inspired and Maybank launched a brand new television series featuring a Korean celebrity chef who packs up his charm and culinary skill in a single backpack for a trip of a lifetime around Asia.

But first things first, who is this Korean celebrity chef, Chef Edward Kwon?

Oh, he is only the former hotel head chef of the Burj al-Arab Hotel in Dubai (the world’s only seven star hotel). And singer Barbra Streisand once offered him a job as her personal chef, while former US president George W Bush went into the kitchen to personally shake his hand. Previously, he has also cooked for the likes of Madonna, Pierce Brosnan, Maria Sharapova, George Clooney, and Tiger Woods. Phew!

What? You didn’t think that chefs like him would travel the world to savour delicacies and culinary delights like one of ’em foodies too? They ain’t chefs for nothing.

The 13-episode series is a result of a partnership with Maybank as the presenting sponsor and in collaboration with Star Publications. Aptly titled, “EdVentures In Asia“, the series began airing a week ago on the 27th of May 2012 and will continue to air every Sunday at 9pm (MY/HK) for almost three months.

“EdVentures In Asia” follows Chef Edward Kwon as he embarks on a gastronomic adventures across Asia (namely the Philippines, Singapore, Jeonju in Korea, Nha Trang in Vietnam, Osaka in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Ulan Bator in Mongolia, Beijing in China, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Bangkok in Thailand, Jakarta in Indonesia, and Delhi in India) for one purpose: to globalize Korean cuisine by creating new dishes consisting of local fare infused with Korean elements.

He will visit chefs from around the continent and experience the myriad of tastes that they offer. This means getting down and dirty, and hands dirty.

From making stock out of a lamb’s had with Mongolian nomads to catching mud crabs with his bare hands in Manila, he will hit locales from the well-known to those off the beaten path and points in between. The adventurous chef will then use what he’s seen and learnt to experiment with age-old recipes.

In an exclusive media luncheon held at The Hilton Kuala Lumpur to mark Chef Kwon’s visit to Malaysia, we witnessed him demonstrating Galbi Jim, a unique dish featured in the programme that consists of soy braised Wagyu short rib, pomme puree, apply chili salad, and root vegetables.

We were also, of course, treated to an absolutely delicious lunch, which served up only the best creations from Chef Edward Kwon himself. Yes, yummy Korean-infused and Korean-inspired dishes. Think foei gras with Korean bean paste, soy braised Wagyu short rib, and (the super heavenly) bokbunja sorbet.

You know it!

For more pictures from the event, click!

At the launch, Anne Chan (General Manager of Life Inspired) said, “EdVentures in Asia is a charming show featuring Chef Edward Kwon, a unique personality with a strong passion for making good Korean food accessible to everyone. Chef Kwon’s previous programmes such as Edward’s Live Kitchen and Yes, Chef! enjoyed high ratings on our channel and I’m confident that Chef Kwon will continue to connect well with our discerning viewers.”