MAINLAND CHINA
Lan Guijun
WHY Him? The founder of Yu Zhi Lan restaurants in Chengdu and Shanghai, Guijun is breathing new life into Chinese cuisine. His mission is to reframe classic Chinese cookery—and the dining experience that accompanies it—as luxurious, delicate and intimate in the vein of such world-class institutions as the French Laundry. Declared by the New York Times as the “new emperor of Chinese gastronomy,” Guijun is particularly known for his virtuosity in Sichuan cookery and his fine, quasi-japanese presentation.
Otto Goh
WHY Him? As executive chef at the Kerry Hotel, Pudong, Otto directs all things culinary at the Shanghai establishment’s three restaurants: The Cook, The Brew, and The Meat. Otto employs French cooking techniques and is committed to using seafood that is sustainably, ethically and, most notably, locally sourced. In September, he introduced seafood from Dalian, Haikou and Zhoushan to his menu at The Cook. He has recently been exploring chilli farming in Guangzhou and intends to incorporate the fiery peppers into his dishes.
Jenny Gao
WHY Her? Food blogger, critic and cook, Jenny grew up in the West but was drawn back to her ancestral home of Chengdu by her love of the region’s famously spicy cuisine. From her base in Sichuan, she has contributed to multiple publications and TV shows, including New York Magazine, Vice and Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.
NEXT ON HER PLATE Under her new brand, Fly By Jing, Jenny is selling her own takes on traditional Sichuan sauces, all of them made in Chengdu.
Paul Pairet
WHY Him? Provocative, innovative and experimental in his approach to food, this one-time science student is the chef de cuisine at Shanghai’s most avant-garde restaurant, Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, which has three Michelin stars. At Ultraviolet, daring gastronomy is fused with multi-sensory technology to create a fully immersive dining experience in which light, sound, theatre, scent and temperature are manipulated throughout a 20-course degustation menu. Ultraviolet placed eighth in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018. NEXT ON HIS PLATE Rumour has it that Paul and his team are working towards a new dining concept with VOL Group, the company behind Bar Rouge and Mr & Mrs Bund.
Tony Lu
WHY Him? A pioneer of upscale vegetarian cuisine, Tony is the executive chef of Shanghai’s Fu He Hui, which has a Michelin star. Specialising in exotic fungi, the three-storey restaurant has earned a reputation as a temple of haute plant-based food that applies French, Indian and British cooking techniques to traditional Chinese ingredients. Tony’s concept of a US$120 tasting menu was initially criticised (the Financial Times characterised Fu He Hui’s prices as “audacious” in 2016), but the restaurant’s popularity has proven that diners are just as willing to fork out on exquisite vegetables as they are on red meat. THAT’S NOT AL Tony is also a consultant to Yong Yi Ting at the Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai.
Demos Zhu
WHY Him? While studying at a New York university, Hangzhou native Demos had a transcendent experience at an upscale dessert bar called Chikalicious in the East Village. Beguiled by the brand, he decided to bring it to Mainland China. Now, as the owner of Chikalicious outlets in Shanghai and Beijing, he is changing the way Chinese diners think about dessert, with prix fixe pastry menus consisting of an amuse bouche, a main course (the fromage blanc cheesecake is not to be missed) and petits fours. Demos has also garnered high praise for an extensive list of dessert wines and champagne. NEXT ON HIS PLATE Demos is launching a project that will see Chikalicious boutiques serve as hubs for art exhibitions, wine tastings and tea sharing.