Friendly Neighborhood chef cooks up joy

"My cooking style is simply doing what I want. The thing that makes me happiest is when customers eat my food with friends and feel like they know me. I can express my personality through my dishes," he said.

His restaurant has been consistently ranked in Asia's Best 50 list in recent years, peaking at 9th, and later earning a Michelin star. Following his popularity on Chef of China, reservations are now booked through November.

But for Lai, these accolades are secondary to the experience he creates for his customers. "I want regulars to have something new every time they come. This gives me the motivation to keep creating new dishes, and once a dish is well-received, it may become a permanent part of the menu."

Seafood is a key ingredient in Lai's restaurant and he goes to the market daily to source the freshest fish — something he believes is the most local and authentic ingredient in Hong Kong.

Lai believes that in this age of information overload, it's easy for a chef's creativity to be influenced by what's seen online. He reads many books and browses a lot of information, but nowadays, he prefers to create dishes from the perspective of self-discovery and world exploration. He travels to places like Japan and Europe for inspiration. Compared to Michelin three-star restaurants, he enjoys visiting local bistros more.

"I believe the emotion conveyed by food must first move the chef, so that customers can feel it too. If the feeling and experience are secondhand, designed based on information from others, then the emotion will be weaker," he said. "So, you have to experience things firsthand."