What was your first industry job?
Running Xi Home, serving food at the counter, one dumpling at a time. I was the girl behind the till, handing out dishes I grew up eating, sharing stories through flavours.
If you weren’t in the restaurant industry, what would you do?
I would be an artist, still telling stories, just through a different medium.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Chantelle Nicholson. She’s an incredible chef and entrepreneur who’s built something deeply thoughtful in one of the hardest industries. I admire how she brings her New Zealand roots into her cooking in such an honest, intuitive way.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen/restaurant?
When food is made without feeling.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
“Why did you open a dumpling restaurant without dim sum?”
Sum up your the restaurant’s cooking style in a single sentence…
Loud, bold, and colourful.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
“There are bones in the chicken”... they ordered the dishes with bones.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Taste everything, travel when you can and never stop being curious.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A speaker. The right music sets the rhythm of the kitchen, it lifts the mood and carries the team.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
My grandfather’s dishes - soft white cabbage, sweet tomato, tender beef and stewed potatoes.
À la carte or tasting menu?
À la carte. I love the idea of guests choosing their own pieces, like building a puzzle together. It makes every table’s story a little different.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
In a tiny fishing village in Taiwan, at a family-run spot where the day’s catch became the day’s menu. Everything was fresh and full of soul, but I still dream about the mullet roe sausage. It was smoky, briny, and completely unforgettable.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
MasterChef.
What’s the most overrated food?
Foam. It looks nice on the plate, but most of the time it tastes of nothing.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
QR code menus. Bring back the feeling of holding a menu, like opening a storybook.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Seafood.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
The Alps.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Gin and tonic with yuzu honey syrup.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
Pork ribs stewed with blood sausage and pickled Chinese leaf cabbage, and grilled ox tongue, crisp at the edges and tender inside. I pair it with cherry palinka – sharp and fiery. It’s northeast China meets Eastern Europe.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Our sea urchin and scallop dumpling, which is on our seasonal menu.