A Champion For Uniquely Singaporean Flavours

Singapore-born chef Barry Quek talks to epicure about his passion for local Singaporean flavours and how he flawlessly incorporates them into his mod-European Asian menu at Whey, his new restaurant in Hong Kong.

- Priyanka Elhence

The recently opened Whey on the upper ground floor of Hong Kong’s The Wellington in Central is the newest address for Singaporean chef Barry Quek. Here, he introduces diners to modern European cuisine reimagined with Asian nuances and Singaporean influences.

Quek has trained in some of the world’s most renowned restaurants including Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon and Les Amis in Singapore, In De Wulf in Belgium and Attica in Melbourne. He moved to London in 2015 to work as a sous chef at Portland and helped to open their sister restaurant, Clipstone. Quek then headed back to Hong Kong to open mod-European Beet, which shuttered last year.

A new perspective

Whey is now Quek’s latest venture, and the talented chef is now on a mission to seamlessly bring together his international experience and Singaporean flavours of his childhood and upbringing. Diners can look forward to popular Lion City flavours such as bak kut teh, laksa and even durian on the young chef’s latest menu.

Whey embodies Quek’s cooking style where he elevates his dishes by using high-quality local ingredients and produce, and applying fermenting and pickling techniques he learnt overseas. With the belief that sustainability comes in small steps, Whey is committed to supporting local farms and businesses, a common thread throughout his career. As always, diners can expect a menu built around sustainable sourcing and minimising food waste by harnessing the entirety of ingredients.

Interestingly, the restaurant’s name Whey also resonates with the motif of utilising every ingredient to its maximum potential. A byproduct of the cheese-making process that is often discarded, Quek transforms the usually dull whey into an essential seasoning that would otherwise be regarded as just waste.