He's larger than life, highly engaging and has an unmatched passion for cooking. Celebrity chef Bobby Chinn will talk and cook at the Mekong Tourism Forum 2011 in the emerging destination of Pakse, Laos, 27-28 May 2011. 

Chinn's appearance at the Forum is an ideal fit for this year's theme, 'Destination Mekong: The Making of a Star'. Chinn himself grew to international stardom in the Greater Mekong Sub-region with Restaurant Bobby Chinn in Hanoi and his World Café Asia television series.

"Food is a vital element in deciding where to go on holiday," said John Watson, CEO of Diethelm Travel Group. "Throughout the Mekong region we see culinary interest as a major attraction and passion for many of our guests." 

Chinn will appear on May 27 during the Forum in an engaging one-on-one interview on stage. In the Forum's food festival that evening he will give cooking demonstrations and exchange cooking tips with the Forum's guests. There will be plenty of food sampling going on. Chinn has an unconventional background. Born in New Zealand to a Chinese father and an Egyptian mother, he was schooled in England and for a time but calls San Francisco home. With a degree in Finance and Economics, he tried his hand as a trader on the floor on the New York Stock Exchange and even spent some time on the stage as a stand-up comic in LA before finding his true calling as a chef.

Bobby learned his cooking skills at establishments in San Francisco, Bordeaux and Paris. He relocated to Vietnam in 1996, going on to run several highly acclaimed restaurants including Camargue and Saigon Joe's in Ho Chi Minh City, and Miro and the Red Onion Bistro in Hanoi. 

He then opened his own restaurant in Hanoi. Restaurant Bobby Chinn has won numerous awards including the 5 Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, the only restaurant in Vietnam to receive this honor. His restaurant also won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for seven consecutive years, the only restaurant in Vietnam to achieve this accolade. Bobby has hosted a number of VIPs including both US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton at various times and British Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. 

Along the way Bobby has grown into a household name in Vietnam, across Asia and globally, with his restaurants, TV shows and books. 

Meet Bobby and find out about tourism in the Mekong region. A special Early Bird registration fee for the Mekong Tourism Forum of just US$200 applies up to 30 April. From 1 May the full fee of US$300 will be charged. The registration fee includes admission to the two-day conference sessions, proceedings, refreshment breaks, luncheons, dinners and receptions as indicated in the official programme. 

The Forum's venue hotel, the Champasak Grand Hotel, is offering a special rate of US$39 per room (single or double), including breakfast and free internet connectivity for MTF attendees who book here.