The Dish

Redefining food discovery through taste, not ratings.

The Need

The team behind Chef Dish approached us to help bring to life a new food discovery app for Asia’s ever-growing dining scene. The goal was simple — to connect people with great food and the people who love it.

The Challenge

The original concept focused on showing users the “chef’s dish” at each restaurant. But as we tested the idea, cracks began to show:

  • Only one dish per restaurant limited discovery.

  • Constant updates from restaurants were unsustainable.

  • The concept didn’t reflect how people actually decide what to eat.

  • If you’re already in a restaurant, why open an app to see what’s on the menu?

It was clear the idea needed a rethink — something that celebrated food culture more authentically, and that reflected how people actually share and discover taste.

We pivoted from Chef Dish to The Dish — a fresh take on food discovery.

Think of it as Spotify for food. Instead of ratings and reviews, The Dish lets users share and follow great taste. Users post photos of their favourite dishes — from fine dining and food trucks to hole-in-the-wall spots across Asia — and discover what others are eating through people they trust: friends, tastemakers, and food lovers.

By removing the noise of ratings and written reviews, we made food discovery more personal, visual, and social — a platform built on taste and connection.

Mobile app screen showing a food organization app with a profile picture, search bar, and six food images labeled Takoyaki, Basil Burrata, Shoba Salad, The Big Cheese, a cheesecake, and a bowl of loaded fries.
A mobile phone screen displaying an app with a photo of a breakfast on a white table, including avocado toast with eggs, a cup of coffee, a water bottle, and a sugar shaker.
Screenshot of a map showing several Vietnamese food restaurants near Saigon, including Saigon Bagel, Arigato, Pho Hai Hoi, and River Cottage, with a search for 'Saigon Street Food' on a mobile app.
Mobile app screen displaying a list of Saigon street food dishes, including Bánh mì, Phở Bò Nam, Shoba Salad, and Saigon Chili.

Our Approach

We redesigned the entire app experience to make it fresh, dish-focused, and people-led.

Our team developed a bold new visual identity, simplified the UX, and reframed the app’s narrative from “where chefs tell you what’s good” to “where you find dishes through people who love food.”

To launch, we rolled out a playful, tongue-in-cheek campaign titled “Dish Pics”, encouraging users to snap and share their favourite dishes — whether from their local noodle stall or the city’s hottest new opening.

Check it out the explainer below.

The Result

The Dish successfully evolved from a niche restaurant-focused idea into a scalable, community-driven food platform.

The redesign and repositioning gave the brand a new energy and clear direction — one built on authentic discovery, real taste, and shared experiences rather than ratings or algorithms.

Within the first three months, over 300 restaurants signed up, fueling momentum and early adoption among Asia’s growing community of food lovers.

The app quickly built buzz across food circles, proving that when it comes to discovering food, taste is the new rating.