{"id":1007425,"date":"2025-04-11T23:39:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T06:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/?p=1007425"},"modified":"2025-05-09T03:23:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T10:23:56","slug":"roots-fire-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/roots-fire-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Roots, Fire, Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Roots, Fire, Future<\/h2><\/div>
Three chefs. Three journeys. One quietly powerful transformation of Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong.<\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=””]2025. April 11. INSIGHTS<\/p>\n

\u2212<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t all set out to become ambassadors of Chinese cuisine.<\/p>\n

For one, it was a second career. For another, it was a slow return to her roots after years abroad. And for the third, it meant reframing everything he\u2019d already mastered. But what they share is this: at some point, each chose to stop replicating tradition\u2014and start listening to it.<\/p>\n

Through years of experience\u2014much of it in Australian kitchens\u2014and long detours through other cuisines, these three Hong Kong-based chefs circled back to Chinese food with new eyes and quieter intentions.<\/p>\n

Today, ArChan Chan, Theign Phan, and Jack Lam each lead some of Hong Kong\u2019s most distinctive Chinese kitchens. And while their flavours vary\u2014Cantonese, Sichuanese, Hokkien\u2014their intentions are aligned: to bring depth to tradition, and clarity to innovation.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator color=”white” el_width=”70″ css=””][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”1007447″ img_size=”full” style=”vc_box_rounded” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=””][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″]

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ArChan Chan | Cantonese That Knows When to Hold Back<\/h2><\/div><\/div>[vc_column_text css=””]Chef ArChan Chan\u2019s return to Hong Kong was never meant to be a statement. After more than a decade working abroad\u2014in Melbourne and Singapore\u2014she came back to lead the kitchen at Ho Lee Fook<\/strong>, the beloved modern Cantonese spot tucked in the slopes of SoHo.<\/p>\n

What she brought with her wasn\u2019t just technique. It was patience.<\/p>\n

Her take on sweet and sour pork says everything. The dish is one of the city\u2019s most familiar signatures\u2014but Chan waited a long time before putting it on the menu. \u201cIt\u2019s been done so many times. We didn\u2019t want to do it unless we could do it differently,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Her version\u2014Sweet & Sour Kurobuta Pork with Perfume Lemon<\/strong>\u2014is light, balanced, and unexpectedly elegant. The crisp Kurobuta is glazed in a citrus-bright sauce made with seasonal fruit, onion, chillies, and rare perfume lemon, topped with crispy tea leaves for texture. It\u2019s not showy, but it lingers.<\/p>\n

Chan didn\u2019t grow up cooking dim sum, nor did she know how to wield a wok in her early days. But today, she\u2019s quietly mastered both. One of her proudest dishes? The Shredded Daikon Puff<\/strong>\u2014a notoriously delicate pastry she once dreamed of learning before she died. Now, it\u2019s hers. \u201cThat moment I got it right\u2026 I was really happy,\u201d she says, smiling.<\/p>\n

Her menu reflects that same quiet satisfaction: Cantonese food with deep respect, trimmed of excess, and cooked with conviction.[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Watch Reel” style=”custom” custom_background=”#4387fb” custom_text=”#ffffff” align=”left” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FDFW1wl1x0EP%2F|target:_blank”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”1007431″ img_size=”full” style=”vc_box_rounded” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]Photo source: Ho Lee Fook<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”40″ css=”” accent_color=”#4387fb”][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”1007433″ img_size=”full” style=”vc_box_rounded” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=””][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″]

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Theign Phan | Reclaiming Fire, One Memory at a Time<\/h2><\/div><\/div>[vc_column_text css=””]Just three years ago, Theign Phan wasn\u2019t cooking Sichuan food at all.<\/p>\n

Born and raised in Singapore, she started her professional life in corporate communications before switching careers entirely\u2014training at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, then working in French and Vietnamese kitchens. Sichuan wasn\u2019t in the plan. But sometimes, the plan changes.<\/p>\n

Now, as executive chef of Grand Majestic Sichuan<\/strong> in Alexandra House, she leads one of the city\u2019s most opulent Chinese restaurants with elegance, restraint, and the occasional jolt of heat.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Her signature dish\u2014Pan-Seared Eastern Star Grouper with Pixian Chili Bean Paste<\/strong>\u2014is a love letter to childhood dinners in Singapore. \u201cThere was a Sichuan-Cantonese restaurant my family always went to,\u201d she says. \u201cThat dish brings it back.\u201d The crisp skin of the grouper plays against the rich, fermented depth of the doubanjiang sauce\u2014a perfect balance of memory and modern technique.<\/p>\n

Taking over the kitchen was nerve-wracking, she admits. But with the support of her team, and an extraordinary opportunity to travel with British Sichuan expert Fuchsia Dunlop<\/strong> to Chengdu and Chongqing\u2014where they explored the cuisine\u2019s 27 foundational flavour profiles\u2014Phan\u2019s confidence grew. \u201cI came in as an outsider,\u201d she says. \u201cBut now I feel like I\u2019m part of this conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

And what she\u2019s saying is bold, precise, and entirely her own.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Watch Reel” style=”custom” custom_background=”#4387fb” custom_text=”#ffffff” align=”left” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FDFmlMbBRUVi%2F|target:_blank”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”1007434″ img_size=”full” style=”vc_box_rounded” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=””][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”40″ css=”” accent_color=”#4387fb”][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”1007432″ img_size=”full” style=”vc_box_rounded” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=””][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″]

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Jack Lam | A Homecoming, Hokkien-Style<\/h2><\/div><\/div>[vc_column_text css=””]For Jack Lam, cooking Hokkien food wasn\u2019t a trend\u2014it was a return.<\/p>\n

Now executive chef at Ming Pavilion<\/strong> at Island Shangri-La, Lam has spent more than 20 years cooking Chinese cuisine at the highest levels, mostly in the Cantonese tradition. But his roots run deeper. Raised in North Point, a neighbourhood long known as \u201cLittle Fujian,\u201d Lam grew up surrounded by the people, language, and flavours of the Fujianese community.<\/p>\n

So when the opportunity came to open a restaurant devoted to Hokkien cuisine\u2014the first of its kind in Hong Kong\u2019s luxury dining scene\u2014he didn\u2019t hesitate. But he didn\u2019t copy either.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]\u201cI knew what it meant to me,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I had to understand what it could be for others.\u201d<\/p>\n

One dish that captures that spirit is his refined version of Steamed Mud Crab with Glutinous Rice<\/strong>, a celebratory dish often served at Hokkien weddings. Lam uses Vietnamese crab for its rich roe, and steams it atop seasoned sticky rice that absorbs every drop of savoury essence. The result is comforting, fragrant, and deeply rooted\u2014but polished.<\/p>\n

Across his menu, Lam also nods to the broader Hokkien diaspora, incorporating touches of Southeast Asian spice and warmth\u2014echoes of Taiwan, Malaysia, and beyond\u2014while keeping a Hong Kong sense of precision intact.<\/p>\n

In his hands, Hokkien cuisine isn\u2019t a throwback. It\u2019s a living memory, told with elegance.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Watch Reel” style=”custom” custom_background=”#4387fb” custom_text=”#ffffff” align=”left” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FDG4caWqJquM%2F|target:_blank”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”1007435″ img_size=”full” style=”vc_box_rounded” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=””][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”40″ css=”” accent_color=”#4387fb”][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″]

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The New Quiet Force in Chinese Cuisine<\/h2><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=””]There\u2019s a quiet power to what these chefs are doing. They\u2019re not chasing reinvention or spectacle. They\u2019re drawing from the past, asking harder questions, and cooking in a way that feels personal\u2014sometimes vulnerable\u2014and always intentional.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a revolution. It\u2019s something slower, steadier, and maybe more lasting.<\/p>\n

Call it depth. Call it fire. Or maybe, just the future.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”100px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=””]2025. April 11. INSIGHTS \u2212 They didn\u2019t all set out to become ambassadors of Chinese cuisine. For one, it was a second career. For another, it was a slow return to her roots after years abroad. And for the third, it meant reframing everything he\u2019d already mastered. But what they share is this: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1007445,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,3],"tags":[1456,1460,1468,1462,1338,1459,1458,1461,1457,1467,1464,1463,1469,1465,1466,1339],"class_list":["post-1007425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-critics-insights","category-news","tag-archan-chan","tag-cantonese-cuisine","tag-grand-majestic-sichuan","tag-hokkien-cuisine","tag-hong-kong","tag-hong-kong-chef","tag-jack-lam","tag-sichuan-cuisine","tag-theign-phan","tag-1467","tag-1464","tag-1463","tag-1469","tag-1465","tag-1466","tag-1339"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1007425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007425\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1007445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1007425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1007425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chineserestaurantawards.com\/stagingAUG2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1007425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}