Kwen Liew

Malaysian chef of classic French cuisine in Paris

Biography

Kwen Liew is a Malaysian chef who has built her career in Paris, cooking classic French cuisine. She is best known for becoming the first Malaysian woman to win a Michelin star, a distinction she earned in 2018, a year in which only two of the 57 chefs honoured by the guide were women.

Born in Kuala Lumpur and raised in Malaysia, she trained in cuisine courses at Le Cordon Bleu in Australia and Thailand, then specialised in French pastry at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie in France. Her first professional post was as an intern chef at Antoine in Paris. She later worked as a chef at Le Saint Julien in Singapore and cooked in top restaurants across Australia, Thailand, Singapore and France.

In March 2017 she opened Pertinence in Paris with her partner, the Japanese chef Ryunosuke Naito. The restaurant pairs a classic French repertoire with Japanese technique. Liew co-owns the venue with her husband, and her career is often cited as an example of Asian chefs gaining recognition in European fine dining.

Key contributions

• First Malaysian woman to win a Michelin star (2018)
• Pertinence restaurant, Paris (2017), combining Japanese technique with classic French cuisine
• French pastry training at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie
• A career across kitchens in Australia, Thailand, Singapore and France, linking Asian and European culinary traditions