Henji Cheung

The Climb

Since 2019, the working identity of Queen's English has been tied to the co-owner and executive chef role held by Henji Cheung. In that position, the craft decisions sit close to service: kitchen rhythm, menu character, and the balance between cultural specificity and technical precision are treated as operating standards, not decorative language. Cantonese flavor provides the base grammar, while Italian and French cuisines supply structure and polish. That combination gives the cooking its tension: familiar ingredients handled with deliberate craft, comfort tightened by technique, and plates built to satisfy while still showing the decisions behind them.

Today

The current cooking at Queen’s English remains rooted in Cantonese culture, with a modern twist rather than a break from the flavors that shaped Cheung. Tradition is handled as a usable working material: refined, adjusted, and served in a new register without being separated from its source. The daikon fritter is the clearest standing proof of that approach. A signature dish on the menu since day one, it takes three days to make and remains because guests keep asking for it. Its value is in patience and texture before presentation: a dish built through process rather than volume. The truffle dumplings work in a different register: pan-fried dumplings filled with edamame, shallot, tofu, and truffle sauce, then topped with more truffle sauce, Saba, and sweet corn espuma. The form stays legible as a dumpling while the layering moves through earthiness, sweetness, richness, and lift. The claypot rabbit follows the same logic of structured overlap: Cheung braises whole rabbit with Chinese mirepoix, European mirepoix, and Shaoxing wine, using aromatic traditions for depth rather than contrast alone. Service standards at Queen’s English are built collaboratively, and Cheung states the operating principle plainly: "Almost all service, food, and beverage standards are a result of collaboration with all associated staff members." The room allows staff to be themselves, while the baseline remains exacting: they must know the food and wine they sell. That balance of freedom and rigor is also the kitchen’s working method. Queen’s English has a clear culinary point of view, but the experience is made collectively, plate by plate and service by service.

Signature

Cheung’s signature dishes include daikon fritter, truffle dumplings, and claypot rabbit.

In Their Words “Almost all service, food, and beverage standards are a result of collaboration with all associated staff members.”

Recognition

Henji Cheung has received James Beard Awards — Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic finalist (2025). Cheung's honors include Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic finalist (2025).