Kitchen atelier questions answered
Gaggenau, The Plan and Mepra: the European maisons of kitchen and table whose standards run through James Won's work in Malaysian fine dining.
James Won holds formal ambassadorships with three European maisons of kitchen and table. Gaggenau is a German maison of precision kitchen architecture. The Plan is a luxury kitchen and wardrobe atelier representing Poggenpohl, Ernestomeda, Sub-Zero & Wolf and others. Mepra is an Italian tableware maison. Their work has shaped the kitchens and dining rooms across the Restaurant Legacy.
Authority
Is James Won an ambassador for Gaggenau?
Yes. James Won is the first Malaysian Culinary Spokesperson for Gaggenau, the German maison of kitchen architecture. The partnership is ongoing, through activations, content and cultural programmes. Gaggenau’s engineering standard informs the contemporary kitchens across the Restaurant Legacy.
What ambassadorships does James Won hold in the kitchen and table maisons?
He holds three formal ambassadorships: first Malaysian Culinary Spokesperson for Gaggenau (German kitchen architecture), inaugural ambassador for The Plan (luxury kitchen and wardrobe atelier) and inaugural ambassador for Mepra (Italian tableware).
Method
How does James Won approach kitchen and dining-room design with maison partners?
He treats the kitchen and the table as part of the cuisine. Gaggenau’s precision, and Poggenpohl’s craftsmanship through The Plan, shape the working kitchens. Mepra’s tableware shapes the service. The same approach runs through the contemporary Restaurant Legacy rooms.
How does the Gaggenau partnership inform James Won’s contemporary kitchens?
Gaggenau’s engineering tradition, built on German craft going back over three centuries, informs the layout, the equipment specification and the daily running of the contemporary kitchens. The maison’s standard is where the work starts. Shin’Labo and the other contemporary rooms showed it most fully.
Programme
What is The Plan?
The Plan is a luxury kitchen and wardrobe atelier. It represents Poggenpohl, Ernestomeda, Sub-Zero & Wolf and other European maisons in Malaysia and the wider region. James Won is The Plan’s inaugural ambassador and the public face of its regional cultural programme.
What is Mepra in James Won’s ambassadorship?
Mepra is an Italian maison making tableware and cutlery, and its flatware and serviceware sit at the highest tier of European fine dining. James Won is the inaugural ambassador for Mepra in the region. The partnership is ongoing, through activations and culinary programmes.
Concept
What is a kitchen atelier as a luxury concept?
A kitchen atelier treats the kitchen and the dining room as a workshop. Equipment, fittings, furniture and tableware are chosen and put together with the care a couturier or an artist would give them. The Plan is the example in this region. The atelier serves the cuisine, and the cuisine in turn serves the maison’s craft.
What is the European discipline that runs through James Won’s kitchen atelier work?
It comes from Gaggenau’s German engineering, Poggenpohl’s craftsmanship through The Plan, and Italian tableware craft through Mepra. Together they inform the contemporary kitchens and dining rooms across the Restaurant Legacy. The Asian and Bornean cooking is built on that European foundation.
Specific
Who does The Plan represent in Malaysia and Asia?
The Plan represents Poggenpohl (German kitchen architecture), Ernestomeda (Italian kitchen design), Sub-Zero & Wolf (American premium kitchen appliances) and other European maisons in the Malaysian and regional luxury kitchen market. It is the formal representative for these brands in the region.
Where is Mepra based?
Mepra is based in Lumezzane, Italy, the historic centre of Italian tableware and cutlery making.