Innovation heats up classic cuisine

Fresh inspiration

In addition to his culinary research, Tsui actively collaborates with outstanding chefs from across regions, exchanging ideas and drawing fresh inspiration from these encounters.

Partnering with Michelin-starred chef Yang Yanbin from Chengdu, Sichuan province, in April, the two culinary masters created a limited-time menu that paid tribute to the Maritime Silk Road.

Yang, a native of Quanzhou, Fujian province, specializes in the region's cuisine. His collaboration with Tsui sparked a creative synergy. Dishes like Blue Lobster with Satay Sauce and combinations featuring seaweed, yellow fungus and fresh conch emerged from their partnership.

"Working with Tsui was a real pleasure," Yang says. "We exchanged ideas, blended our ingredients and flavor profiles, and created this collaborative menu."

Food critic Hong Liang gave high praise to the menu. "In a single meal, land and sea delicacies were reimagined by master chefs from Fujian and Hong Kong," he notes. "Infused with the spirit of the Maritime Silk Road, each dish arrived at the table like a piece of edible art steeped in history and elevated by craft."

Tsui notes that joint menus like this allow him to learn from top chefs in other culinary traditions. "I learn something new every time."

He also brings his team members along on these collaborations, offering them valuable opportunities for growth and knowledge.

Beyond culinary innovation, Tsui also manages the kitchen team at the restaurant. When he moved from Hong Kong to Macao in 2012, he brought six of his team members. The team has grown to 23, with the original core forming its backbone.

"We've developed a strong chemistry. Often, I don't even need to speak; I just give a glance and they know what I want," he says.

In the kitchen, the team operates with calm precision, a rhythm Tsui has intentionally cultivated. He believes chefs must stay busy to keep their skills sharp and creative focus intact.

His insistence on handcrafted techniques also keeps the team constantly engaged. One dessert, for instance, features a handwoven handbag-shaped pastry, which is labor-intensive but always a showstopper. Tsui encourages his chefs to compete and grow, seeing mentorship as central to leadership.

He applies the same meticulous mindset to the hotel's banquet operations, which he oversees. Over the past decade, he has played a key role in national banquets marking the Macao Special Administrative Region's 15th, 20th, and 25th anniversaries of its return to the motherland.

Tsui's role has grown with each event — in 2015, he assisted on a few dishes; in 2020, he led the team; by 2025, he was in full command from planning to execution. For the 2025 banquet, Tsui directed a 70-chef team to serve eight courses to 600 guests in just 45 minutes.

Preparation began three months earlier, with detailed PowerPoint presentations, precise timelines, and staffing charts that underwent many revisions.

"Each banquet comes with higher expectations that we've finally met," Tsui says. "It's a shared achievement and a sign of how far the whole team has come."