In this keynote panel, Chef Abang Brian — culinary educator, award-winning author and host of The Hungry Immigrant — leads a powerful conversation with Southeast Asian chefs, growers and community storytellers. Together, they unpack how heritage cuisines evolve in American kitchens, how migration and adaptation shape taste, and how communities preserve cultural meaning even as recipes change.

Drawing on lived experiences from Malaysia, Burma, Thailand, the Philippines and beyond, the panel reframes authenticity as a living, adaptive and resilient force — not a purity test. The session highlights how honoring roots, celebrating innovation and understanding local food systems can build bridges between generations, cultures and the broader Kalamazoo community.

Chef Abang Brian will give the keynote presentation at the 2026 Southeast Asian Foodways Symposium at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum on Friday, April 10, from 7 to 8 p.m. The following day, on Saturday, April 11, from 11 a.m. to noon, he will engage in cooking demos and a panel discussion with the community in Room 107 at the Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building in downtown Kalamazoo.

From an auditor to a man in an apron, Abang (“Elder Brother”) Brian of MasterChef Malaysia fame has grown into a celebrated chef, educator and serial entrepreneur. With nearly two decades of experience in food, media and education, he is the author of seven cookbooks, including titles that have won at the Gourmand International Cookbook Awards.

A passionate advocate for early childhood development through food, Brian co-owned the Malaysian franchise of Young Chefs Academy, where he pioneered creative learning for children through cooking. 

Beyond the classroom, Brian has hosted numerous of his own TV and radio shows on national platforms and was a best-selling host for the QVC-style home-shopping network WowShop. Today, Brian teaches as faculty with the largest culinary institute brand in the United States, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, having previously served as an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu. He also host ”The Hungry Immigrant” podcast, where he celebrates immigrant food culture and heritage through powerful storytelling.