“A dish is like a door into an entire people.” Nouri restaurant’s Ivan Brehm on his passion for “crossroads” cooking and the best advice he ever received.

The Lighthouse Conversations with Hashem Montasser

On the back of his recent trip to Singapore, Hashem catches up with Ivan Brehm, chef-owner of Michelin-starred restaurant, Nouri. They discuss the essential role storytelling plays in Ivan’s “crossroads” menu and how he curated his space at Nouri so that sharing takes center stage enabling his guests to bond and find commonalities. Hashem and Ivan also discuss navigating the delicate balance between the prizes and perils of social media as a marketing tool and going after food awards. As a self-described Brazilian “mutt,” Ivan also stresses the value of hybridity, and his unswerving curiosity for the stories that people share. We also learn from Ivan how ownership of Nouri became a learning curve about F&B’s business aspects; and the best advice he ever received from his mother.

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