Food as Cultural Heritage: An Evening with Khir Johari
Join fellow Harvard alumni and guests for an intimate evening over a delicious dinner and conversation with Khir Johari, author of The Food of Singapore Malays, winner of Best Of All prize at 2025’s Gourmand Cookbook Awards (considered the “Oscars” of culinary publishing).
Centred on the theme of food as cultural heritage and oral history, this fireside dialogue to be moderated by Shayyan Qaisar (Harvard Law School LLM ’18) and will explore how cuisine preserves memory, identity, migration, and lived experience across generations. The evening will also include thoughtfully curated-tasting Halal food inspired by Khir Johari’s historic global win at the “Oscars” of cookbooks, creating a sensory dimension to the discussion on why Malay culinary culture deserves the world’s full attention.
Watch the following video to learn more about the book: https://youtu.be/-403MXEkaGc
Important note:
Tickets are non-refundable, so please make sure to confirm your membership and alumnus/alumna status before buying.
About Khir Johari
Khir Johari was born and raised in historic Kampong Gelam, Singapore, in his family home Gedung Kuning, a treasure house of culinary knowledge and recipes.
Khir studied mathematics at Santa Clara University, a Jesuit university in California. He then completed a Master in Education at Stanford University. Since returning to Singapore, Khir has focused on research into the food cultures of maritime Southeast Asia. He relishes every opportunity to document oral histories and preserve objects of material culture such as old publications, artifacts, textiles and music. He was elected Vice President of the Singapore Heritage Society in 2016 to promote public education and advocacy. Khir enjoys writing articles and giving talks on history, heritage and culture.
Khir Johari’s book, The Food of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels Through The Archipelago, has achieved significant acclaim, winning the Best Of All prize at the 2025 Gourmand Cookbook Awards (considered the “Oscars” of culinary publishing) and the 2024 NUS Singapore History Prize. The 600-page, 3.2kg volume, published in 2021, combines history, culture, and over 400 photos.
See more of Khir Johari’s profile here:
https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/dining/malay-food-singapore-book-khir-johari-300411
About Shayyan Qaiser
Shayyan Qaiser, Secretary of HCS since 2024, graduated with a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School. She has practiced law for over a decade and is currently an in-house lawyer in Singapore. She is passionate about learning and serving others. Shayyan enjoys good food, reading self-help books and spending time with loved ones.
Cost: Dues Paying HCS Members (DPM) - $25/Guests of DPM - $25/Alumni Who Don't Pay Dues - $40/Non-Harvard Alumni - $50