Chefs in Hong Kong

My name is Luca de Berarnidis and I am a designer haute-cuisine! My parents are creative people. Their lives were totally devoted to art and blowing an extraordinary soul into everyday things. Yes, they are designers. But I made my first steps in kitchen and cooking with my grand-parents. They are farmers. White-haired and wet-eyed they welcome me into a world of nature. And I’ve stayed there forever. What a wonderful childhood I had! With all those garden trees, harvest gatherings and funny stories my grandpa used to tell me in the evening. Too nostalgic for such a young man? Noway!

My name is Jaakko Sorsa. I’m a typical Finlander that every morning cheerfully goes to work in Hong-Kong. And I’m also an Executive Chef at Nordic FINDS restaurant & bar, but there are much more interesting things you can learn about me. My Homeland is Finland. I spent my childhood in the area called ‘Finnish Lakeland’. The name alone evokes a range of associations and fantasies related to nature. It was in Kuopio where I felt the reality. I felt nature and culinary and I will never forget those feelings. Fishing, foraging, obtaining wild game from hunters. Nordic life as it is.

My name is Caesar Lee. I’m a Chef at Charlie Brown Café. And although it might seem that Charlie Brown is some historical figure, the story is much more interesting than that. Do you remember cartoon dog Snoopy? The name of its owner is Charlie. And no, we don’t serve food for pets, but the real American one instead. Here in Hong Kong. I was born in China, in 1960. I was a simple Chinese boy, who started working before having his head screwed on the right way. I was around 13-14 years old, and I had just finished primary school. Of course, I couldn’t choose work by myself, and I couldn’t go to HR agency either. Can you imagine a 13-year-old child wearing suit and bearing folder with documents? It’s a figure of speech, of course, but this was my mother who chose work for me.

I wonder, how many are there Chefs in the world, who don’t think their dishes are the best and the most interesting, and restaurant they work at is the only one which is worth of visiting? Oh no, I’m more modest. My name is James Roy Oakley. I am an Executive Chef at the Armani/Aqua Restaurant in Hong Kong. Our customers are beautiful people with zest for life. As you might guess, I was born not in Asia, but in windy England. If you want to send me a postcard on occasion of my birthday, please do it on 16 April, I’ll be 30.

My name is Simson Kwan. I’m Chef at CAFÉ LANDMARK. This café is located in a premium Hong Kong shopping mall with the same name, where time runs faster than usually. This café is also filled with food enjoyment! But I would like to tell you my story first, not boring as it might usually be, but an interesting one. I was born in January 1955, and it means that I’m almost 60. This is really a lot, but I know for sure that there are tons of things ahead of me. I’ve never travelled far from home and have achieved considerable success here. But my childhood was not that prosperous. I grew up on a farm raising pigs, geese and chickens. My family was not rich. We used to produce preserved meat like «lap cheong» (Chinese sausages). But we were more known for the sea salt preserved ducks.

My name is Billy Otis, I’m a chef of the Socialito, Hong Kong. I was born in Santiago, Chile on April 24th Mom always had a garden when I was growing up and she would pick vegetables and make us dinner each night. I would always help make dinner it was very interesting for me. In the spring we would visit my Grandparents in Florida and I’d end up in the kitchen with my grandmother making pasta sauce, casseroles and pies. Food has always played a large role in my life.

My name is Frank Lebiez. I’m the proprietor, partner and Chief executive of Metropolitan Restaurant, Hong Kong. I was born on August 15, 1973 in Normandie, north-west of France, which is famous for its apple orchards, farms and Camembert cheese. My childhood was the one of a happy boy in a traditional French family. I grow up with the memories of the big tables of friends and family meeting together to enjoy the numerous delicacies that our region and country offer.

My name is Luca Marinelli. I’m a chef of the Italian restaurant Il Posto 97 in Hong-Kong. I was born on the 30th of March 1985 in Varese, North-Western Lombardy, in northern Italy. As my parent separated since I was young, I was raised by my mother in Varese, and during weekends say every 2 weeks I would alternate and spend time with my father who lived in Milan.

My name is Jerome Abraham. I am French, and I’m a chef in a French restaurant Saint Germain. It’s a place in Hong Kong with Parisian charm, energy and living spirit of Montmartre. I was born at the end of the summer 1979, in August 28. I was born in Athis-Mons closed to Paris. But my hometown is St Paul de Vence, where I grew. It’s in Provence, South of France. Growing up in Saint Paul de Vence was amazing. This area is so beautiful… It’s one of the most incredible parts of France. So being and living there has been a chance of my life. If you ever come to the Cote d’Azur, you just have to visit this place.

My name is Alex Liu. I‘m 34 and I was born in Hong Kong. I have a guilty pleasure to pasta. I have always been a fussy eater when I was child, but pasta was one thing I could always eat –so I ate a ton of it during growing up. I became a chef at 17. The entire male in my family were chefs but none of them treat it as a lifetime career. I want to be different. Throughout my 17 years of chef career, I love cooking seafood the most. Because fresh seafood do not require much extra seasoning and only we focus on the original taste.