Celebrity chef and television food-show host Jacky Yu Kin-chi hasn't had much free time lately. As well as implementing an ambitious expansion plan for his Xi Yan Sweets chain in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia, he recently moved his private Wan Chai kitchen, Xi Yan, to larger premises.
Rumours had been circulating that Yu would move the private kitchen to Sheung Wan. 'I did find a place in Sheung Wan and almost took it,' Yu says. 'Luckily, I gave up those premises because I couldn't persuade the landlord to grant more than three years for the lease. Later, the space on Wan Chai Road was up for rent. It's ideal in terms of its proximity to the original location and to my office.'
The interior of the private kitchen - now called Xi Yan, Hong Kong - has gone upmarket. Although the signature red walls and flower arrangements retain the charm of the original, the homey feeling has been replaced by a modern yet tranquil atmosphere. The space can seat 70 diners and there are two VIP rooms that can each be booked for groups of up to 16 people.
Xi Yan, Hong Kong serves the banquet-style feasts the original private kitchen was known for but it's open for lunch too. Lunch is HK$180 a person, for a minimum of four people. The six-course lunch has items such as Sichuan dumplings in chilli oil and osmanthus-smoked duck egg quartet with four garnishes.
Dinner menus are rotated monthly and priced at HK$360 or HK$480 a person. The more expensive menu features seafood, with dishes such as golden stewed abalone with Japanese sake and soy sauce (below left), and a fresh seafood cocktail featuring seaweed, oyster, black caviar, Japanese vinegar and Tabasco (below centre). Other dishes include glutinous rice with crabs, chicken in hot and spicy sauce, and the Thai-inspired cold lobster in lime and shrimp sauces.
The HK$360 menu consists of Yu's classic dishes, such as crispy spare-ribs with preserved tangerine peel (below right), northern Chinese-style dried chicken and spicy beef brisket with Sichuan hot sauce.