In Conversation: Chang Sup Shin, Nicky Ramchandani & Hadrien Villedieu

Chang Sup Shin is a Dubai-raised entrepreneur in the food business. Chang's family has been living in Dubai for 31 years and currently operates an Asian specialty supermarket called 1004 Gourmet. The shop also houses a Korean cosmetics shop Lamise Beauty led by his wife Kate and a Korean specialty coffee & dessert shop called Seoul Street Cafe. 1004 Gourmet also supplies premium Korean and Japanese ingredients to the top restaurants and hotels in the country. During COVID, Chang partnered with Eric and Young to create an Asian craft burger joint Ugly Burger and in 2022, launched a fun and delicious pop up only concept with Chef Khaled called Ugly Noodles.

Nicky Ramchandani established Zen Restaurant in Dubai in 2005 which grew in popularity over the years and built an ardent group of followers who craved the authentic Thai flavours that came out of Nicky’s kitchen. As a resilient and efficient restaurateur, Nicky powered through the global economic crisis in 2008/2009 and spearheaded operations at Zen Restaurant in Business Bay all the way till 2018. After over 13 years in the F&B industry in Dubai, he was determined to build new brands and expand operations to another area in Dubai with a higher population density. In 2018, he set up Streetery Food Hall by Zen which was the first Southeast Asian food hall in Dubai. He created two new food concepts and along with Zen, began operations in Jumeirah Lakes Towers with a seating capacity of over 100 people. Business was great from day one with record breaking sales compared to his previous location. Streetery reported AED 3.8 million in revenue in its first year of operations and now, they are on track to maintain their revenue despite the on-going crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Seen as a thought leader and adviser within the F&B industry in Dubai, Nicky advises many F&B business owners on operations, marketing and business strategies. His unwavering passion for F&B has inspired many young operators in the industry who continue to be mentored by him.

Chef Hadrien's background is as exciting and eclectic as his food. Having worked alongside some of the biggest names in the industry, notably Joel Robuchon, Alain Passard and Jean Pierre Vigato, Hadrien has learned from the great ones while bringing his own aroma to the dish. From leading an entire army of Chefs, to consulting and being the Executive Chef of a cooking school, he has experience at the forefront and behind the scenes of the kitchen world. His art of cooking has taken him around the globe, to places such as New York City, Saint-Barthelemy, Morocco and Dubai to name a few. His cuisine is modern, playful and poetic, and though he continuously works on bettering and reinventing himself, Chef Hadrien's philosophy is what inspires him to continuously create new dining experiences. For the last 5 years, Chef Hadrien has been the Executive Chef and culinary mastermind behind a notable multidisciplinary creative food platform, generating popups, events, and chef’s tables, as well as multiple F&B brands and concepts. He recently joined and partnered with RIKAS hospitality group to open Chez Wam restaurant.

Moderated by Reem Hameed

Reem is a Dubai-based Canadian media executive, business woman, podcast and livestream host, executive producer, public speaker and cultural innovator. Her work in the Middle East is focused on building cultural understanding, producing ground-breaking content and redefining the landscape of the Arab Digital Generation through entrepreneurship, technology and media. Reem was the CEO and cofounder of Collective, a content creation company that aims to shape the narratives of the region. She has then become a founding member of Dukkan Media, the region’s leading cultural consultancy firm. She is best known for co-hosting the Dukkan Show, the Middle East's leading Society and Culture podcast. In 2013, she was awarded the Young Creative Entrepreneurship Award by the British Council. She has also been listed in the TOP 100 Most Influential Filipinos in The Gulf by Illustrado Magazine. She is currently an Emirates Literature Foundation fellow and holds an Honors BA in Global Political Science and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Join us at 4PM on Saturday, 6 May at Warehouse 46, Alserkal Avenue.