For the first time since 2016, another Filipino chef has been named Asia’s Best Female Chef of the year. Johanne Siy of Lolla, Singapore, was announced the winner of the coveted award from Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy. Siy is also the first Singapore-based chef to earn the title, making Siy’s victory a win for Singapore as well.
Who is Johanne Siy?
Siy was born in Dagupan, Philippines, and started her culinary training under chefs Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin and Daniel Boulud of Café Boulud, and at Restaurant André in Singapore. After a few years spent perfecting her craft in Nordic kitchens—namely Nova and Relae in Copenhagen and FÃviken in Sweden—Siy found her way to Lolla in Singapore, where she’s been at the helm of the kitchen ever since. Under her leadership, Lolla earned its No. 75 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list of 2022.
“This is great validation for the hard work my team and I do to better our craft. I am grateful for this platform that enables me to inspire young chefs. I want to shine a spotlight on the remarkable women in our industry, in the hopes that we can thrive by leveraging the symbiosis that a truly egalitarian workforce brings,” Siy said in a statement.
In 2022, Asia’s Best lauded Lolla and complimented chef Siy’s CV for reading “like a roll call of the world’s finest restaurants—Noma, FÃviken, Restaurant André—so it’s unsurprising her menus have a global feel.” Known for its Asian-inspired modern European cuisine, Lolla regularly requires advanced bookings given its popularity in Singapore. Some of its dishes even have some Filipino flare, courtesy of Siy, such as the crab relleno, aligue sauce, and kaffir lime.
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“Johanne’s understanding of the provenance of ingredients and her flair for presenting cuisine that is produce-driven, alongside mindful inclusions of the culinary traditions she grew up with, make her a worthy recipient of this award,” said William Drew, director of content for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
The awarding ceremony
The academy is weeks away from holding the awarding ceremony of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, the most prestigious F&B event in the region. Siy will be honored at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants event to be held on March 28, 2023, in Singapore in collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board.
Siy is the second Filipino to win the title of Asia’s Best Female Chef. Margarita Fores was honored with the award in 2016.
This story originally appeared on Esquiremag.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Yummy.ph editors.
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