Celebrity chef Hugo Leung, aka To To, on the road to becoming a ‘Gourmet God’
Leung wasn’t always a ‘Gourmet God’ – as an apprentice, he was expected to clean woks, sharpen knives and even wash his master’s underwear
With a career spanning almost five decades, chef Hugo Leung Man-to, popularly known as To To, is a celebrity chef who has operated Tai Wing Wah Restaurant in Hong Kong’s Yuen Long area since 1975.
Leung is also known for his TVB show Gourmet Secret Agent, from which he gained the moniker “Gourmet God”.
“I did that show because the executives at TVB came to my restaurant, liked my food and asked if I wanted to be in a show,” he recalls. “I decided I wanted to donate the proceeds to charity, so I took part.”
Leung played a big part in the production of the show, which featured hidden-gem restaurants in the second- and third-tier cities of China, and helped the team gain access to farms showcasing unique ingredients.
“A lot of these restaurants and suppliers took part in the show because of me,” Leung explains. “I owed so many personal favours to friends and suppliers after the show, as many of them agreed to be featured because of my relationship with them.”