How Chinese chef of 2-Michelin-star plant-based restaurant is redefining vegan cuisine
Chef Dai Jun talks about his philosophy at Beijing’s Lamdre, a restaurant that sits at the vanguard of the Chinese vegetarian food scene
Cantonese cuisine, with its well-loved items like char siu, crispy pork belly and roast duck, may seem almost antithetical to the concept of vegetarianism, but that is not the case for chef Dai Jun.
Opened in late 2022, the Beijing restaurant was quickly awarded the One to Watch Award as part of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024, and it has swiftly become a culinary magnet for food enthusiasts.
Most recently, in December, Dai joined chef Tam Kwok-fung of Chef Tam’s Seasons at Macau’s Wynn Palace for a four-hands collaboration, with seasonal ingredients and sustainability at the forefront of its ideology.
There, he served Lamdre’s popular “Sunflower” dish. The appetiser, which bears a resemblance to a real sunflower, intertwines Beijing’s seasonal hawthorn cake, green apple and sweetcorn purée to deliver a delicate crunch and subtle fragrance.
