Kwen LIEW

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

" Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved eating, traveling and discovering other cultures," notes Kwen Liew. So it's hardly surprising that at the age of 18, this Malaysian flew off to Sydney, then Bangkok, to study at Cordon Bleu. After a short trip to Hong Kong and Taiwan to help friends open their restaurant, she flew to France to train at the École nationale supérieure de pâtisserie in Yssingeaux (Haute-Loire). Patisserie isn't my thing," she says, "but I thought I should learn the basics so that one day I can open my own restaurant.

In 2011, she landed an internship with chef Mickaël Féval at the Parisian restaurant Antoine. It was there that she met her future husband, Ryunosuke Naito, who was working as sous-chef at the time. A year later, she returned to Asia, this time to Singapore, to work at Saint-Julien as demi-chef de partie, then as chef. " It was difficult, but very formative. My chef taught me from A to Z how cooking works, his techniques and how to create a restaurant. "

In 2015, her career path was turned upside down by a call from Ryunosuke Naito, who offered her the chance to assist him at Bistrot Alexandre III, a barge in Paris. Two years later, the couple bought a former bistro and opened their own restaurant, Pertinence, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, where they offer witty, four-handed cuisine. Gault&Millau awarded them 3 toques in their first year.

I. B.

Biography & Awards

1987 Naissance à Kuala Lumpur (Malaisie)

2011 Stage chez Antoine, à Paris

2012 Demi-cheffe de partie, puis cheffe du Saint-Julien, à Singapour

2015 Seconde de Ryunosuke Naito au Bistrot Alexandre III, à Paris

2017 Ouverture de leur restaurant Pertinence, à Paris