Cover Shane Osborn and his team at Arcane (Photo: @shaneosbornchef)

On International Chef Day, there's no better time to follow these Hong Kong-based chefs, who offer a glimpse of life both behind and beyond the kitchen pass

Instagram has changed the game for restaurants and chefs, not only giving them the opportunity to present diners the inspirations behind some of their favourite dishes, but a way to showcase their own personalities and interests. While there are many chefs on social media, these are the ones whose Instagram game is strong—double tap and follow, if you haven’t already.

Natalie Eng, Bâtard

When she's not creating edible works of art as Bâtard's new pastry chef, this recent transplant by way of Singapore showcases a penchant for fashion, travel, and her French bulldog pup Titou through snippets of her life on Instagram.

Devon Hou, Cobo House

Get an eyeful of Devon Hou's art-inspired dishes as one half of Cobo House's leading duo, alongside chef Ray Choi. An alumni of Amber, Tate Dining Room, and Mandarin Grill + Bar, we're entranced by the creativity of Hou's culinary offerings, and just a tiny bit jealous of the stunning harbour views from her "office".

Karys Logue, Butter Cake Shop

You might best know her as the head pastry chef at Black Sheep Restaurants, where she cranks out drool-worthy cakes and pies galore for Butter Cake Shop and Gelato Messina, but this Tucson, Arizona native is also an avid yoga enthusiast, as well as a deft hand at stitching. 

Stephanie Wong, Roots Eatery

Fresh off her restaurant's summer break, Roots Eatery proprietor Stephanie Wong is back in the kitchen with new dishes and new energy. Follow her for antics with her puppy, Siu Wong, and for the lowdown on upcoming collaborations in the local food scene.

Mandy Siu

As the pastry chef of L'Envol, Mandy Siu is no stranger to Hong Kong's pastry lovers. Known for her elaborate sweet treats with a penchant for experimentation, Mandy's Instagram offers an inside look into her process of developing new desserts on the daily.

Sam Lui, Wendy's Wok World

Instagram darling Sam Lui consistently wows her followers with her mastery of the wok—no easy feat due to its physical strain and intense heat—under her moniker, Wendy's Wok World. She's also turning conventions about Chinese kitchens on their head and incorporating new ingredients like OmniPork into wok cuisine—all while barely breaking a sweat.

Agustin Balbi, Ando

The chef-founder of Ando restaurant, a stellar new opening from the JIA Group, offers a behind-the-scenes look at his kitchen—a recent video post of a fish being filleted is pure ASMR—as well as regular glimpses of his food-loving family, including foodie in training Lucas.

See also: Family Meal At Ando With Chef Agustin Balbi

Andy Ching Ho, The Chairman

When he’s not working at The Chairman, this young chef is out and about, dining well and frequently at some of the best restaurants in town—and capturing everything with the eye of a seasoned photographer. Just take a look at how he snaps a simple piece of roast goose on white rice. 

David Lai, Neighborhood

The shy chef in the iconic white t-shirt behind Neighborhood may not show his face often on his account, but that’s because his focus is always on the food—we love following David for his limitless knowledge of ingredients, both local and imported, and culinary techniques that bring out their essence.

Franckelie Laloum, Louise

The executive chef of Louise may be serious about cooking, but his playful nature shows through in his Instagram posts—recent ones include a mesmerising video of artichoke hearts bobbing in a pot of water being dubbed the “artichoke dance”, and Laloum looking extremely excited about dessert.

See also: Family Meal At Louise With Chef Franckelie Laloum

 

Guillaume Galliot, Caprice

Caprice’s executive chef has one of the best kitchens in town, and apart from seeing what he’s up to at the Four Seasons we also get glimpses of what makes him happy—the annual delivery of his mother’s homegrown tomatoes, for one.

Hideaki Sato, Ta Vie

Sato’s account is by far one of our favourites to follow, mainly because he posts frequently about his intense culinary experiments, including his pursuit of the perfect Peking duck—he’s currently on version 48—and Chinese steamed sugar cake. These dishes are not even those that make it onto his menu at Ta Vie, but show how far he’ll go to learn more about Hong Kong’s local cuisine.

See also: Hideaki Sato On The Importance Of Hong Kong's Local Markets

Jowett Yu, Ho Lee Fook

The Ho Lee Fook chef and self-proclaimed fried chicken aficionado is all about finding and sharing great food all over Hong Kong, from discreet noodle bars to #nofilter posts on the best charsiu in town.

Maxime Gilbert, Ecriture

The executive chef and general manager of two-star Écriture often gives sneak previews of upcoming dishes and seasonal creations, like a recent post celebrating a fig and blueberry tart by his young local pastry chefs Cyrus Yan and Tia Cheung.

May Chow, Little Bao Diner

Little Bao Diner's’s firecracker chef not only showcases great places she’s eating in around the city, but provides plenty of #fitspo with her rigorous strength training regime that she fits in around her time in the restaurant.

Nate Green, Henry

The bearded and tattooed Henry chef is best known for his bold, meaty cuisine, but his Instagram account shows a softer side to him—namely how much time he dedicates to his two young children, who are often seen cooking with him, and his journey to mastering the art of jiu jitsu.

See also: 3 Hong Kong Chefs Share Their Passion For Extreme Sports

Palash Mitra, New Punjab Club

Learn more about the intricacies of South Asian cuisine through Mitra’s account—the New Punjab Club chef often posts about incredible ingredients, like all the different varieties of mangoes, and about his various kitchen experiments.

Peggy Chan, Grassroots Initiatives

While it may appear that Chan may not be cooking as much as when she ran Nectar and, before that, Grassroots Pantry, she is busier than ever. Follow along and you’ll have your eyes opened to issues surrounding sustainability, food security, nutrition and more.

Ricardo Chaneton, Mono

The young chef behind Mono, one of 2020’s most exciting openings, presents a regular showing of his intricate dishes and the stories behind them. Follow to learn more about the lesser known side of Latin American cuisine.

Richard Ekkebus, Amber

Aside from using his platform to advocate for sustainability while showcasing the latest seasonal creations for Amber, the charismatic culinary director for Landmark Mandarin Oriental also reveals his passion for the great outdoors through his trail running and mountaineering posts.

Shane Osborn, Arcane

While Osborn has seen his follow count skyrocket after his appearance on Netflix’s The Final Table, we’ve always enjoyed following him to see the thought processes behind his cuisine. How else might you discover that Arcane now serves homemade kombucha?

Uwe Opocensky, Petrus

The Island Shangri-La’s executive chef always sees the beauty in the details, and captures them for posterity—whether it’s the vibrant colour of heirloom tomatoes or the satisfying patterns that appear in his mise-en-place at Petrus

See also: Salt Is The Single Most Important Ingredient, According To Uwe Opocensky

Vicky Cheng, VEA

For an education on great local produce, follow the executive chef of VEA as he shares regular updates on what’s in season—from local fruits to impressive, rare ocean catches—and how he plans to cook it.

Topics