Every pick is signed.

ex-Head Sommelier, Amber (2 Michelin, Hong Kong)

Fifteen years on the floor of two- and three-star rooms across Hong Kong and Tokyo. Left the cellar to build a private wine-pairing practice for family offices across Southeast Asia. Visits anonymously, pays every bill.

former Regional Director, Michelin Guide Asia

Spent a decade inside the inspection machine before walking away over what she calls 'the tyranny of the tyre map'. Believes a great meal is a matter of intention, not consistency.

chef-owner, two-Michelin kaiseki (Kyoto), retired

Ran a counter of eight seats for twenty-two years. Now eats his way through Southeast Asia six months a year, looking for cooks who understand restraint.

General Manager, a Leading Hotels of the World property (Singapore)

Runs the kind of hotel where guests ask her, not the concierge, where to eat. Her little black book is the reason this platform exists.

food historian & fixer; consults for Netflix and NHK food docs

Knows which grandmother in which alley is quietly cooking the best thing in the city. Champions luxury that has nothing to do with white tablecloths.

ex-Buyer, three-Michelin group (Paris); now based in Bali

Sourced produce for some of France's most demanding kitchens. Moved to Ubud for the ferment culture and never left.