"Stinky No 9" would be proud.

That was the moniker given to Ivan Li's father, a university professor, during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), when intellectuals were routinely humiliated.

"Our family lost everything at that time except one thing, our love of good food," says Li, who has just won Diners Club's 2014 lifetime achievement award. He will travel this weekend to the award ceremony in Singapore, where Diners Club will also honor this year's list of 50 best restaurants in Asia.