At the recently concluded International Café Culture Carnival on the east bank of Dianchi Lake, David, renowned French chef David and celebrated Thai chef Nooror, brought a top-class Michelin mushroom feast against the backdrop of the setting sun over Xishan.

Centered around the theme of "mushrooms", the event featured dishes and decorations designed to highlight Yunnan's unique mushroom culture. 12 guests experienced the first double-star Michelin dinner in Kunming. They conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on the international gastronomic culture and city cooperation.  

Pavitwan, Consul General of the Royal Thai Consulate General in Kunming.

“Thai companies have a strong interest in investing in Yunnan,a region with significant potential,” stated Paweewan, Consul General of the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Thailand in Kunmin. She highlighted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Thai Consulate General in Kunming, and the following year will mark the 50th anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand. Both this year and next year, many celebrations will be held in the hope of promoting the two-way development of China-Thailand relations and continuing the strong momentum of cooperation between the two sides in the economic sector, the health industry, the hotel and catering industry, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges.

Qiu Wei, director of the Kunming Office of the National Tourism Authority of Thailand.

“Next year will be the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, and we will hold a series of activities throughout the year.” Qiu Wei, director of the Kunming Office of the National Tourism Administration of Thailand (NTAT), said that the mutual visa exemption has brought great convenience to the tourism industry and tourists of both countries and has made Thai tourists more willing to visit China, especially Kunming City in Yunnan Province. In the future, Chinese tourists will be invited to visit Thailand to explore its culinary delights, experience various experiential activities, purchase local specialties and discover the diversity of Thailand.

Nooror, founder and executive chef of Blue Elephant Restaurant Group.

Nooror, founder and executive chef of Blue Elephant Restaurant Group, is a big fan of Yunnan's delicious ingredients, especially its diverse wild mushrooms. “I hope to see a creative fusion of Thai and Yunnan ingredients.” This is Nooror's first visit to China, and she has brought Thai spices and sauces to blend with Yunnan's local ingredients for an exchange of Chinese and Thai culinary culture.

Kim Steppe, CEO of Blue Elephant Restaurant Group.

"We will visit China more often." Kim Steppe, CEO of Blue Elephant Restaurant Group, views China as a crucial market due to its rapid economic growth. In the future, Blue Elephant Restaurant Group plans to open restaurants in China and expand its marketing.

French celebrity chef David.

French celebrity chef David believes that combining local ingredients from Yunnan with French culture and culinary techniques is a brilliant idea. David emphasized, “French cuisine pays the most attention to the freshness and seasonality of ingredients. Yunnan has a vibrant variety of ingredients, which is fantastic. That is why I came up with the idea of combining local ingredients from Kunming to make French dishes, and this event is a great direction for spreading Yunnan's culinary culture.”

Binbin Xia, Managing Director of Centara Hotels China.

As the managing director for Centara Hotels China, the largest listed hotel group in Thailand, Binbin Xia expressed, “It is a great honour to help the Thai and French double-star chefs make a Michelin feast with local mushrooms in Kunming.” With China and Thailand entering the “visa-free era”, Yunnan's role as China’s gateway to the southwest becomes even more pronounced, and Centara Hotels China will consider investing in and managing more quality cultural and tourism projects in Yunnan. The first Centara Boutique Selection Hotel in Yunnan has landed in Dali, Yunnan and will be presented to the public in October this year.

Dong Chaoyu (right), Vice Chairman of Yunnan Catering and Gourmet Industry Association, and Shi Kanglin (left), Kunming Famous Chef Committee Chairman.

"Cuisine knows no boundaries. This time, the two chefs used their techniques, concepts, creativity and craftsmanship to showcase Yunnan's ingredients, bringing us a feast for the eyes and the palate.As someone who has been involved in the catering industry for more than 30 years, I am very glad to see this," said Dong Chaoyu, one of the “Ten Famous Chefs of China” Chinese Master Culinarians, “Blue Ribbon Medal” of the International Culinary Association of France, first-class judge of the national catering industry, and vice president of Yunnan Catering and Gourmet Industry Association. Yunnan is known as the “Kingdom of Wild Mushrooms,” and its rich biodiversity has given rise to various products. I hoped that more people would take the opportunity of the Coffee Carnival to promote the beauty of Yunnan's ecology.

"The dishes are exquisite, using many Yunnan speciality ingredients, which is a good exploration and attempt, and a good culinary culture exchange between China, France and Thailand,“ added Shi Kanglin, Chinese Registered Culinary Master, Registered Dian Cuisine Culinary Master, Chinese Registered Referee and Chairman of Kunming Famous Chef Committee. He also hoped that through this exchange with the Michelin chef, the finest offerings of Yunnan could be showcased internationally.  

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(Editors: Reena, Rachel)