SINGAPORE, Jan 14 — In an announcement released on Monday, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants named Vicky Lau, chef and owner of Tate Dining Room & Bar in Hong Kong, as Veuve Clicquot Asia’s Best Female Chef for 2015. The award is part of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants programme sponsored by S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, and is voted for by more than 300 industry experts from across Asia who are also behind the annual list. The 34-year-old maestro will be in Singapore on March 9 to receive her award at the star-studded ceremony held at Capella Hotel in Sentosa.
Lau’s quick rise to success is one that many young chefs today can relate to. After graduating from New York University, Lau initially embarked on a career in advertising as a graphic designer. This education taught her how subtle visual cues can be used to provoke an audience’s response, a skill she would later employ in her cooking. Sparked by her passion for the culinary arts, Lau enrolled in classes at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok. Then things got serious and she followed her graduation with a stint at the Michelin-starred Cepage in Hong Kong under the tutelage of Chef Sebastien Lepinoy.
Her talent was never in doubt, and in 2012, she opened Tate Dining Room & Bar serving French-inspired dishes with Asian influences, driven by the decision to serve “edible stories”, as told through dishes that engage and intrigue diners with rich imagery and a playful use of flavours and textures.
“As an independent chef working in a very competitive environment, being named Asia’s Best Female Chef is a validation of the hard work I’ve put in,” Lau said. “Having grown up in Hong Kong and educated in the West, I feel my work is infused with a variety of culinary influences and I am honoured that the respected industry experts voting on this award appreciate and recognise my efforts.”
And what does the win mean to her as a woman? “It is necessary to celebrate and recognise female talents, especially in an industry that is traditionally dominated by males,” Lau affirmed. “I’ve seen a change in the industry over the years with an increasing number of female chefs working the kitchens, especially in traditional Chinese kitchens.
“At Tate, for instance, we have a female to male ratio of 3:1. Regardless of a chef’s gender, you need hard work, a passion for your job and a love of the culinary arts to succeed in this field.”
Aymeric Sancerre, Veuve Clicquot International Director of Communications, agreed. “This award continues Madame Clicquot Ponsardin’s legacy by honouring female chefs who demonstrate passion, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. “Vicky Lau’s success can be attributed to her creativity, resilience and artistry, qualities that characterise Madame Clicquot’s life and achievements.”
Lau’s cuisine style is a bold excursion from the norm. According to the restaurant’s website, dishes are driven by a theme, which “could be inspired by a story”, reflecting a personal expression that is “free from the mandatory rigour” of internationally recognised rules for cuisine. Now that’s a story worth telling again and again. — Today
