Vicky Lau: Artistic Expression Through Haute Cuisine

“My interest in art is really in the culture itself, because food is also about culture. It’s all connected.”

Hong Kong native Vicky Lau began her journey of creativity and entrepreneurship not as a chef, but as a graphic designer. She moved to the United States at the age of 15, where she attended a boarding school in Connecticut, and studied graphic communication at New York University. Soon after, her career in advertising and graphic design blossomed as Lau searched for different approaches to storytelling and expression in her work.

After returning to Hong Kong in 2010, Lau’s growing interest in cooking, fine dining and haute cuisine inspired her to enrol in a nine-month course at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok, Thailand, where she earned a Grand Dipl?me.

From there, she went on to found TATE Dining Room, Mora, Date by Tate, and ān Soy. In 2021, TATE Dining Room was recognized with two Michelin stars, making Lau the first female chef in Asia to achieve this level of distinction. Since 2022, Mora, a restaurant focused on dishes that highlight the versatility of soy, has held a Michelin Green Star, reflecting its commitment to sustainability in its operations.

Lau draws inspiration from Hong Kong’s rich heritage to create an innovative dining experience, fusing together Chinese culinary traditions with French influences, to create a series of tasting menus known as “edible stories”. Each dish on the menu pays homage to a specific ingredient, most of which are locally sourced.

“At TATE, we believe fine dining is not a medium particular to a region, collection of ingredients nor even classical recipes.” Says Lau. “Its foundation lies in the belief that a meal can and should be elevated to an art form – the perfect expression of an idea that can be consumed by all senses.”

For Lau, cooking opens the door to expression, experimentation and joyful, dream-like creativity. “You think of a concept and then you start grabbing things around you—be it paper, food or whatever—and you create something with it.” She describes. “Design, texture and colour are considered. It’s the same with food, only there’s the dimension of taste too.”

“My interest in art is really in the culture itself, because food is also about culture. It’s all connected.” She says. “We feast with our eyes first, and when I present a dish, it’s like a gift to someone. For me, that’s the importance of the visual.”

Lau is always striving to channel something good, positive, and hopeful through her work. Be it the desire to enchant and comfort others with her divine cuisine, or the wish to protect the planet through the use of responsibly sourced ingredients, Lau’s cooking acts as a conduit for communication and creative finesse.

“At college, we were exposed to the idea that we should design things that can positively impact humanity, and I think this idea really stuck with me—the beauty of creating something meaningful.” Explains Lau.

“Sometimes when I want the food to taste really good, I will talk to the food in my mind.” Lau goes on to say. “I imagine a pink light; I think about that light going into the dish before I serve it. It makes me feel good and I just hope the person on the receiving end can feel that too.”

?Fine dining and art are forever intertwined in Lau’s mind, two sides of the same coin, and through her work she aims to explore the relationship between the two, hoping to crystallize the many ideas she conjures up.

?“I have a lot of fantasies in my head.” Says Lau. “Like finishing off a meal in something like a Zen Garden. It would also be great to create something where everything is made from scratch—from the table, cutlery, glass and chairs—and serve it all outdoors, very naturally. I also want to do one crazy dinner with live music and performances.” She explains.

“You know what I’ve always wanted to do? I would love to create a place like the poetry cafes in New York, where someone’s on stage reciting or talking about their poetry. It would be so beautiful.” Says Lau. “We could exhibit art at TATE, with musicians, dancers, like a gallery space with LED projections on tables, performance art, a live band; I think it could be a very emotional kind of experience. That would be a dream.”

Lau thinks back on the compliments she has received because of her cooking. “The most interesting would be when someone says, ‘This is very you,’ or ‘This whole meal is very you.’ And that’s very often people who don’t even know me.” She describes. “I wonder, how can they say that? After all, I don’t even know myself, how can they?” Lau questions.

“I think that detail means they feel like they already know me without knowing me. Which is also one of my goals, so I don’t have to talk to all the customers, it’s just all expressed by what’s on the plate. It’s subliminal.”

To Lau, teamwork is key. She believes cooking to be a performance, and those performing together must have synergy, along with a shared vision they hope to bring into existence. “The whole team needs to align and there needs to be a standard. The whole team in the kitchen need to be of the same spirit and mindset.” Explains Lau.

“The food and beverage scene are intense.”? Lau describes. “Every day we have to greet a lot of people; we work as a team, and we want to have a consistent performance.” Says Lau, noting the high pressures of owning a restaurant. “At one point, you’re talking to 100 people who’ll give you their two cents’-worth all the time. All these emotions affect judgement.”

Lau practices mindfulness by doing martial arts, meditation, yoga and Thai boxing. “It’s a time when you break free from work and its rigours and see them in a different light. Of course, it’s important to digest people’s comments and opinion, but not thinking and thinking and letting it consume you.” She says, noting the importance of protecting one’s wellbeing and mental health.

After more than a decade in the restaurant business, Lau has received a myriad of accolades such as Asia’s Best Female Chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2015, Woman of Power by Prestige Hong Kong in 2021, and Chef of the Year by Tatler in 2023.

“It’s been about making a lot of mistakes on my own and figuring it out in a good way.” Says Lau, reflecting on her culinary journey so far. Looking forward to the future, Lau hopes to inspire other women through her craft. “It is very important for me to encourage other female entrepreneurs to pursue their passion and personal growth in their industries.”

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Written by Katie Wilson, EP Business in Hospitality