Private chef at only 20: this talented young chinese left school to cook and now runs a successful table within home walls.
Portraits by Edmond So
The story
A promising private chef made his debut in the vibrant culinary scene of Hong Kong thanks to a story of audacity, courage, and... cookies. Andrew Wong is young, very young indeed, but his passion for cooking began when he was making chocolate chip cookies at the age of eight. Now, at just twenty years old, he has left his studies to devote himself full-time to the craft, opening the doors of his private kitchen to guests from around the world, as reported by the South China Post. His story is one that inspires and captivates: growing up in a family that cherished food, he learned from a young age the importance of putting love and dedication into every dish. It was the simple joy of mixing flour, butter, sugar, and chocolate to create his first cookies that marked the beginning of his culinary adventure.
At the age of thirteen, he prepared Beef Wellington for a Christmas dinner with his family, following a recipe from British chef Gordon Ramsay. During school holidays, his parents and siblings would invite their friends over and ask Wong to cook for them in exchange for pocket money. Every successful meal made him "even more passionate about cooking." Even dedicated programs, such as the Netflix series Chef's Table, had a significant influence. "It's simply pure art," Wong explains. In particular, he adores the episode featuring Italian chef Massimo Bottura. At fifteen, Wong already knew he wanted to become a professional chef. He convinced his parents to let him attend culinary school and enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand, one of the few institutions that admit people under the age of eighteen.
"At first, my parents were a bit hesitant. I didn't even have a high school diploma and I already wanted to attend culinary school. But I kept insisting, and eventually, I went when I was 16," says Wong. The journey was interrupted due to Covid-19, which prevented him from returning to the country. "In New Zealand, the regulations were very, very strict. They didn't let me back in for two years," he says. It was right after this period that Wong began regularly hosting private dinners at home on his parents' suggestion. He prepared his first dinner in the spring of 2021, which, he admits, was disastrous. But then, gradually, he expressed himself with classic dishes of traditional cuisine to land on more daring and creative dishes, and now each creation reflects his passion for food and his commitment to excellence.
But the story goes beyond the kitchen. Wong also creates his own utensils, sometimes. He even hand-built a pizza oven with refractory bricks purchased from Taobao and manually inserted a CPU fan for heavy loads into a grinder so that it could grind chocolate instead of just grains. Today, Wong prepares two meals a week in his family's home. Private dinners can be booked by sending a direct message to his Instagram account, @foodhub.andrew. But be prepared to wait: Wong has effectively created a real business, as most of his clients have been regulars for years and reach out to the chef every time his menu changes.
Wong has just completed a course in Italy with baker Mirko Iannarelli on viennoiserie and panettone preparation, known as the "Mount Everest of pastry." He plans collaborations with other private chefs and local establishments in Hong Kong and is working on a long-term project that he hopes to unveil towards the end of 2024.
