International celebrity chef André Chiang has announced his retirement and closure of Raw. The restaurant, in Zhongshan District’s Dazhi area, will cease operations on December 31. But it won’t all go to dust as Raw is set to transform into an international culinary centre. It will focus on education and training with hopes to “perhaps even revolutionise the industry” by producing troops of chefs capable of running Michelin-starred restaurants every year.
Chiang notes that the “Raw team has great plasticity and execution capabilities, and can do a lot.” Hence, he does not discount the idea of future restaurant pop-ups.
Raw will continue to operate at its original location as a culinary academy (Photo: Raw)
The possibilities are endless, as the school is only part of the plan. However, there are no hard dates as to when the school will be ready and open. Soon, Raw will begin serving its final menu, themed “The Last Dance”, from August 16 to December 31 where “it will be a personal love letter dedicated to everyone passionate about cooking and gastronomy.” Keen on making a reservation? Bookings will open on August 1 via Raw’s website.
Most recently, when Chiang led the Raw team to Raffles Singapore to build a two-week limited dining residency, he took over the defunct space of Michelin-starred La Dame de Pic. He presented a menu filled with signatures inspired by his favourite memories from both Restaurant André and Raw which in retrospect, implied a prelude to his farewell to Taiwan and the world.
In case you missed it: Meet Jimmy Lim, the chef-owner of three-Michelin-starred JL Studio in Taichung, Taiwan
Opened in 2014, Raw has committed to combining local Taiwanese ingredients with modern cooking techniques to create a unique gourmet experience (Photo: Raw)
For Chiang’s fervent fans in Singapore, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, as Chiang recently announced his upcoming plan to open Bon Broth in Singapore’s Raffles City. Officially debuting in Q4 this year, this partnership with local restaurant group Surrey Hills Holdings will be the first in the world to debut this very concept: a modern hotpot concept fusing the idea of French bone broth and Chinese double-boiled soup. He adds, “Bon Broth is a new take on our Asian dining culture and a new balanced and healthy lifestyle.” For now, we wait.
NOW READ
André Chiang is the new culinary curator of Belmond’s Eastern & Oriental Express
Sinasera 24’s Nick Yang shares his 5 favourite places to eat and drink in Tainan, Taiwan
Singaporean chef Jimmy Lim shares his 5 favourite places to eat in Taichung, Taiwan