The Academy

Jung-Yoon Choi is a chef, culinary researcher and cookbook writer with around three decades of experience across Spain, Australia and Korea. Trained at El Bulli and the Alicia Foundation, she now leads the Sempio Korean Fermentation & Culinary Research Center in Korea. She is also the founder of the NANRO Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting the emerging culinary next generation and fostering cross-cultural exchange through food culture. As co-author of The Korean Cookbook, Choi brings the depth and diversity of Korean cuisine to a global audience, combining professional experience with a deep interest in fermentation and research.

Takefumi Hamada is a Tokyo-based gastronomy expert who has travelled to 128 countries and regions, and has visited every restaurant on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list. He explores globally acclaimed destinations and hidden regional dining gems across Japan and abroad and regularly works with Japanese regional governments to promote gastronomy tourism. His book on gastronomy became a national bestseller in 2024, with editions in five languages, including English and Spanish. Hamada shares his dining insights through Instagram and appears regularly on Japanese television, radio, and in print and online media. 

Siddhaarth Jalan oversees the restaurant, nightlife and hotel sectors for The Times of India and manages the multi-city Times Food & Nightlife Awards, a major national awards programme for the hospitality industry. He previously worked in the apparel sector and founded his own start-up before joining one of India's leading experiential dining companies, Impresario. Jalan travels extensively across India, as well as internationally, and revels in discovering new restaurants and cuisines. His work across media, awards and hospitality gives him a broad view of India's fast-changing dining landscape.

Susan Jung is the food columnist for Vogue Hong Kong. For 25 years, she was the food and drinks editor for the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's main English-language daily newspaper, where she became a chronicler of the city's dining scene. She is the author of the international cookbook Kung Pao & Beyond: Fried Chicken Recipes from East and Southeast Asia, and also contributed to Signature Dishes That Matter. Her work draws on decades of restaurant criticism, recipe writing and knowledge of Hong Kong and wider Asian food culture. 

Based in Bangkok, Litti Kewkacha is a highly regarded gastronome. Born and raised in Thailand, he has also spent time living in Singapore and the UK. He oversees a range of leisure and hospitality businesses in the fast-casual and fast-food sectors under the Kacha Brothers umbrella, and his family founded and owns the Safari World and Phuket FantaSea theme parks. Kewkacha travels extensively and has visited almost every restaurant featured on The 50 Best Restaurants list (formerly The World's 50 Best Restaurants list), as well as numerous others. 

Based in Singapore, Nicola is a dedicated food and wine enthusiast and a writer for publications such as Tatler Asia and RadarList. Having studied hotel management, today she is a real estate developer by trade, while also contributing to Tatler’s Best Restaurant Guide for Singapore and various other country-wide food and wine awards. Nicola likes to track down rare Champagne bottles – her personal collection is second to none in Singapore – and has previously lectured in hospitality and tourism.

Crystyl Mo is a food writer, entrepreneur and coach who has been documenting China's restaurant scene for nearly two decades. The former food editor of Time Out Shanghai, Mo has contributed to publications including Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, Condé Nast Traveler and The New York Times T Style Magazine. She has also been a featured commentator on CNN, National Geographic, the BBC and CCTV. Her work spans journalism, media and entrepreneurship, giving her a long view of the evolution of dining in China. 

Yang Guang is a former architect who worked in the US and China but is now a full-time gourmet. Based in Beijing, Yang runs a successful cooking channel on social media, as well as visiting numerous restaurants for work and pleasure. He is an expert in Chinese and international cuisines Through extensive restaurant visits and online content, he follows culinary developments across mainland China and beyond, from regional traditions to contemporary fine dining.