Staying Hungry

Acclaimed chef Ivan Brehm’s new multi-concept space, Appetite, takes his conviction to celebrating multiculturalism to new heights

Understand the inspiration behind chef Ivan Brehm’s new multi-concept space launching this month

The cuisine that has made Michelin-starred restaurant Nouri one of the hottest dining destinations in the region speaks to its chef-owner Ivan Brehm’s passion for exploring the global ties that bind; crossing cultures, taste and experiences. It also goes a long way in helping to understand the inspiration for his latest project, a multi-concept space dubbed Appetite and located above his restaurant that aims to offer guests a unique appreciation of various art forms.

Launching this month, it shares more than just the name of Nouri’s research and development arm, merging its test kitchen with a vinyl record bar, an art gallery and an events space. It is, after all, the team’s belief that cooking is only a part of a larger system of interrelated theories, ranging from critical culture to contemporary arts, Brehm tells us.

“Cultural manifestation carries in itself the expression of the human spirit, its plight, its search for joy, its history,” muses the Singapore-based Brazilian gastro geek in an attempt to explain the motivation behind this daring amalgamation. He and his team had thus decided that Appetite would be a space that celebrated “the creative essence—the content that empowered the great music, art and food we have seen develop over time”.

He proposes that everything that inhabits our space leads back to people, as ultimately, the concept is about having fun celebrating amazing food, music and art without fear of their differences.

“I spent my foundational years in crazy cities like Sao Paulo, New York and London,” Brehm expounds, detailing how his training as a chef had as much to do with his time in the kitchen [at The Fat Duck, Per Se and Mugaritz, to name a few] as it did going to jazz clubs, modern art museums and public talks. “I wanted to bring that same energy to the city that I’ve grown to love and now call home,” he shares.