Born and raised in a food-loving Canadian family, chef Talib Hudda had his dream to become a professional cook since practicing with his grandma at a young age. He had experience working at world-renowned restaurants and undergoing rigorous training under Michelin-starred chefs such as Ronny Emborg at Marchal (now at Michelin two-starred Atera), and Ronni Mortensen at Marv & Ben in Copenhagen (now at Michelin three-starred Geranium). He also had internships at Café Boulud and Wd-50 in New York, and Studio in Copenhagen under Torsten Vildgaard and Eric Vildgaard (chef/owner of 2 star Jordnær in Copenhagen). 

Invited by Danish iconic silverware and lifestyle brand Georg Jensen, Talib opened the brand’s flagship restaurant – The Georg in Beijing in 2015. With Nordic techniques skillfully deployed in its unique culinary repertoire, the restaurant was soon an unmistakable magnet for the city’s picky diners. The past 6 years have opened several casual concepts amidst the planning for Refer – yet with the hardships and struggles was able to reveal the treasure for fine dining in Beijing. Besides, The Georg is the only contemporary European restaurant to be awarded a star in the 2020 Beijing Michelin Guide. 

When Talib was preparing for the opening of Refer, he went on further to intern at a Michelin two-starred restaurant Alchemist 2.0 in Copenhagen, before Refer was finally unveiled two years later.
 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, the world’s leading annual F&B event, announces its 51-100 list and top 50 list for 2022 respectively. Refer has made its first-time entry at 67th place and ranked 6th of all mainland Chinese restaurants on the list, making it one of the first restaurants to represent the Beijing region for the ranking. 

Breaking the boundaries of style and region, Chef Talib Hudda combines the finest ingredients with Holistic concepts to bring a unique arrangement of “Refer dishes”. In this incredibly globalized world, it’s not just pieces of the cuisine that travel, in the form of ingredients or food culture, but the entire cuisine as a whole. With his open-mindedness and sharp sense of invention, Talib builds on his rich experience working in European and American countries, while adapting Asian foodways with ease to present transboundary creations.