Wayne Nish
wayne@corianderleaf.com

Wayne Nish has the distinct honor of having a total of 16 stars bestowed upon him by The New York Times critics 
over the past 20 years and a Michelin star in 2006.  An impressive feat for a man who created his own culinary 
education by tearing through Larousse Gastronomique, the culinary encyclopedia that taught him the nuances of 
pulling off a flawless béchamel and gloveboning his own poultry.  Such was the foundation of Nish’s career, one which
has spanned nearly three decades and a considerable range of cuisines.

Chef Nish was one of the pivotal figures in spearheading the fusion cooking movement, applying exotic ingredients to 
classic techniques. Nish embraced European, Asian, Middle Eastern and Indo-Pak food cultures as the cornerstones 
of his cooking, turning out dishes unfamiliar to New York diners.  Nish’s knowledge and passion for a mélange of flavors
shines throughout his dishes, from global appetizers and entrees to a traditional cheese program. He believes that today’s
cuisine stems from the exchange of ideas and techniques that occurs from one generation to the next. 
“Ingredients are the currency of change,” he says. 

After working several years at architectural and publishing firms, Nish started his culinary career at The Quilted Giraffe in
New York City, where he honed his skills under Barry Wine.  He then helmed the kitchen at Wine’s casual spinoff,
The Casual Quilted Giraffe.

His next stop was at the legendary La Colombe d'Or. Applying his formidable talents to the then unfamiliar principles of
French provincial cookery, Nish generated an inimitable interpretation of the cuisine, earning a three star review from
The New York Times within four months.  The attention catapulted Nish as a major culinary star and paved the way for
the arrival of March in 1990.

Channeling his eclectic New York rearing (he was born just blocks from the restaurant to a Maltese mother and Japanese-
Norwegian father), Chef Nish opened March in an elegant turn-of-the-century townhouse with Joseph Scalice, a previous
server at La Colombe d’Or. The pair transformed the space into one of Manhattan’s premier dining destinations, and earned
a coveted Michelin star in 2006.

Nish, who draws his culinary inspiration from the many ethnic communities of New York City, would go on to host some of
the nation’s most promising young talent in his kitchens. Over the restaurant’s sixteen years of service, Nish further cultivated
his respect for the cultural and historical influences on the art of cooking. Nish came to think of his selected ingredients as
“cultural references” ”—a philosophy that would serve him well when the restaurant embraced a new concept in 2007.

In addition to his work in the kitchen, Nish is a cookbook author and photographer; his work appears in the well-received 
Simple Menus for the Bento Box (William Morrow, 1998).  He has been lauded in the press, making frequent television and
radio appearances. Nish was in fact the first American to participate on Iron Chef (Tetsujin no Ryori) in Japan.

Nish arrived in Singapore in 2008 to team up with ex-March Chef Samia Ahad to develop new and exciting restaurant
concepts to launch throughout Asia.  In the meantime he has installed new menus at Screening Room in Ann Siang Road
which includes sashimi and steak as the cornerstones of his offerings: a first for Singapore.