I had a very diversified culinary experience during my stay in Paris. Chef William has many interesting twists in his cuisine such as using Asian spices to influence contemporary French cuisines. I picked up 2 unique recipes and food techniques that I look forward to trying in my kitchen!

This visit has given me a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience how the team incorporate modern technology, hygiene requirement, and social responsibility without losing their classic ‘Grand Dame’ touch within the local community. This has inspired me to be able to make good suggestions for the Hospitality industry in Singapore to promote social responsibility for the environment.

This trip provided me a platform to share many great experiences and ideas. I also met various chefs who shared their great philosophies with me which I will hold dearly. I have learned so much about the Korean culture – the people, the food and of course, Kimchi.

The Japanese culture itself was an eye-opener for me where everyone cohesively worked together within the restaurant. When it was the peak hours, there was no divisional line between the kitchen and service staff, everyone helped one another to provide the best service for the customers.

I managed to experience Italian culture which was very eye-opening. I believe Chefs play a vital role in educating consumers on the other varieties of ingredients that can be used to replace certain ingredients. Therefore, in my kitchen, I will try my best to source and use only sustainable produce as it will be less harmful to the Earth in the long run.

The trip to Paris has awarded me the opportunity to dine, meet the chefs and visit the kitchens of Restaurant Guy Savoy, Pierre Gagnaire, and the many pastry shops around Paris. It was a fruitful and an eye opening trip, I was able to gather many new ideas and experiences to bring back to Tarte and Les Amis Restaurant.

I witnessed a very fast-paced F&B environment similar to the one in Singapore where Hong Kong-ers expect as well as demand the same level of efficiency and quality service.  Visiting Lee Kum Kee’s production base was enlightening as I got to understand the workings behind Lee Kum Kee’s renowned sauces.

Every service associate demonstrated exceptional passion and commitment to ensure service excellence. Each service is personalised and the Chefs take pride in ensuring that everything is presented and served to perfection. I am most intrigued with the implementation of the Gueridon service which helped to promote communication between guests and associates thus creating a positive impact on the overall dining experience. All in all, my learning experience is very enriching as I saw how creativity is infused in tradition with style.

My time in Alinea was definitely worthwhile as I witnessed one of the most surgical techniques used in the kitchen - the making of the sugar balloon. It is a ground breaking achievement which will be remembered in the culinary industry until the end of time. At Alinea, you can also find various kind of modern equipment, which allows you to achieve textures and results otherwise impossible.

The biggest takeaways for me was to see the power of branding and marketing collectively launch themselves from the brink of extinction after World War II, to one of the most successful regions and products that is spoken on the lips of every wine lover all over the world.

Chef Hugo practised excellent quality and food control where he removed all food colouring and replaced with natural colourings from dehydrated fruits and vegetables. There is a high level of productivity in Hugo & Victor as the chefs are trained to use hi-tech machines which highly supports the production. I would highly recommend our young pastry chefs to be attached to the lab kitchen if the opportunity presents.

When I was greeted by Chef Paul Pairet and Executive Chef Greg Robinson, I was a little star struck. I felt so honoured to be in the presence of someone so passionate and dedicated, a humble man with such a precise vision.

I felt that the focus was on taking traditional Thai cuisine and presenting it in a more visual and appealing manner. Furthermore, there needs to be ample training for service staff in order to increase their product knowledge. These are my most valuable takeaways which I would be sure to implement in my restaurant in the future.

I learned substantial knowledge from the various Chefs in the Shanghai Culinary scene. I am very grateful that the Chefs were willing to teach me very important techniques to prepare certain techniques that can help me achieve the right consistency and flavours especially for Chinese cuisines.

Knowing Sergio's kitchen is the toughest in Europe didn't stop me from going there. Honestly, I really did enjoy the challenge of enduring all the pain from every part of my body – from backaches, strained calves, heel pains, stick shoulders & neck, to burned fingers! The saying goes, "No pain, no gain" right? The Jane is rated as one of Europe's toughest kitchen, "Are you in for the challenge? ".

Working with Chef Régis and Jacques Marcon at Saint Bonnet Le Froid is the best possible training for anyone wanting to enter the industry could get. Chef Régis and Jacques treat every employee as an individual, making sure that every member of staff moves in the right direction and gets a chance to prove themselves.

My take-away from it all is the positive attitude and ethics held by the chefs when in the kitchen, which translates into exquisite dishes being served to diners. I can also learn from them how Peninsula Hong Kong manages to retain their staff as they have one of the lowest turnover rates in any hotel in Hong Kong.

After this experience at Husk Restaurant, I’ve been able to train my cooks on different butchery techniques as every country has their own cuts and I’m better able to tell our suppliers what exactly we are looking for. We are currently in the process of building a pit smoker, and we are trying to import our own produce so we can control the final plated dish, from start to finish.

The passion and zealousness of the chefs and interns in the kitchen have given me great courage and inspiration in our line of work. The key to their success was the continuous work put in to creating new dishes, thinking of new approaches and facing new challenges, together as a team, for the betterment of the restaurant.

My experience of Sydney’s culinary scene is that of a cosmopolitan nature, with Australian cuisine that’s peppered with global influences. There’s evidence of British traditions persisting to some degree within domestic cooking and the take-away food sector, as popular dishes like Australian meat pie and fish n’ chips are still a staple.

The overall experience was really meaningful and engaging, spurring me to have a word with my superiors so that I can suggest to them some of the implementations that we might be able to apply to our own establishment.

As I embarked on this trip, I had no initial concerns, rather I was more excited to have this observation visit. My intentions were to look at best practises and productivity initiatives in an integrated resort like ours; celebrity chef restaurants, meeting and convention spaces, hotel rooms, retail spaces, theatre and casino. It was great to have the opportunity to work with Mickael Friberg( Director Catering), Oliver Von Brunn(GM, Restaurants) and Matthew Christie(GM, Casino Table Games), all of whom are experienced and knowledgeable with both the front and back of the hotel.

After this educational trip, I am now more familiar with the names and styles of each Italian grape varietal and what they are used for. Some of the wine legislations were explained clearer when I met the wine makers in person, widening my knowledge of Italian wines and helping me provide better recommendations to the restaurant diners as well as improve my performance and duty as a sommelier.