Competitiveness inspires says chef-of-the-moment Vicky Lau

Globally-recognised Asian restaurants are fast growing in numbers and this can be attributed to the region’s competitive environment. At least that’s what chef-owner Vicky Lau of Hong Kong’s Tate Dining Room & Bar thinks.

The 34-year-old was recently named Veuve Clicquot Asia’s Best Female Chef for 2015.

“This competitiveness inspires chefs to strive harder, to stand out and produce higher quality of work,” she said, pointing out the growing number of Asian restaurants being awarded a spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list sponsored by S Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. To boot, the organisers felt that the region was deserving of its own list and debuted the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants programme in February 2013 (the same year a list for Latin America was launched).

Lau is, of course, no stranger to this sumptuous realisation and her achievement is made much more impressive by the fact that it has only been two years since she launched Tate. The restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star every year since it opened.

Not bad for someone who previously worked in the advertising industry for six years — she decided to move to the F&B industry after completing a course in pastry and cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok. Just like last year’s recipient (Lanshu Chen of Le Mout Restaurant in Taiwan), Lau has her culinary roots in French cuisine, fusing it with innate Asian sensibilities. Asia’s diversity of cuisines certainly makes things more interesting, Lau said.

“But it’s not the only reason why things are getting competitive in the Asian food scene,” she asserted. “The quality of restaurants in Asia seems to be improving, along with the market of Asian diners growing in both numbers and sophistication. Besides enjoying diverse Asian cuisines, non-Asian cuisines are growing in popularity here too. Of course, all this helps to feed a healthy food culture. So while it can be competitive, it’s also very exciting.”

What’s equally exciting is the powerful draw of traditional cuisine juxtaposed against the fast-rising prominence of contemporary cuisine. “What’s great about the food scene in Asia, especially in Hong Kong, is that it has an equal appreciation for both the traditional and new,” said Lau. “It’s a market that loves trying new things, but at the same time it values ‘authenticity’. I try to deliver new and unique experiences at Tate, but occasionally incorporate some traditional techniques into my dishes … I find it intriguing to take something familiar and present it in a different way.”

Indeed, some of the world’s most recognised proponents of contemporary dining also boast a firm grasp of the traditional. It’s no surprise then that some of Lau’s favourite female chefs share a similar knack — such as Chen and Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. Chen’s dishes, Lau said, reveal classic French touches but are fused with local produce and ingredients from all over the world, while Crenn’s cooking concept “embodies both her heritage and the smart use of fresh ingredients”.

And it doesn’t get fresher than locally farmed produce, which is a trend to look out for this year, shared Lau. “Going back to nature and understanding the meaning of real, whole and natural foods is becoming more and more important to me and I think chefs these days are paying more attention to that,” she said.

“Since the Hong Kong government recently implemented a scheme to have more local farms, it would be nice to see more quality local produce-focused restaurants. I would also like to see more original concept restaurants, instead of importing popular foreign food chains.”