Profile | How a love of food and an obsession with Chinese explorer Zheng He inspire long-time Hong Kong restaurateur Paul Hsu
- Paul Hsu founded Elite Concepts in Hong Kong in 1990 after helping to open hotels in China, and is still opening restaurants three decades later
- He talks about how Chinese explorer Zheng He inspires his Nanhai outlets, and his latest venture with chef Que Vinh Dang making vegan Vietnamese sauce
Paul Hsu, founder of Asian hospitality group Elite Concepts, is known to enjoy a glass or two of wine with friends at the end of a day. Sometimes one bottle of red turns into two or maybe three.
When he proposed doing this interview at his office early on a Thursday morning, there was some doubt whether he would be awake or alert enough for a chat. But there he was, bright and early, ready to go. In fact, he arrived well ahead of time while this writer was stuck in traffic.
For over 30 years, Hsu has been one of Hong Kong’s most significant restaurateurs, creating lasting brands such as Ye Shanghai, Deng G and Nanhai. Long-time Hong Kong residents might recall his past establishments, which include Cinecitta, Kokage, One-Fifth, Klong Bar & Grill, and Bebek Bengil.
Hsu has been prolific but not particularly prominent; he’s never craved the spotlight. Some owners are merely investors, but Hsu manages operations and kitchens. He inherited his love of the food and beverage industry from his mother, who was the banquet manager of the old Hong Kong Hilton hotel.
“I was born in Hong Kong, but my mother was originally from Shanghai,” Hsu notes. “I was weaned at the Hilton here. Then, I went to the States, spent a few years studying engineering at Cornell and realised I wasn’t into that stuff.”