Asian Masters raises $270,000 for charity

The annual Asian Masters Charity Dinner raised over $270,000 for the Community Chest at a gala event last Thursday.

About 270 people attended the canape reception and five-course wine-pairing charity dinner that was held at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore.

The money raised will go towards the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore's (Minds) Idea-Employment Development Centre, and Singapore Association of Mental Health's Oasis Day Centre and Eden Centre for Adults, all of which fall under the Community Chest's fund-raising umbrella. The charity dinner is into its second edition and is part of the Asian Masters, a month-long festival that celebrates Asian cuisine, culture and lifestyle. It is organised by Singapore Press Holdings subsidiary Sphere Exhibits and event partner Poulose Associates, a hospitality consultancy, and is presented by OCBC Bank.

Ms Elaine Chia, general manager of Sphere Exhibits, said: "We are heartened to see the generosity of our guests in helping to make a positive impact to the lives of the beneficiaries, and deeply appreciate their great support."

Behind the meal were six head chefs from various restaurants under home-grown restaurant and hotel group Unlisted Collection. They include chef Sebastian Ng of European restaurant Ember at Hotel 1929 in Keong Saik Road and chef Lee Westcott of tapas bar 22 Ships in Hong Kong.

A team of young cooks, beneficiaries of the Minds Idea-Employment Development Centre, also helped chef Westcott with the preparation of canapes for the pre-dinner reception.

At the dinner, the annual Asian Masters Icon Award, which recognises and pays tribute to people who have contributed significantly to the food and beverage industry and changed the dining landscape of Singapore, was presented to Mr Loh Lik Peng. He is the founder and force behind the Unlisted Collection. Past recipients include Mr Desmond Lim, Les Amis Group's chairman, and Mr Andrew Tjioe, executive chairman of the TungLok Group.

Aside from the restaurants mentioned earlier, Mr Loh's group also runs hip and trendy eateries here such as tapas bar Esquina in Jiak Chuan Road, Burnt Ends in Teck Lim Road and two-week-old yakitori restaurant Bincho in Tiong Bahru. He is also behind boutique hotels such as New Majestic Hotel in Bukit Pasoh and Wanderlust in Little India, and their in-house restaurants.

On receiving the award, Mr Loh, 41, said he is "very, very humbled". He added with a laugh: "I think it is definitely way too early in life to have any award with 'icon' attached to it."

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