i. Biography
Barbecue service at Hutong New York in New York City is a defining credit in Martin Mak’s career because it puts heat management, timing, and dining-room control in the same frame. As Barbecue Master, Mak worked in a register where flame is visible to the guest but still subordinate to the dish. Tableside flamed Peking duck requires a cook to hold two standards at once: the preparation must read clearly in the room, and the duck must remain the point of the service. In Mak’s hands, the flame functions as part of the craft vocabulary rather than as a diversion from it.
The Climb
Culinary craft, in this profile, means a foundation tested over 50 years of experience. Martin Mak’s training sits inside that long discipline: repeated work with heat, surface, timing, and restraint, the kind of practice that gives a cook steadiness under pressure. Barbecue technique at Hutong New York placed Mak in a role where the kitchen and dining room met directly. As Barbecue Master, he became closely associated with tableside flamed Peking duck, a service built on visible fire, controlled pacing, and a finished dish that has to hold after the moment of flame has passed. The move to Hutong Miami carries the same working language forward: precision, heat, and presentation handled as one system. Martin Mak’s path from training to New York City to Miami is best read as the refinement of a specialty into a recognizable signature, not as reinvention for its own sake.
Today
Chef work at Hutong Miami places barbecue technique and tableside presentation at the center of Martin Mak’s current role. The craft demand is clear: calibrate flame, keep service rhythm, and deliver a dish that can carry visual impact without losing precision on the plate.
Signature
The Flaming Duck and Flaming Peking Duck name the craft most closely associated with Martin Mak: duck, fire, and dining-room service handled under control. The performance is visible, but the useful standard is narrower and more exacting: flame must serve the preparation, not overtake it.
Recognition
Recognition for Martin Mak centers on his role as Barbecue Master at Hutong New York and on tableside flamed Peking duck. The distinction sits at the intersection of barbecue skill and service presentation, where a traditional preparation is brought into the room with heat, control, and clear focus.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Martin
What is Martin Mak known for?
Tableside flamed Peking duck.
