From the stainless steel plates of traditional Cantonese eateries to custom-made tableware for fine dining tasting menus, Kenny Leung sees his restaurant as a balance between tradition and innovation, preserving the roots of Cantonese cuisine while reimagining it for a modern audience.
Leung serves as the executive chef of YAO, which opened in 2024 in New York's Financial District. As the flagship restaurant of August Gatherings, the group began its journey in New York's Chinatown more than a decade ago before expanding downtown. Today, its modern Cantonese flavors are reaching an increasingly international audience.
"We want to enrich the depth and complexity of traditional Cantonese flavors through contemporary ingredients and techniques. At the same time, we hope to stay true to its roots while making it more accessible and relatable to today's diners, including international guests," Leung told China Daily in a recent interview.
The chef, who began learning to cook in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, at the age of 15, now leads a kitchen where traditional Cantonese wok hei (the smoky freshness of stir-fry) and open-flame cooking are combined with modern equipment such as immersion circulators, combi ovens and dehydrators.
