1. Akmal Anuar

Company: White Rice
Designation: Founder & Chef-Proprietor
Nationality: Singaporean
Headquarters: U.A.E.

Anuar joined Iggy's Restaurant in Singapore in 2005 and worked with world-class chefs, including Dan Hunter, Andoni Luis Aduriz, and Yasuhiro Sasajima. He moved to Dubai in 2014, where he joined the Starwood Group and headed Le Royal Meridien's Zengo project, collaborating with Richard Sandoval Hospitality. In late 2016, he founded 3Fils in Dubai’s Jumeirah Fishing Harbour. In 2020, he founded White Rice Consultancy. The following year, Anuar opened Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori. His concepts with White Rice include the Japanese restaurant OTORO, Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori, CHIE, SAM TARTS, and Funkcoolio. Anuar is also the mastermind behind Michelin-starred 11Woodfire concept along with his wife.