How Jowett Yu's childhood experiences helped shape his new restaurant

It's not surprising that Jowett Yu wants to meet at a traditional cha chaan teng - its unpretentious surroundings fit perfectly with his down-to-earth nature. Settling on a stool, the chef looks relaxed in jeans and a T-shirt as he orders a bowl of noodles with vegetables. "I love this really honest food and decor," he says.

It's a philosophy Yu will follow when he opens his first restaurant in Hong Kong later this month. Going by the cheeky name Ho Lee Fook (meaning "good fortune for your mouth"), the restaurant on SoHo's Elgin Street will serve Chinese food but the dishes will be modern interpretations of the cuisine on which he was raised.

Born in Taiwan, Yu spent time in Canada - his family emigrated there when he was 10. He moved to Sydney in 2005 where he worked at Tetsuya before conquering the city's food scene with his hip restaurants Mr Wong and Ms G's Asian, the former winning Australia Gourmet Traveller's best new restaurant of 2013 award.

But the pull of Asia and a desire to return to his regional roots grew too strong to ignore, and that's good news for Hong Kong's foodies. There will be dishes such as Yunnan-style steak tartare with hot and sour sauce, fried Brussels sprouts with cauliflower and bacon chilli jam, and clams cooked in pork broth with fennel. The menu will also include fresh seafood options - many sourced locally - such as raw Hokkaido scallop with snow peas, pickled enoki and fish fragrant dressing, steamed cobia with pickled jalapeños and pickled mustard, fennel and radish salad.

"I was coming to Asia twice a year and just recently felt the pull to move back to the region. An opportunity came so here I am," he says.

Tucking into his noodles, Yu, 32, recalls his childhood where he formed his first memories of food. In Taipei he spent many Saturday afternoons making dumplings with his mother and holidays at his grandparents' farm on the east coast of Taiwan.