The Chairman’s Danny Yip:
Elevating Cantonese Cuisine Globally
Recently awarded the Icon Award at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, Hong Kong-based chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Danny Yip discusses his business and growth strategy.
23 May 2024
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Photo Credit: The Chairman Group
How It Started
Chef Danny started his career as a restaurateur in Australia, but after a decade in F&B, he grappled with business challenges and low-profit margins. In 1997, Danny moved back to his birthplace, Hong Kong, to start his own tech company. He went on to successfully run a publicly listed company.
More than a decade later, Danny’s passion for food drove him back to the restaurant industry.
How it’s Going
Danny opened The Chairman in 2009 and for the first three years, the clientele were mostly local Hong Kong’ers seeking out high-quality Cantonese cuisine made with fresh, organic ingredients in a modern but casual setting. During this period, The Chairman relied solely on word-of-mouth.
After The Chairman started receiving awards and international recognition, the influx of overseas clientele was significant.“At one point, tourists accounted for half of our customer base.” Danny remarks.
Photo Credit: The Chairman Group
With the pandemic’s impact and a decline in tourism to Hong Kong, The Chairman’s clientele became predominantly local, with Chinese customers comprising over 70%. Despite this shift, in 2021, The Chairman made history by clinching the top spot in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, becoming the first Hong Kong restaurant to achieve this honour. As the city’s borders fully reopened in 2023, accolades for The Chairman’s Cantonese cuisine continued, leading to heightened global recognition.
Chef Danny shares that his mission with The Chairman has always been to offer something unique and innovative. “Chinese restaurants tend to offer the same stereotypical and standardised menus, whereas traditional Chinese cuisine encompasses a vast range of flavours and cooking styles.” Danny believes Chinese food can be presented in various creative styles while still honouring its traditional roots.
From Tech Entrepreneur To Chef-Owner
Business survival depends on providing unique products and efficient management. Fostering good teamwork is essential and Danny has excelled at this. He proudly shares, “Eighty per cent of our team has been working with us for over 10 years. I am extremely proud of this accomplishment, considering the high turnover rate typically seen in the restaurant industry. It is almost like a miracle.” The Chairman’s loyal and dedicated team play a central role in maintaining its consistent quality.
Photo Credit: The Chairman Group
Chef Danny believes that other attributes driving business success are ensuring customer satisfaction, and even surpassing expectations. Danny explains that people tend to overlook the fact that running a restaurant is highly competitive. “Running a tech company allowed me to learn and practise how to manage efficiently.”
The Biggest Challenge?
Danny’s customers are seasoned foodies—the real challenge is developing dishes that will wow them. Danny is always thinking of the next new dish and he keeps a running wish list. While The Chairman introduces only 4-5 new dishes a year, behind the scenes in the kitchen, Danny and his team experiment with new recipes every single day.
Photo Credit: The Chairman Group
Danny elaborates further: “It truly requires a great deal of experimentation to develop a dish that can surprise and satisfy our customers’ palates. Yet, it is during these moments that we find the most rewarding experiences. Seeing the happy and satisfied expressions on our customers’ faces when we succeed in creating something truly exceptional is immensely gratifying.”
Casual Home-Style Restaurant Versus Fine Dining
Traditionally, Chinese cuisine is shared during family gatherings. Chef Danny has a unique perspective on what defines fine dining. He believes the epitome of fine dining is “as simple as steaming a freshly caught wild fish. It doesn’t get any finer than that. The process of keeping a fish alive from the moment it’s caught, transported to the airport, and then to the restaurant is both costly and meticulous. This practice demonstrates a profound level of dedication to the quality of ingredients.”
Photo Credit: The Chairman Group
Chef Danny doesn’t care for showmanship or breaking down larger dishes into smaller servings to conform to expectations. He is all about simplicity, authenticity, and upholding the essence of the dishes being served.
The Chairman recently moved to a new location in Hong Kong Central, where the kitchen is larger, and seating has dropped by 20 per cent. But Chef Danny is happy to run a “small” Chinese restaurant where customers feel relaxed and at home. The restaurant has a cosy atmosphere with books, plants, and art by local artists . . . creating the feeling of a warm and inviting home.
Even after its relocation in 2022, The Chairman continues to be one of the most coveted tables in Hong Kong.
Photo Credit: The Chairman Group
With humility and hard work, business savvy, and beliefs built on tradition, Chef Danny has not only created a successful and award-winning restaurant, but he has put Cantonese Cuisine in the limelight on a global main stage. His focus on bringing forth the finest ingredients with integrity leaves a memorable and long-lasting impression that keeps customers coming back for more.
Photo Credit: The Chairman Group
Author: Namita Moolani Mehra
Namita is a freelance food and parenting writer, and a published cookbook and children’s book author. Namita is the founder of social-impact business, Indian Spicebox, a company that has helped fund over half a million hot meals for underprivileged children in India. Namita crafts delightful culinary experiences like street food pop-ups and spice workshops. She currently lives in Singapore with her husband and two young children. Visit her online at namitamehra.com
