Tatler Weekend Hong Kong: Gold House's Bing Chen, Prabal Gurung and Kevin Lin on changing the future of the Asian diaspora
Editor’s note
Dear Tatler Community, I’m excited to announce the launch of our latest venture, Tatler Weekend. This premium digital platform addresses our audiences’ evolving content choices and their desire to engage with Asia’s most compelling stories, people and communities.
Asia is full of fantastic narratives, brought to life by individuals and communities shaping the future of our region and making a positive impact on the world. Tatler Weekend will showcase thought-provoking and impactful interviews and features that highlight the innovative spirit and cultural richness of Asia. We will also bring you insights from global personalities whose contributions to culture and excellence inspire us all.
This initiative is more than just a digital platform; it’s a celebration of our region’s vibrant diversity and dynamic potential. Through rich, immersive content, we aim to connect with our community, offering stories that educate, entertain and inspire.
Tatler Weekend is published on our website and in newsletter every Saturday morning. We look forward to sharing these remarkable stories with you.
Michel Lamunière
Michel Lamunière
Chairman & CEO
Chef Mathew Leong of Norway’s three-Michelin-starred Re-naa eats stress for breakfast
As the Norway-based Singaporean chef celebrates a milestone year personally and professionally, he opens up about the toughest moments of his career and why failing is not an option
Mathew Leong turns 30 this December, but it’s not only this milestone that makes this year particularly significant.
At the start of the year, the Singaporean chef and 2024 Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow married his girlfriend of three years, Jolynn Chan. Chan also officially moved from Singapore to Stavanger, Norway, where Leong is based, with the couple’s monochrome coat husky, Frosty.
In May, Re-naa, the seafood-based restaurant in Stavanger where Leong has been executive chef since 2022, received its third Michelin star. This comes four years after the restaurant received its second star and eight years after it became the first establishment outside of Norway’s capital of Oslo to get a star.
Leong also announced that he will be part of a star-studded culinary team representing Singapore at Bocuse d’Or 2025 in Lyon, France next January. He first competed in the biennial championship—known as the “Olympics” for cooking—in 2021 at age 26, which made him Singapore’s youngest-ever representative.
“Turning thirty, for me, means a new year to push myself harder,” says Leong.
Read more: Haute Spots: Mathew Leong on his favourite things to do in Stavanger, Norway
Bing Chen, Prabal Gurung and Kevin Lin discuss how their non-profit Gold House is changing the future of the Asian diaspora
Tatler speaks to Bing Chen, Prabal Gurung and Kevin Lin to discuss how their non-profit Gold House is changing the future of the Asian diaspora
In the ever-evolving landscape of social and cultural institutions and initiatives, Gold House stands out as a beacon of advocacy and empowerment for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the US.
At the heart of this non-profit group are three visionaries: Bing Chen, the founder and president, who is known for spearheading the launch of YouTube’s multi-billion-dollar influencer ecosystem; his co-founder Kevin Lin, renowned co-founder of video live-streaming platform Twitch; and respected fashion designer Prabal Gurung, who serves as CEO.
The foundation was formed in 2018 with 500 successful A-list AAPI founding members, who each contributed US$ 25,000 worth of material assets— whether mentorship, donation or investment. By connecting executives across industries, financing new ventures and reshaping AAPI portrayals, the team aimed to promote positive depictions of AAPI people onscreen, in boardrooms and in the media; today, Gold House has become the first call for anything Asian in Hollywood because of their finger on the pulse of the community—either for their access or to ensure cultural authenticity.
Read more: Bing Chen stands against Asian hate
Their collective efforts have not only fostered a sense of unity within the AAPI community but also catalysed systemic change across industries from entertainment to tech. Through initiatives like the Gold House Gala—which broke the internet in May, when the community’s best and brightest convened to celebrate the 100 most impactful AAPI changemakers in culture and society over the past year—they continue to uplift and celebrate the contributions of Asians, ensuring that future generations are supported and recognised.
Malala Yousafzai debuts as producer with ‘The Last of the Sea Women’, a heartwarming homage to the incredible haenyeo, South Korea's female freedivers
‘The Last of the Sea Women’, a new documentary produced by Nobel laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai and directed by filmmaker Sue Kim, follows the close-knit community of haenyeo, the spirited freediving women of Jeju, as they confront challenges from ageing to environmental crises and face up to an uncertain future
Korean-American director Sue Kim was eight years old when she first came across the haenyeo, Jeju Island’s community of female divers who harvest shellfish from the ocean’s depths without the use of oxygen. Armed with wetsuit and weight belt, these hardworking women, who today are typically aged between 60 and 90 years old, freedive in search of the abalone and conch that cling to rocks and the sea cucumbers and urchins that hide beneath them, holding their breath for minutes at a time and reaching depths of up to 20 metres.
“I had always loved and kind of idolised the haenyeo since I first saw them,” Kim told Tatler Asia in an interview following the documentary's recent world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. “I was a little bit rebellious, and what I loved about the haenyeo is that they were so markedly different from that stereotype of the demure, quiet Asian woman. They were so bold, so confident. They were loud. They were vibrant. And they occupied their space in a way that was very unapologetic. They broke that stereotype for me, and they gave me a new version of Korean womanhood that I could try to aspire to.”
When Kim later returned to Jeju Island as a filmmaker, she discovered that the current generation of haenyeo could well be the last. “I wanted to make this film because I wanted some sort of documentation and memorialisation of who these incredible women were.”
The two faces of Nigel Ng: Who is the man behind the character?
Fondly known as “Uncle Roger”, the beloved internet sensation is a household name
“Uncle Roger is who I will become in 15 years when I am middle-aged, and then we won’t need this Nigel person anymore,” laughs Nigel Ng when I ask him what inspired the creation of the internet sensation with 4.5 million Instagram followers and an ongoing friendly feud with Gordon Ramsay. As much as I know Uncle Roger is a fictional persona, it still takes me by surprise to meet Ng without his exaggerated Chinese accent, who wears a grey wool shirt and carries himself with a relaxed demeanour.
Read more: Where to eat and drink in Shah Alam
“He’s the typical uncle and aunty you grew up around who has an opinion on everything, especially when it comes to food,” he continues, depicting the character. “They talk over everyone, are opinionated, annoying, and think they know everything—but are ultimately lovable and kind on the inside.”