Top chef Lanshu Chen: Women are under-represented in the food industry

Taiwanese-born, French-trained chef Lanshu Chen is describing her favourite meal to eat off-duty: "Yaki-soba. It's a childhood memory - my favourite dish from my mother. It accompanied me many times when I stayed up late studying."

The yaki-soba-fuelled late nights and hard work have paid off. At 33 years old, not only is Chen owner and head chef of Le Mout, a fine dining restaurant in Taichung, Taiwan, she has been named Asia's best female chef.

"Growing up in Taiwan, food has always been an integral part of my heritage," says Chen, who will officially be presented with the title, sponsored by Veuve Clicquot, at the second Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards in Singapore on Monday evening.

"From an early age, I appreciated the pleasures that derive from preparing and sharing meals," she says.

Chen recalls that during her childhood, her aunts were all fantastic cooks and were constantly in the kitchen, whipping up Taiwanese and Chinese dishes. Chen was inspired, and would read cookbooks for fun.

But her route to stardom was not straightforward. Unusually for a chef, Chen first headed to university, where she chose to study languages and literature. After that, she moved to France, where she trained in patisserie at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.