Formerly a professional boxing champion, Chan Yau Leung’s rise to Master Chef is a story that is over 40 years in the making. With decades of experience helming acclaimed Chinese kitchens throughout Hong Kong and Japan, Chan accredits his past life as a boxer for the grit, persistence and competitive streak that brought him to where he is today as a respected leader of his field.
In 1983, due to the introduction of regulations that made boxing no longer a viable career option, Chan was forced to make the decision to leave boxing behind to pursue a new career that would help make ends meet. Already a passionate Chinese food lover and working part time in a Chinese kitchen, Chan made the natural transition to cook full-time at celebrity canteen Fook Lam Moon.
In 2003, Chan enjoyed a six-year-long passage as Chinese Executive Chef in Japan, where he opened and led the kitchens of Fook Lam Moon Tokyo and Osaka. In 2010, Chan was appointed to the role of Chinese Executive Chef at Guo Fu Lou Hong Kong, where he earned the restaurant its first MICHELIN star, and which he sustained with his extraordinary skills for the decade to come.
In 2012, Chan was entrusted with the role of Chinese Executive Chef at one MICHELIN starred Fook Lam Moon, where he elevated the cuisine to its legendary status. He made the natural progression to Group Chinese Executive Chef, overlooking Fook Lam Moon (1*) Hong Kong, Fook Lam Moon Macau, and Guo Fu Lou (1*) in Central.
Driven by a time-honoured culinary philosophy, Master Chef Chan creates authentic Cantonese dishes using only the best seasonal ingredients sourced locally where possible. His exceptional cooking techniques, deep understanding of ingredients, and excellent kitchen management skills create the foundation of the award-winning dishes at one MICHELIN starred Duddell’s Hong Kong.