Tong Chee Hwee

The Climb

Career progression in Chinese kitchens is often measured by breadth of responsibility as much as by title, and Tong Chee Chee’s path shows that clearly. The work began at Happy Valley Chinese restaurant in Singapore, where service pace and technical consistency were set early. It continued at the Kuala Lumpur restaurant of Happy Valley Chinese restaurant, a move that widened the brief and tested control across a larger operation. Each step demanded the same thing: steady standards under changing pressure. Kitchen leadership followed at the Chinese restaurant at the Ritz Carlton hotel, where the level of expectation rose again. In 2001, Hakkasan in London became the next marker, with Tong Chee Chee as head chef and the remit shifting from execution to direction. By 2010, as Executive Head Chef at Hakkasan group, the role reflected not only seniority but accumulated trust in his judgment across a broader stage. By the time he became Chef Owner of Gouqi in London in 2023, the title had changed, but the through-line remained the same: control of Chinese cooking at a high level, built step by step.

Today

Since 2023, Gouqi in London has been the working address for Tong Chee Chee’s current role as Chef Owner. The significance of that position sits in the accumulation behind it: years spent moving through different kitchens, adapting to different scales, and keeping technique and standards intact as responsibility increased. The present tense at Gouqi is the result of that long process, not a departure from it.

Signature

Drunken chicken appears among Tong Chee Chee’s signature dishes, and it fits the shape of his cooking: a traditional dish handled with familiarity, not fuss. The point is not novelty for its own sake, but clarity of flavor and confidence in presentation.

In Their Words “I always follow the most traditional and authentic flavours possible when I’m cooking a particular dish.” Those two lines describe a method more than a slogan. Tradition is the baseline; modern execution is the adjustment. Tong Chee Chee’s position is practical rather than ideological: keep the flavour intact, then find a present-day form that carries it cleanly.

Recognition

London Chef of the Year is the recognition attached to Tong Chee Chee’s name, and it aligns with a career built on measured advancement rather than sudden visibility. The award sits alongside the harder evidence: long service in demanding kitchens, senior roles in London, and a consistent command of Chinese cuisine at the level where standards are judged by peers.