Four Seasons Hotel Seoul Appoints Culinary Stars to Reclaim Michelin Status at Yu Yuan Restaurant

(IN SHORT) Four Seasons Hotel Seoul has made significant appointments in its culinary team, welcoming Head Chef Kwok Wai To and Dim Sum Chef Qingbing Wu to the renowned Yu Yuan restaurant. These appointments are part of a strategic initiative to regain Michelin-star status and strengthen the restaurant’s position as a world-class venue for authentic Cantonese and regional Chinese cuisine. Chef Kwok Wai To brings over 30 years of culinary experience, merging traditional Cantonese techniques with local Korean ingredients. Meanwhile, Chef Qingbing Wu specializes in dim sum, offering innovative menu selections that reflect both local culinary characteristics and his family’s restaurant heritage in China. Yu Yuan has previously held a Michelin 1-star rating and continues to garner acclaim for its gastronomic offerings.

(PRESS RELEASE) Seoul, Korea, 2024-Jan-17 — /Travel PR News/ — Four Seasons Hotel Seoul announces the strategic appointment of two distinguished culinary talents, Head Chef Kwok Wai To and Dim Sum Chef Qingbing Wu, at its renowned restaurant Yu Yuan. This move signifies a strategic initiative to reclaim the restaurant’s Michelin-star status and further solidify its reputation as a world-class venue for authentic Cantonese and regional Chinese cuisine.

Chef Kwok Wai To: Elevating Cantonese Cuisine to New Heights

Hailing from Hong Kong, Chef Kwok Wai To boasts an illustrious career, having served as executive chef at Meng Du Hui, awarded 1 Diamond grade by the Chinese Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, and as senior sous chef at the two-Michelin-starred Imperial Treasure in Guangzhou, according to the prestigious Michelin Guide. With a culinary journey spanning 30 years across Singapore, Beijing, and other locales, Chef To brings a wealth of experience to Yu Yuan.

Chef To seamlessly integrates traditional Cantonese cooking techniques with a deep understanding of local Korean ingredients in his new role at Yu Yuan. Celebrated for meticulous ingredient selection, long-simmered broths, and a mastery of Cantonese cooking techniques, Chef To’s culinary expertise is showcased through dishes that preserve the essence of each ingredient. Guests can savour his dedication to authentic Cantonese cuisine through the exquisite Korean Abalone Treasure Course, a six-course extravaganza available until February 1, 2024.

Expressing his enthusiasm, Chef To states, “I’m honoured to showcase my approach to Chinese fine dining at Yu Yuan. I’m dedicated to ensuring that guests continue to enjoy authentic Cantonese dishes crafted with the finest local Korean ingredients – and to regaining Yu Yuan’s Michelin star.”

Chef Qingbing Wu: Mastering the Art of Dim Sum

Simultaneously joining the team, Chef Qingbing Wu takes charge of the dim sum offerings during lunchtime at Yu Yuan. With more than two decades of dim sum expertise gained from luxury hotels and restaurants in Korea and Beijing, Chef Wu is renowned for marrying a friendly ambiance with pioneering menu selections.

Chef Wu introduces an array of tantalizing new dim sum options, including Liu Sha Bao (duck egg yolk custard lava bun), steamed red rice flour crepe with deep-fried shrimp, and the opulent Black Har Gow, a shrimp dumpling adorned with gold leaf. Welcoming the new year, Chef Wu adds a special touch to dim sum, featuring a piggy face symbolizing wishes for good health, wealth, and prosperity.

“I look forward to presenting a diverse range of dim sum that harmoniously interprets the local culinary characteristics, taking inspiration from my family’s restaurant in China, where dim sum holds a revered place,” comments Chef Wu.

Situated on the 11th floor of Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, Yu Yuan, designed by the renowned Andre Fu, offers an elegant ambiance reminiscent of dining in a Shanghai garden. It has gained acclaim among food enthusiasts for offering authentic Cantonese cuisine. From 2017 to 2021, Yu Yuan consistently held a Michelin 1-star rating, and in 2023, it was recognized with awards such as the 2023 Taste of Seoul 100 and the 2023 Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards Best of Award of Excellence, and Top 1000 World’s Best Restaurants on La Liste 2024.

To relish the magic of Cantonese gastronomy at Yu Yuan, call 02-6388-5500.

Media Contact:

Inyoung Moon
Director of Public Relations and Communications
97 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu
Seoul, 100-210
Korea
inyoung.moon@fourseasons.com
82-6388-5041

Source: Four Seasons Hotels & Resort

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