Chan Sui Kei
Chef de Cuisine Celestial Court

Recently honoured with a Gold with Distinction Award at Hong Kong Tourism Board's Best of the Best Culinary Award 2004, Chef Chan Sui Kei talent in the kitchen is the pride of Sheraton Hong Kong's Celestial Court. He adds his award in the Clay Pot/Casserole Category to another Gold with Distinction Award won in the Dim Sum category, as well as two Gold and one Platinum Awards in the Hong Kong Food Festival Culinary Award.

Chef Chan has over 35 years of experience with Cantonese cuisine. Prior to joining Sheraton Hong Kong five years ago, he worked at a leading Chinese restaurant in Tokyo as Executive Chef for five years. 'I started training when I was 11 years old,' he reveals. 'When I was small, I became interested in food by watching cartoons. I have experience in other types of cuisine and dim sum as well, but I specialize in traditional Cantonese dishes.'

Creating all the delicacies at Celestial Court is no easy task. However, Chef Chan relishes the challenge by using traditional ingredients in unique ways and adding dramatic flourishes to decorate his dishes. He is responsible for overseeing banquet facilities as well. 'The menu changes seasonally, and we give it a complete update once a year,'he explains. 'I hope to keep our menu fresh and inventive, to make it a special experience for our guests.'

Cooking is truly Chef Chan's passion, and when he has some spare time, he often enjoys going on short trips to Macau or Mainland China to try out new restaurants. 'Even if I only have two days off, I'll go across the border with my wife to do some taste tests,' he says. 'When it is just the two of us, we can be very critical and taste the food properly. If I am with a group of friends, we end up just socializing.'

Chef Chan also strives to constantly update himself by participating in competitions and courses to advance his culinary skills. One of the things that distinguish Celestial Court is the attention the restaurant pays to its guests. 'You have to ask which Chinese cuisines suit our clientele. The cuisine of Shunde is very popular with local Hong Kong guests, but Westerners tend to like spicier dishes and ones with sweet and sour sauces.'

He feels that the best Chinese food is still in Hong Kong, but he tries to follow the latest trends happening on the other side of the border. 'They have a more traditional style of cooking on the Mainland, even when it comes to how they display and garnish the dishes.' With Chef Chan on board, Celestial Court's reputation for exquisite Cantonese dining remains unsurpassed.

Media Contact:
Florence Suen
Email: florence.suen@sheraton.com
Ph: 852 2732 6827