Wacs – Congress 2012
kEynotE spEakErs conFirMEd to datE
CHeF saM LEong
CHeF johann LaFEr
CHeF osaMa EL-sayEd
CHeF rick MoonEn
sIngAPore
AusTrIA
egYPT
usA
Sam Leong is no stranger to the media as 26 years of culinary expertise and innovation has honed him to be Singapore’s very own celebrity chef. A trend-setter in modern Chinese Cuisine, Sam has represented Singapore at some of the world’s prestigious culinary events, including the annual James Beard Foundation Awards (1999); Master of Food & Wine, Australia (2002); Annual St Moritz Gourmet Festival, Switzerland (2002); and the Flavours of Asia event at Napa Valley, California (2004). His list of accolades includes being named Best Asian Ethnic Chef of the Year at World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence in 2001, 2002 and 2004 and Executive Chef of the Year and Chef of the Year in 2005. He was also named Chef of the Year at the Hospitality Asia Platinum Award (HAPA) in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, Chef Leong was awarded the Five Star Diamond Award and was recognised as one of the finest chefs worldwide in the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences.
Johann Lafer is an Austrian culinary icon committed to “aligning the culinary arts to the natural lifestyle of people”. As a celebrity chef and respected culinary instructor, Johann believes in the best ingredients being passion and love and attributes his success to providing top quality, perfect service and having an eye for detail. As a mark of his success, Johann was named Culinary Ambassador to Styria in 2004 and ambassador of Rhineland-Palatinate for the FIFA Football World Cup in 2006.He opened two cookery schools in 2008 and 2009 and also o launched Studio Guldental, a production studio combining kitchen technology and state-ofthe-art design.
Chef Osama El-Sayed, C.E.C. can take his audience through a world of culinary delights in several easy steps. With an audience of over a million viewers and on several continents, it is no wonder that Chef Osama has learned how to take complex cooking techniques and recipes and simplify them for basic home cooks. He has also orchestrated banquet presentations for President William Clinton and for Vice President Al Gore. Since his arrival in the United States, Chef Osama has built up a solid reputation as a first-class chef capable of meeting strict demands and deadlines while producing exquisite food. His first cookbook, Bil Hanna Wa Shiffa, was published in 2001 and has been reprinted and is currently in its seventh edition. In 2007, he published his second cookbook, Maa Osama… Atyab, which is in its second edition.
Chef Rick Moonen has devoted his career to being the country’s top culinary advocate for sustainable seafood. He runs the multi-level restaurant Rick Moonen’s rm seafood at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. In 2008, Moonen accomplished a lifelong dream with the publication of his cookbook Fish Without a Doubt. In 2009 he made a memorable appearance as a contestant on Bravo’s hit TV series Top Chef Masters. Moonen can often be found throughout the country educating about ocean conservation and the dangers of over fishing. As an industry leader, he has testified for environmental and sustainability policy issues in Washington, DC and New York. He is a founding member of the Seafood Choices Alliances, as well as an active member of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch and Seaweb. Moonen was also honored at the International Chefs Conference with The Community Award presented by StarChefs.com.
16 World Association of Chefs societies