Class of ’97: From chopping ginger to a five-star hotel, chef Tsui Wai believes the flavour of Hong Kong will always appeal
Tsui wants to launch his own restaurant in Hong Kong one day because of the close relationship with customers. ‘If you do a good job here, people appreciate it,’ he says
Meet the class of ’97, born the year of the handover. Their childhoods tell the stories of Hong Kong’s first two decades after the return to China. Some remember Sars, others took part in Occupy. Now, they’re trying to work out what their future holds – and how Hong Kong’s own uncertain future fits into their plans.
Tsui Wai
Inside the kitchen of a Tsim Sha Tsui restaurant, Tsui Wai spends 13 hours a day chopping vegetables, plating dishes and practising cooking techniques – his dream is to become a master chef in Cantonese cuisine.
It all began 10 years ago, when he saw how his mother turned vegetables and meat into delicious dishes by cutting, boiling, steaming and stir-frying them.
As a child, he often sneaked into the kitchen just to try cutting ginger into pieces, and he became excited when his mother let him stir sizzling food in a wok.
His first work was a plate of stir-fried pork with tomato and potato, which was quickly eaten by family members.
“It was really fulfilling watching people eating what I had made,” he says. “I felt that cooking was an extraordinary job.”
At 16, Tsui was admitted to the Diploma in Elementary Chinese Cuisine programme at the Chinese Culinary Institute. He then worked at a five-star hotel before moving to a high-end Cantonese restaurant.
