With many aspects of Hong Kong’s cultural identity, the city’s food scene has seen great external influence over the decades, be that Western chefs invited over to cook veritable homemade recipes, concepts imported from neighbouring countries, and dishes of immigrant communities embraced by the larger Hong Kong population.
Today, a growing group of Hong Kong chefs, born and raised in the city, are making their mark in the restaurant scene, proving Hong Kong’s fertile grounds to deliver top-quality food in our backyard.
We take a look at the homegrown heroes of the scene and how they are defining the birth and strength of restaurants in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s top home-grown chefs
Tiff Lo
Former-investment banker Tiff Lo turned to the restaurant scene after a health scare compelled her to pursue her passion in gastronomy. The Hong Kong chef earned her education from famed chef Pierre Koffmann in London, and opened Jean May in August 2020. The neo-French bistro is heavy on sauce, gamey meats, and refreshing spring vegetables.
George Kwok
Born in Hong Kong, George Kwok cut it in Bristol’s restaurant trade before returning to his hometown to introduce bold flavours formerly not present in the scene here. Alongside Camille Glass, he co-founded the innovative wine bar Brut, French-Indian fusion bistro Pondi, and now leads as the head curator for Shop B and CCT by Shop B, a refined take on dai pai dong classics.
Max Wong
Cooking in the gastronomically famed Kau U Fong Road in Sheung Wan, Max Wong opened Posso as a celebration to Italian’s tapas-version of cicchetti, small dishes seeing rich protein, garden vegetables, and thick sauces meet. Max originally studied forensic chemistry in the UK, before pivoting to the craft of European cuisine.
Saito Chau
Saito Chau is an established chef in Hong Kong, having perfected the arts of fine Cantonese and regional Chinese cuisine over two and a half decades. His work has seen him craft experiences at Dim Sum Library, John Anthony, Hutong, Mue Mue, and presently Chinesology, where he explores culinary traditions from China’s Tang dynasty.
Kasey Chan
Hong Kong-chef Kasey Chan has a CV many chefs may dream about. He served as a line cook at three-Michelin-star L’Atelier Joël Robuchon and two-Michelin-star Amber, sous chef at two-Michelin-star Bo Innovation and L’Envol, and chef-de-cuisine at one-Michelin-star VEA. Now as executive chef of Cafe Bau, he tells the story of Hong Kong through local producers and produce, with broad strokes of French influence.
Joanna Yuen
A globally acclaimed pastry chef, Joanna Yuen is the chef-founder of Otera, a private invite-only dessert kitchen based in Quarry Bay crafting umami desserts for adventurous palates. Otera began as an online delivery service for her ornate desserts. Joanna previously worked as pastry chef at Nobu in the former InterContinental Hong Kong, now the Regent Hong Kong.
Andrew Wong
Andrew Wong has become somewhat of a celebrity in Hong Kong’s food scene in recent years. The private chef began serving diners multi-course French, Italian, and neo-American meals during the pandemic out of his family’s kitchen, now continuing his trade with a long waiting list. His work has recently led him to host a menu collaboration with 181 at Fortnum & Mason in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Zinc Leung
Zinc Leung is the owner and head chef of Sushi Zinc, a Shau Kei Wan-based ten-seat omakase restaurant that subverts the typical tenets of what a Japanese restaurant ought to be. Sushi Zinc is Hong Kong’s only omakase venue that sources its fish from local waters, Sai Kung to be exact, and imprints marks of Italian ingredients and influence onto the tasting menus.
Oliver Li
With previous Michelin-starred experience at Hong Kong’s L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and L’Envol, and work under the tutelage of Paris’ chef David Toutai, Oliver Li runs the summer 2024-opened Jee, a joint-venture with chef Siu Hin-Chi of Ying Jee Club. The restaurant serves affordable tasting menus that elaborate on the intricacies of Cantonese cuisine.
