Every plate has a story behind it — the farmer who woke up at 4 AM to harvest vegetables, the chef who stayed up late to perfect his recipe, or the photographer that quit their day job to take beautiful food photos. These are the stories that inspire us and the ones we feel go unheard. We’ve created The Art of Plating Rising Talent list to celebrate these stories and the diverse class of exceptional, passionate, and game changing figures in the culinary ecosystem.

Situated at the 70th floor of Swissotel The Stamford is Jaan by Kirk Westaway, a 1 Michelin starred restaurant with sweeping views of Singapore’s iconic skyline. English born Kirk Westaway has made it his mission to change the perception of British cuisine through seasonal, fresh, and playful takes on dishes that are nods to his childhood memories.

Born into a family of 4th generation French farmers, Julien Royer is the 2 Michelin starred chef at Asia’s #1 Best Restaurant Odette in Singapore. Odette is named after Julien’s grandmother who helped shape him into the chef he is today and showed him how the most remarkable dishes can come from the simplest ingredients. This is an ode to Odette.

For 25 years, Chef Wolfgang Puck has been catering the Oscars aka Hollywood’s biggest night. This year, thanks to Valrhona (whose chocolate is exclusively used for the special evening), we got the chance to follow Pastry Chef Garry Larduinat of Wolfgang Puck Catering and his team to see all the things they did to prepare for the Governor’s Ball amidst the madness.