Inside chef Barry Quek’s culinary vision for Whey in Hong Kong: the contemporary European fine dining restaurant with Singaporean influences earned its first Michelin star in 2022

Jan 2 , 2023

Meet Singaporean chef Barry Quek, the mastermind behind Michelin-starred restaurant Whey. Photos: Nicholas Wong Sixteen Photography

Quek cut his teeth at Singaporean outposts of French restaurants Joël Robuchon and Les Amis before opening Beet and the hawker-style Return of Lemak at Basehall in Hong Kong

Then came Whey in May 2021, which serves surprising dishes like durian ice cream with caviar – and champions sustainability through using local and seasonal produce too

“I’ve always had a passion and curiosity for food,” says Barry Quek, head chef at Whey in Hong Kong, a contemporary European fine dining restaurant infused with proudly Singaporean influences.

Born and raised in the Lion City, Quek cut his teeth at some of the world’s most notable fine dining restaurants, spending time at Singapore outposts of French banner names Joël Robuchon and Les Amis. In the years since, Quek earned a legion of loyal fans across Hong Kong with Beet, a deceptively simple contemporary European menu that delighted diners, before it closed its doors in 2020.

His next venture was a left-turn, the hawker-style Return of Lemak at Basehall, a basement food court in Jardine House, serving street food classics including beef rendang and laksa.

Whey marks the first time Quek has championed Singaporean flavours in the fine dining space. Open on Central’s Wellington Street since May 2021, it quickly earned the chef his first Michelin star.

Kinmedai fish with sunchoke, 35-year-old Shaoxing wine.

Quek’s preparation for running a fine dining kitchen comes from a surprising source – the military. He has drawn parallels between his national service experience and time spent in top-notch restaurants, describing the requisite shared traits as “discipline, strictness and precision”.

As for inspiration, Quek says it takes many forms: “From food that I grew up with, to the trips in different countries learning my craft, to seasonal flavours,” he explains.

“I have learned a great deal about local and sustainable farming and cooking techniques across my culinary journey,” he adds, going on to cite travels across Asia, Europe and Australia. Japan and the UK in particular have captured the chef’s heart and imagination. “They are so seasonal, and countries with top-notch produce: they fixate on one ingredient and focus on how to make it shine,” he says.

Kagoshima A3 Wagyu beef with petai miso and tamarind.

At Whey, Quek infuses classic European cooking techniques with quintessential Singaporean flavours. This often brings surprising results: “I like to work with uncommon combinations that introduce the beauty of some unique Singaporean flavours through contemporary European cooking techniques, making it more acceptable to the general audience,” he says.