The news instantly garnered worldwide attention because prior to that, it’s very uncommon for Michelin to award a star to hawker stalls.
Fast forward to 2018, it seems like another Ipoh-born Malaysian has been awarded a Michelin Star but this time, this chef made history as she became the first ever Malaysian female to receive the prestigious accolade.
The Star reported that the star was awarded to the Pertinence Restaurant in Paris, which is co-owned by Kwen Liew and her Japanese husband Ryunosuke Naito.
The award was part of the 2018 Michelin Guide France.
On the guide’s website, it stated that "just seven months after opening their restaurant, Japanese Ryunosuke Naito (who trained at some of the most prestigious restaurants in Paris – including Taillevent and Le Meurice) and Malaysian Kwen Liew were awarded a Michelin Star for their interpretations of French cuisine.”
Liew also became one of only two female chefs to receive the recognition this year.
Pertinence Restaurant opened its doors in March 2017 and only serves 18 guests at one time. Wow, it must be very exclusive!
Congratulations! We know many Malaysians would love to get a taste of your Micheline-star dishes.
Maybe come back to Malaysia and open a pop-up restaurant, pretty please?