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    Chef

    Kang Yang

    Discipline
    Chef
    Portrait of Kang Yang

    Portrait of Kang Yang

    i. Biography

    Kang Yang came to Xiamen from Jiangsu in 2018, bringing a disciplined approach that found a clear outlet at Xia.

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    The Climb

    Training at Xia gave Kang Yang a working base in precision and restraint. That early kitchen experience reads less like a grand start than a practical apprenticeship, one built on repetition, attention, and control. Since 2018, Kang has served as Executive Chef of Xia, a position that requires the daily management of service, consistency, and the restaurant’s identity. The work demands continuity as much as command, and his tenure suggests both.

    Today

    Since arriving in Xiamen from Jiangsu in 2018, Kang Yang has shaped his career within the pace of Xia. As Executive Chef since 2018, he works in a register of fine dining that favors measured execution over display. The result is a kitchen presence defined by discipline, balance, and the kind of accumulated experience that shows up in control rather than flourish.

    Signature

    Chilled peanut sweet soup is one of Kang Yang’s signature dishes. The dish points to a style that values composure and precision, with a clear interest in contrast and texture. Within his body of work, it stands as a direct expression of restraint applied with care.

    Recognition

    Michelin Plate and Black Pearl 1 Diamond are among Kang Yang’s honors. Those recognitions place Xia and its Executive Chef within the current vocabulary of culinary distinction, reflecting steady execution and sustained craft. They also sit within a career that began with training at Xia and has continued, since 2018, through leadership in Xiamen.

    ii

    FAQ

    Asked of Kang

    • What is Kang Yang's current role?

      As of 2026, Kang Yang is Executive Chef of Xia.

    • Where did Kang Yang train or study?

      Kang Yang trained at Xia.

    • What recognition has Kang Yang received?

      Michelin Plate (2024).

    The Sunday email

    Read about chefs like Kang Yang in the Sunday email.

    Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.

    See a sample of the Sunday email

    Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.