Tong Chee Hwee has been instrumental in bringing Chinese fine dining to London in his previous role as executive chef of the Hakkasan Group for 18 years, overlooking the global expansion of Hakkasan, Yauatcha and HKK and earning seven Michelin stars since 2001.
In 2023, after years of preparation, Tong opened Gouqi right by Trafalgar Square, a fine dining concept that built on his previous success — Hakkasan’s luxurious Peking duck with caviar, which was his idea; Yauatcha’s excellent dim sum and patisserie offerings, and HKK’s tasting menu concept.
Despite its prime location, the spot so far remains somewhat of a culinary secret among the city’s discerning diners seeking a change from other Chinese restaurants like Imperial Treasure in Waterloo Place, or Royal China Club on Baker Street.
Tong admits that the first few months were challenging as the restaurant received few walk-ins. But things began to improve as influencers, creatives and celebrities of Asian heritage raved about the food to their inner circles and on social media.
In April, Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh paid a visit to Gouqi alongside “American Born Chinese” and “Jumanji” franchise producer Melvin Mar.
According to Tong, Yeoh said she wanted to support him because both of them are from Ipoh, Malaysia.
He also reveals that Yeoh’s favorite dish that night was lobster noodles.
“She was mindful about what she eats. But that night, I could tell that she ate a lot of the lobster noodles. That must mean she liked it,” Tong recalls.
Other celebrities Gouqi has hosted include fashion designer Huishan Zhang, Han Chong of Self-Portrait, theatrical legend Andrew Lloyd Webber and South Korean actress Park Bo-young, and has catered fashion events like Byredo’s Lunar New Year dinner party.
In terms of popular dishes, he circles Monk Jumps Over the Wall — an elaborate soup with various dried seafood inside known for its rich taste — and Peking duck with Oscietra caviar, which according to Tong is cooked in a different style of stove from Hakkasan’s version that offers a better taste.
Honey-glazed Iberico Char Siu with salted egg yolk, chargrilled octopus, salt and pepper squid stuffed with minced prawn, and lobster soup with rice pin noodles, crispy rice and bonito flake are in high demand as well. Both the duck and the rice are served by the table, providing plenty of materials for social media.
The restaurant updates its menu every six months as Tong encourages his team to innovate and keep up with the latest culinary trends in China, where regional cuisines are going high-end, and expectations for the food and service are continuously rising.
“I always tell myself that we cannot stop. One is never too old to learn. I have high expectations for myself and my team. Making more delicious food for our customers and keeping them entertained is important,” says Tong, who leads a team of 16 chefs at Gouqi.
In April, the restaurant introduced a new dim sum menu with highlights including crab meat Xiaolongbao, Japanese purple sweet potato croquette, pan-fried Angus beef pancake and a rainbow-colored dim sum platter, something one simply couldn’t find in London’s Chinatown.
Chinese fine dining means serious business in London, as big spenders from the region can only eat a certain amount of European food during a weeklong shopping frenzy in town. Not to mention London has consistently been named the top destination for wealthy Chinese to send their children for education and for themselves to live, which helps to further drive up demand for housing properties as well as for restaurants.
To wit, Tong says he had anticipated a 30 percent Chinese and 70 percent non-Chinese customer ratio ahead of the opening, but the ratio now sits at 50/50.
In addition to Gouqi, The Peninsula London last year unveiled Canton Blue, a Chinese fine dining restaurant inspired by the hotel’s Far East link. The Chancery Rosewood, housed in the former U.S. Embassy on Grosvenor Square, will also welcome a new Chinese haute cuisine concept when it opens its doors next year.
Other contenders include Park Chinois, a modern imagination of the Jazz Age set in Shanghai’s 1930s, and A. Wong, the first and only Chinese restaurant to be awarded two Michelin stars outside of Asia.
Tong says he welcomes the competition, as it forms a healthy environment for everyone to grow.
“I always tell my customers that there is no such thing as the best Peking duck in town. We all excel in our respective fields. If you have had too many meals at Imperial Treasure, you can come to us, and vice versa,” Tong quips.
He says he isn’t afraid to pass down his culinary expertise to his younger colleagues, as he was mentored under master chef Cheng Hon Chau at the beginning of his career in 1982.
“What sets Gouqi apart from the rest is that I am willing to teach you everything as long as you are willing to learn. Also, there is no division in the kitchen. As long as you get your work done, you can come learn new skills from me,” he adds.
Cheng later became Mandarin Oriental’s executive Chinese cuisine chef in Singapore, while Tong was discovered by Alan Yau, founder of Hakkasan Group, to spearhead the opening of Hakkasan Hanway Place in 2001, and the subsequent expansion.
“I was working at Summer Pavilion in Ritz-Carlton Singapore at the time. He came several times and tasted my food, before telling me that I was the chef he had been looking for. He later told me that he had met with over 70 chefs in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Taipei before me. He picked me because what I cooked was the closest thing to his expectation of what Hakkasan would be,” Tong recalls.
On the last weekend of April, Tong appeared on BBC’s “Saturday Kitchen Live” to reveal the secret of making delicious Peking duck at home, furthering his commitment to knowledge-sharing with the public.
Looking ahead, Tong says he would like to open a new location for Gouqi outside of London.
He also urges the government to adjust its requirement around working visas so that more talented chefs from Asia can come work in London, and bring new ideas to the city’s culinary scene.
