WORLD GOURMET SUMMIT

THESE days it's not uncommon for chefs to borrow techniques and ingredients from other cultures. Even the most vociferous of French chefs are not above enhancing their dishes with, say, a squeeze of quintessential Japanese yuzu or even wasabi.

It wasn't always this way, though - up until around the 1970s and early 1980s chefs, particularly French and Japanese, were fiercely protective of their turf. But then came chefs like Kiyomi Mikuni who discovered how wonderful it would be if the two got along with each other and created a blissful gastronomic union between them.

Chef Mikuni, 54, was born to a fisherman father and a farmer mother in the small town of Mashike, best known for its sake, in the tourist hot spot of Hokkaido, Japan.

Weaned on the fresh catch of the sea and agricultural produce of temperate Hokkaido, young Mikuni knew from the age of 17 that a chef was what he wanted to be.

Following a short stint at a local cooking school, chef Mikuni headed West, seeking the tutelage of the French masters, notably the three-star Michelin chef and guru Alain Chapel.

While success as a classically trained French chef came swiftly to chef Mikuni - he was made head chef of the Japanese embassy in Geneva at age 20 - he has since become best known for his inventive fusion of his training and his heritage.

Since returning to Japan in 1985, chef Mikuni has attained cult status for his adaptation of Freddy Giradet's 'Cuisine Spontanee' - a spontaneous approach to cooking decided by the produce in season so as to ensure that quality is always at its peak.

It also suits his personal cooking style. 'I am very into this Cuisine Spontanee because in my day-to-day life, I am always curious to try new experiments,' he says in an email interview. 'I am convinced that Singaporeans would be very interested in this cuisine which blends different flavours upon strong cuisine techniques.'

Chef Mikuni will be flying to Singapore for the World Gourmet Summit 2008, and says that he is already looking forward to his stay here, describing Singapore cuisine as one possessing a 'strong character' owing to its spiciness.

During his stint at Tung Lok's Club Chinois restaurant, chef Mikuni will reprise some of the dishes that he serves in his Tokyo flagship restaurant in Shinjuku - mainly French cooking with a Japanese aesthetic and flavour.

Uniquely Mikuni will be presented at Club Chinois from April 21 to 26. Six-course lunch at $120 ++ per person. Eight-course dinner at $190 ++ per person. For reservations, call 834 0660