Charles Cheung

The Climb

Charles Cheung’s work has been built through kitchens where precision is non-negotiable and repetition is part of the craft. At HKUST in 2014, he trained before moving into service as an apprentice at Forum Restaurant, where the pace and standards of Chinese cooking set the terms. He then moved through Foo Ka Chinese Restaurant as chef and later Celebrity Cuisine as chef, adding each station to the same discipline: control, consistency, and execution under pressure. The career now centers on two roles that frame the range of his practice: founder of Catty and Tael, since 2020, and Executive Chinese Chef of Zi Yat Heen, Four Seasons Hotel Macao. Cantonese cuisine anchors both posts, with tradition, technique, and present-day expectations all held in the same field.

Today

Cantonese cooking is the core of his work at Zi Yat Heen, where the restaurant’s recent signatures show a preference for clarity over excess. The style depends on timing, texture, and restraint moving together, and Charles’s kitchen works in that register. It is a cuisine that leaves little room for looseness, which is exactly why precision matters. In 2023, Pan-fried Kagoshima Wagyu A5 beef cubes were introduced as a new signature dish for the restaurant’s Michelin recognition celebration. The dish reflects a kitchen attentive to occasion and to the exacting finish needed for a celebratory plate. Charles places the same weight on the people behind that standard, saying, “I am so proud to work with passionate and talented team members who share the same goals and aspirations in creating world-class cuisine and service.”

Signature

Charles’s signature dishes include Pan-fried Kagoshima Wagyu A5 beef cubes and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. The pairing shows two sides of the same kitchen discipline: one built on tight execution and a premium ingredient, the other on depth, heritage, and the weight of a canonical dish.

In Their Words “I am so proud to work with passionate and talented team members who share the same goals and aspirations in creating world-class cuisine and service.” “I refuse to prepare boring dishes.”

Recognition

Charles’s honors include Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau — one star (2023), Dianping Black Pearl Restaurant Guide — one diamond, and South China Morning Post — 100 Top Tables. Taken together, they point to a chef whose work is judged on steadiness, control, and the ability to deliver cuisine that holds up under scrutiny.