Collaboration Dinner at Wan's with Kaya and Temple Street Eatery

T HIS EVENT IS STRICTLY 21+

An inventive collaboration celebrating the flavors of Asia. Chefs Kuk, Lalicon, Lam and Ng are teaming up to create a menu designed to take guests on a tour of Asia, highlighting traditional Asian flavors with contemporary techniques. This dinner will feature multiple courses and a variety of beverage pairings.

Doors open at 6:45 pm, Dinner begins promptly at 7 pm

* Gratuity Included in Your Order

If you would like to sit with friends who purchased tickets in a seperate order, please email us at [email protected] no later than 3 days before the event, so we can try our best to accomodate you. If you or anyone in your party has dietary restrictions, please email us no later than 3 days before the event, so we can try our best to accomodate them.

About Chef Alex Kuk

Alex Kuk, a fourth-generation restaurateur, has hospitality running through his veins, hailing from a family with deep roots in the restaurant business. Growing up in a restaurant family, Alex spent his childhood immersed in the culinary world, where family time often meant working alongside relatives in their dining establishments.

Alex's great-grandfather founded Wan's Mandarin House over 60 years ago, a beacon of the family's culinary heritage. Today, Alex is the co-owner and operator of Wan's in Fort Lauderdale carrying on the family traditon of serving the South Florida community. Before taking over at Wan's, Alex co-founded Temple Street Eatery with Diego Ng and has managed several notable South Florida restaurants, including RA Sushi, Houston's, and Sushi Maki.

His educational background includes degrees in Hospitality Management from FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Alex has also contributed to the academic world as an adjunct professor for FIU in both Miami and China, sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience with the next generation of hospitality professionals. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for both the FIU Alumni Association and the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Alumni Association.

About Chef Clarice Lam

Clarice Lam was born in Toronto, Canada and raised in Los Angeles, California by her parents who emigrated from Hong Kong. After graduating high school, Clarice moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in modeling which gave her the opportunity to travel internationally for over a decade while living in the UK, France, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Mexico, Spain, South Africa and Italy.

Clarice displayed an astute palate from early on, when, while grocery shopping at the age of 3 with her mother, she screamed that she wanted chicken noodle soup. Her befuddled mother continued shopping as normal, but connected the dots two aisles later, where a woman was handing out samples of chicken noodle soup. A gourmand in-the-making had been recognized.

Clarice’s parents traveled frequently and always brought back local treats and snacks, sparking her passion for foods and flavors from far off places. Her time in Paris ignited a deep appreciation for the world of French pastry. While living in Italy, she attended Le Cordon Bleu where she took courses in Italian cuisine.

After retiring from modeling, she returned to the U.S. where she studied at The French Culinary Institute and graduated with a Grand Diplôme in Classic Pastry Arts. Clarice built her foundation in critically acclaimed establishments including Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market, and as the executive chef at The Chocolate Room in Brooklyn. In 2012, Clarice opened Brooklyn-based The Baking Bean, a direct-to-consumer bakery specializing in all-natural, seasonal desserts and confections that The New York Times deemed “high quality and handsome”. In 2020, when the global pandemic hit, Clarice put The Baking Bean on hold and joined Rivers and Hills Hospitality Group as the opening pastry chef for Kimika, an Italian-Japanese restaurant in Nolita that Condé Nast Traveler named one of 2021’s best new restaurants in the world; and in 2022, scored a James Beard semifinalist nomination for Best New Restaurant.

Clarice is also an avid yogi, beach bum, and turtle lover. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, People, Good Morning America, NY Daily News, Food & Wine, Forbes, Condé Nast Traveler, Eater, South China Morning Post, and many more. She has appeared on multiple TV shows including Sweet Genius (2012), Food.Curated. (2017), Beat Bobby Flay (2018), Beat Bobby Flay: Revenge (2019), and most recently Best Baker in America (2021) where she finished as a semifinalist. She is currently on The Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge (2022) in her first role as a series judge on Prime Video and Amazon Freevee.

Clarice is currently working on her first cookbook Breaking Bao, to be published by Chronicle Books in 2024. Additionally, Clarice is on the Pro Advisory Committee at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education), a freelance contributor at The Spruce Eats, Epicurious, and Food & Wine, and chef ambassador for Mondelez International after winning the 2021 nationwide Oreo™ recipe contest, Hope and Sesame, and Yakult. She is also an affiliate partner for Chrissy Teigen’s lifestyle brand, Cravings.

About Chef Lordfer Lalicon

Lordfer Lalicon is Chef Owner of Kaya, a community-driven restaurant nestled in Orlando's vibrant Mills 50 District. A first-generation Fil-Am, Lordfer's contemporary Filipino Cuisine isfocused on fostering connection. Kaya has been recognized as 2024 James BeardFoundation Finalist for Best New Restaurant & recipient of Florida’s first-ever MichelinGreen Star, for his sustainability and farm-focused practices. Recently named a 2025 JamesBeard Foundation Awards Semifinalist for Best Chef: South, Lordfer is a champion of community and family, spending a majority of his time with his wife and three beautiful children or volunteering at The Kitchen House (Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen House and CulinaryGarden) as a chef ambassador and youth program instructor.

About Chef Diego Ng

Diego Ng, a Venezuelan-born restaurateur with Chinese heritage, brings a vibrant blend of cultural influences to his role as co-founder and chef at Temple Street Eatery alongside Alex Kuk. His journey into the culinary world is deeply rooted in his diverse background, fostering a unique culinary style that marries the rich flavors of Latin America with the traditional techniques of Asian cuisine.

Diego's passion for food and hospitality was nurtured from a young age, inspired by his family's frequent gatherings around meals that celebrated their dual heritage. His professional training began at Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, where he honed his skills and deepened his knowledge of global culinary practices.

After graduation, Diego trained in several prestigious kitchens, including Blade Sushi at the Fontainebleau, Catch Miami, and under the renowned chef Masaharu Morimoto at Morimoto’s. Each experience broadened his culinary perspective and skill set, directly influencing the creative dishes he now serves at Temple Street Eatery.

Diego's love of travel has taken him to numerous countries, where he has drawn inspiration from local street foods. This passion led him to develop the concept for Temple Street Eatery, which features street food-inspired dishes with an Asian twist, capturing the essence of global cuisine while celebrating his multicultural roots.

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