In this episode of Gent’s Talk, host Samir Mourani sits down with Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Alvin Leung for a remarkably candid conversation about success, failure, grief, resilience and what decades at the highest levels of the restaurant industry have taught him about life.
Alvin returns to Gent’s Talk following another major milestone: Akin earning a Michelin star. But after experiencing both the thrill of gaining stars and the disappointment of losing them throughout his career, Alvin admits his relationship with recognition has changed.
His philosophy is simple: don’t get too high when things go well, and you won’t fall quite as hard when they don’t.
More importantly, he rejects the familiar idea that making mistakes simply teaches you never to make them again. Instead, Alvin believes experience teaches you how to handle those mistakes with more grace—and without making excuses for yourself.
The conversation then becomes deeply personal.
Alvin opens up about losing his wife to cancer and recalls a message she shared after he lost a Michelin star, reminding him that he was “still three stars in my book.” Her death changed his life, but rather than retreating from his career, Alvin describes throwing himself into work and travel, while learning that grief isn't something you simply erase or leave behind.
Samir and Alvin also get into the realities of building restaurants today, including the financial mistakes new restaurateurs make, why Alvin repeatedly tells aspiring owners to keep costs down and why he strongly recommends taking over an existing restaurant space rather than building everything from scratch.
It’s a conversation that goes well beyond food.
Alvin reflects on ambition, accountability, the emotional roller coaster of Michelin recognition and the people who remain beside you when the accolades disappear. He also shares how decades of wins and losses have changed his perspective on what actually deserves our attention.
💬 What we cover:
What earning another Michelin star feels like after decades in the industry
Why Alvin refuses to make excuses when things go wrong
What losing Michelin stars taught him about failure
The message from his late wife that stayed with him
How grief changed his relationship with work
Why success and recognition don't hit the same forever
The biggest mistakes people make when opening restaurants
Why Alvin recommends taking over an existing restaurant
The financial realities behind the restaurant business
Learning to accept life's highs and lows with grace
This isn't simply a conversation with one of the restaurant industry's most recognizable personalities. It's a conversation about what happens after you've won, lost, grieved, rebuilt and realized that the things we use to measure success aren't necessarily the things that give life meaning.
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🎙️ Credits:
Host/Producer: Samir Mourani
Creative Director & Executive Producer: Steven Branco
A STAMINA Group Production
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