Recent investigations raised concerns about the treatment of workers in his former business, Rockpool Dining Group. Perry had already stepped away from the business in 2020, and in 2021, the private-equity-owned hospitality group was split into two different businesses.

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald reported that the company had put significant pressure on vulnerable migrant workers to reach revenue targets.

Reflecting on this issue, Perry emphasised that he runs his restaurant with a caring philosophy.

“I really encourage the team to kind of keep an eye out for each other. We acknowledge that, yeah, there’s a lot of pressure but we’re all in it together, and we try to work through all the issues so that if someone’s having difficulty, we can actually resolve that.

“It’s a really tough industry. [Work] is seven days a week, 24 hours a day. We try to nurture a space where people don’t feel isolated and they don’t get in that situation where they go to a dark place and feel they don’t know there’s a way out.”

Ambushed by pirates when escaping Vietnam: one man’s journey to top chef

Despite these challenges, Perry, now 65, remains committed to his craft and continues to open new restaurants.

The chef’s most recent project is Margaret, an upscale eatery located in the prestigious Sydney suburb of Double Bay, which finally opened its doors in 2021 after delays due to Covid-19.

Adjacent to Margaret is Perry’s upscale bar, Next Door, which started welcoming guests in November 2022.

“We’re doing great burgers and minute steaks at Next Door,” says Perry. “Just classic dishes and [menu items like] antipasti, tapas, that kind of thing, so you can start with lots of different little dishes and get great bread because we have the bakery next door.

“We make sourdough and beautiful sourdough croissants that are on a whole other level. Croissants are great and crunchy, but these have this amazing chew, and the lactic acid from the sourdough is just beautiful.”

Back in Hong Kong, Perry shared a few things about the newly refurbished Qantas lounge at Hong Kong International Airport.

“Our customers absolutely loved the yum cha [dim sum] trolley [from before], so we are pleased to confirm we have fired up the dim sum steamers for its comeback, and will bring back the much-loved char siu.”

Perry’s affinity for dim sum dates back decades, as the seasoned chef has always kept close tabs on Hong Kong’s dining scene.

“I loved the dim sum that chef Chan Yan-tak used to make when he was at The Regent [in the 1980s and ’90s], and then when he opened Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons,” says Perry.

“I just noticed that it lost a star in the last Michelin Guide and I can’t understand why because Tak is still there. I think he’s 74 and still there every day and it’s still the same team.”

Perry’s restaurants often feature dishes that showcase the bold flavours and innovative techniques that he has picked up during his travels in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia.

He has placed his own twists on the Asian dishes available at the Qantas lounge, such as adding pickles to the char siu rice, or putting in finely chopped celery into the prawn dumpling. He hopes the lounge offerings reflect the strong influence that Hong Kong has had on his cooking style and philosophy.

The Australian celebrity chef has yet to open a restaurant in Hong Kong, but diners in the city at least now have a closer option to experience his cuisine, just past the airport’s departure gates.