Li TV Rolls Out MDA-Backed Original

CANNES: Asian lifestyle channel Li, Life Inspired is set to roll out its second original production, The Maverick Chef, from Singapore’s Ochre Pictures with the support of the Media Development Authority.

The show, with filming set to begin later this month, will feature self-taught Michelin-starred chef Alvin Leung, who has become known for his “X-treme Chinese” cuisine in Hong Kong. In the six-part original, Leung travels across Asia, with each episode focused on a different city—Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok and Taipei. He will then create his own versions of each country’s national cuisine.

"Our partnership with MDA and Ochre Pictures to produce The Maverick Chef brings this exciting concept to fruition, one that pioneers Asian trends and personalities, which is what Li is all about," said Anna Chan, general manager. "This is a significant milestone for us, as Q3 2011 marks our second anniversary since the launch of the channel in the region.”

“The Maverick Chef looks set to re-define food programs as we know it, as the self-taught Michelin-starred Demon chef himself takes on some of Asia’s most iconic cuisines, deconstructs and re-invents them with surprising, and at times, controversial results," said Jean Yeo, creative director of Ochre Pictures.