This chef turns down-to-earth Cantonese recipes into luxury diasporic gastronomy
Eva Che draws on her Chinese heritage and luxury experience for her catering brand whose clients have included Saint Laurent and Adidas
Private kitchens and high-end boutiques might seem worlds apart, but Eva Che, founder of catering brand CheHub, has found that they share common currencies: atmosphere, detail and hospitality.
“The food [at a private kitchen] is the interesting product that makes people curious to come,” says Che, 30, a self-taught cook who draws on her Cantonese heritage, Czech upbringing and experience in luxury fashion retail for her catering brand. “What keeps the client coming back again and again are the little things, such as plating, how they felt or even if the chair was comfy.”
This philosophy stems from her years spent working at high-end designer retailers Moncler and Gucci in the Czech capital, Prague, between the ages of 18 and 25, where she learned the importance of luxury hospitality and curating a stylish experience for the customer.
“Why did they come here? Are they getting what they wanted? Are they happy? Without good service, even the best food doesn’t taste good,” she says.
In 2020, Che started CheHub despite never having worked in a professional kitchen nor received formal culinary training. Rather, her connection to cooking is personal, emotional and instinctive.