Last month, Casa Cucina head chef Anthony Cheung linked up with Plumcot’s chefs Camille Moënne-Loccoz and Dominique Yau to kickstart our FOOD+FILM event series with a sold-out evening at the Causeway Bay restaurant with an exclusive and memorable dinner menu based around The Grand Budapest Hotel. And now, r é n is proud to announce that Amber head chef and The Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s director of culinary operations and food and beverage Richard Ekkebus has joined the initiative as our latest FOOD+FILM ambassador.

As a longtime collaborator with r é n, chef Richard has long supported our cause, taking on multiple placements from us at his restaurant and working with us to create his own custom scented candle (which you can now purchase from our online store!). His latest contribution to our FOOD+FILM campaign continues our fruitful partnership, and the foodies and gastronomes of our city will no doubt be excited for what’s to come.

What are you excited about for this FOOD+FILM series?

I love a great movie, and as I’m a chef, finding the opportunity to combine my passion for food and my adoration of films is an exciting creative opportunity.

What do you think will be your favourite part about making a dish inspired by a movie?

Selecting my favourite scene from my favourite movies; to be honest there are so many to choose from. But I always love a creative challenge, and we have to approach it in a different way, where the dish has to be relatable to my style and to the character of the movie.

Is using film as inspiration for creating a dish a new experience for you?

Yes, this is the first time. We work a lot with companies and luxury brands, so we have experience creating food around a theme or concept, but this is a fun one. Also, film screams for casual food that is easy to eat – if possible, complimenting the movie experience without being too distracting.

How does it feel to be invited as an ambassador for the FOOD+FILM experience?

We have worked with the organisation for over a year now and it is part of our mission to give back to the community; something we have been driving for more than 10 years now. This project is particularly fun and has a lightness to it that I enjoy.