Bee Koh is one of the brains behind Feast of Legends, a series of events being held at four different ethnic restaurants across Auckland. Brought to you by the dynamic events company Lincoln’s Table, Feast of Legends promises diners a complete immersion cultural food experience. 

We caught up with Bee Koh to find out more.

Food and culture are clearly both very important to you. What is your background?

I'm ethnic Chinese and was born and brought up in Singapore. If you’ve ever been there, you’ll know that multi-culturalism and diversity are a big part of who we are, and the love of good food is second nature to Singaporeans.

What drew you to Aotearoa?

We moved here in 1998 when my husband Lincoln [Tan] came here for work. It was meant to be a one-year contract but we fell in love with the place. At first, it was a little quiet, coming from Singapore, but when I became pregnant with our first child, it felt like a wonderful place to raise children. They are now  22 and 20, both at university, and we still love it here. 

How did you start working in events?

I was a teacher in Singapore - teaching 11 and 12-year-olds - and Lincoln is a journalist with The New Zealand Herald. Many years ago, he started writing about different ethnic restaurants, the Herald started calling it Lincoln’s Table and it became a series. People really liked it and suggested we take it from the page to the table. And because we both have a passion for food, we set up Lincoln’s Table, hosting food and cultural experiences at different ethnic restaurants. 

Did you expect it to become so popular?

We started quite small, with our first event at Paradise Indian Restaurant, but that went so well, that they asked if we could do their whole party room. Then it kept getting bigger. People started asking us to do restaurant openings, then lockdown came, and we had to cancel a lot of events, but we’re very happy things are opening up again.

It must feel like a dream job?

Lincoln and I are both food-obsessed, so by running events we're able to take that passion one step further, turning powerful cultural stories into authentic gastronomic encounters. We love sharing our passion for different cuisines, and to see our guests try new foods which they otherwise might not have encountered. Seeing people having a wonderful time is also a highlight for me. 

Clearly you’re well-travelled. What is your favourite destination, and your favourite food?

If I’m travelling for food, I love Vietnam and Korea. But if I need a recharge, it would one of the islands, Samoa, or Phuket, and I love Bali. Bali is so relaxed and the food is fantastic and so cheap. You can eat without thinking about your pocket, or get a massage every day. Although for specific foods, if I had to pick one style of food, it would be noodles.

This is your first time being part of Elemental AKL. What excites you most about it?

We've always participated by going to Elemental events. We went to the Culinary Crawl last year, and Takurua Battle of Brothers, but never in my wildest dreams did I think we'd be part of this year’s festival. What excites me most is being able to take Lincoln's Table to a whole new level, and to a whole new group of people. Some of these people will be coming from outside of Auckland, and I feel such pride, knowing we’ll introduce them to exciting culinary experiences that they might not find anywhere else in the country.

What makes Feasts of Legends a must-do?

Food has brought people together since the beginning of time, and Feasts of Legends takes that a step further by offering guests a deeper understanding of food through cultural immersion. We’ll draw inspiration from Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and Italian cultures. We’ll look at their culinary traditions, making these evenings as educational as they are epicurean. For example, at Fire Feast, participants are invited to arrive half an hour earlier, to learn more about Sichuan hot pot dining etiquette, including how to mix dipping sauces. This will take diners beyond the dish, to the culture that created it. There’ll also be dance, performance and theatrical story-telling. It’s a multi-dimensional feast for the senses, leaving participants with a much greater knowledge of these cultures, with guests encouraged to take what they’re learnt back to their lives to share with others .

It's undoubtedly complex, creating events in this climate. What challenges did you face, while getting Feasts of Legends off the ground?

The challenge was looking for suitable venues, then explaining to the owners what Elemental AKL is, and then working with them to create a menu to tie in with the legends. Then to look for suitable entertainment. And to add a tiny bit more stress, many venues are facing staff shortages for various reasons, but it’s all come together now and we’re really excited. 

We’re all excited because the line-up looks amazing.

Thank you. Fortunately for us, working with the four restaurants we chose and the chefs from the four different cultures have been really fun because we all have a shared goal and that is to showcase Auckland’s cultural and culinary diversity to a wider audience  And they’re all super excited and proud to be taking part, as am I. 

Feasts of Legends (Four Events)

Where: Multiple Venues
When: Check Individual Event Listings Below
Price: $120 - 180