bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Hei Kiu Au

What comes to mind when you think of Lu cuisine from northern China’s Shandong province?
For many, it conjures images of hearty flavours, substantial portions and perhaps dishes that are less refined than the country’s southern counterparts. But here to challenge that assumption is Wang Haoquan, the executive chef of Beijing’s Lu Shang Lu restaurant.
Born in Yantai, a port city in Shandong, Wang was recently in Hong Kong for a four-hands collaboration with Tsang Chiu-king of Ming Court in Wan Chai.
A recipient of the Young Chef Award in the 2023 Michelin Guide Beijing, Wang is an old soul in a youthful guise, his speech peppered with poetic proverbs – a fitting match for his speciality, the aristocratic “Confucius Cuisine”.

Tsang is a mentor to a new generation of chefs like Wang. Despite his illustrious five-decade career, his energy is palpable.
The difference in their culinary worlds was playfully highlighted when Tsang tugged Wang’s sleeve. “Just look at how different our arms look,” he said.
His own forearms were a map of scars from a lifetime of working with hot oil, while Wang’s were unscathed. It was a testament to their age and a fundamental technical divide: one a master of Cantonese high-heat stir-frying, the other an expert on Shandong’s slow simmering.
But as Wang explained, such simplifications can be misleading.
“One of the biggest misconceptions about Shandong food is that it’s one cuisine,” he said. “Just as Cantonese [Yue] cuisine encompasses the more common Guangfu, Teochew and Hakka styles, Shandong [Lu] is made up of four major branches: Kongfu [Confucius-style], Jinan, Jiaodong and Boshan.”

While all Shandong cuisine uses slow simmering, the Jinan and Boshan branches are also known for using the wok. A dish such as quick-fried kidney flower, a Jinan classic, depends entirely on the wok hei – breath of the wok – prized in Cantonese cooking.
“The kidneys would only take 12 seconds to cook for an experienced Shandong chef,” Wang explained. “The whole process should flow smoothly like water.”
Hailing from the Shandong peninsula, Wang has a deep connection to its seafood-heavy Jiaodong cuisine. He fondly recalled childhood favourites like rice mixed with penis fish, also known as fat innkeeper worm.
His signature braised sea cucumber with spring onion is quintessentially Jiaodong, embodying a philosophy he calls “ingredients of the place, flavour of the time” – using the freshest local produce and extracting maximum umami through extended, gentle cooking.

Then there is Confucius Cuisine, the culinary tradition of the Kong family, direct descendants of the philosopher Confucius. Developed over centuries for imperial banquets and ancestral rites at the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong, its dishes are named after poems and allude to historical stories, deeply tied to ritual and nutritional balance.
This is where the conversation turns to one of Shandong’s most headline-worthy ingredients: donkey-hide gelatin.
“If there is dragon meat in heaven, there is donkey meat on earth,” Wang said, quoting a well-known Chinese proverb. Known as ejiao – named after its traditional home in Shandong’s Dong’e county – this gelatin, revered as “the emperor’s medicine”, is typically used for wellness.
Wang reinterprets it as an elegant cold starter of marinated donkey meat slices in donkey-hide gelatin sauce, which is presented in a tart shell. A sprinkle of chilli flakes and a shiso leaf at the bottom add flavour and complexity.
This dish is a direct statement of his mission. “One of my main goals is to make these traditionally rare Shandong ingredients more accessible to the public,” he said. “People might think that Lu cuisine is ‘rough’, but I want to prove to them that the cuisine I grew up with can be just as refined.”

The collaboration menu was designed to dismantle these stereotypes. The assumption that Cantonese is purely qingdan (light and mild) and Shandong is purely nongwei (rich) was upended by Wang’s hot and sour soup with fish maw and cuttlefish roe, which was as clear as a French consommé, while Tsang’s wok-fried green lobster in Moutai wine sauce had the rich, luxurious aroma of baijiu.
“Unlike usual four-hands menus where chefs usually alternate dishes, we wanted diners to get a good grasp of what Shandong cuisine is by totally immersing them in the first part of the dinner, before ending with comforting Cantonese flavours,” Tsang said.
The collaboration was also a gesture from Tsang to share the spotlight with young chefs.
“As an established Cantonese chef in Hong Kong, I see myself as a promoter of new regional cuisines,” he said. “It’s also about mentoring younger chefs and educating diners. Of course, it’s a good way for me to learn, too.”
He revealed that a 30-year-aged preserved radish, introduced in a previous collaboration by Chao Shang Chao’s executive chef Zhang Yifeng, now features in his new wok-fried lobster dish.
“I look forward to incorporating new ingredients this time too, perhaps a new dish with donkey-hide gelatin. Please look forward to it!”
At the end of the meal, Wang left us with a final proverb to digest.
“Ginger is still spicier with age,” he laughed. “There’s always so much to learn from our seniors. Cross-regional collaborations like these are where we can learn from each other’s strengths and allow Chinese cuisine to flourish.”


Culled bear meat sparks Japan restaurant feeding frenzy: ‘juicy, delicious’ and sold out

2025 was a tough year for Hong Kong’s bar industry, so how are new concepts carving a path forward?

Your Hong Kong weekend food guide for December 26-28

7 popular 2025 stories celebrating Chinese culture, from seal carving to waffles and tofu

Food and Drinks

What is Shandong cuisine? Chinese chefs’ Hong Kong dinners bring out food’s best

Chef Wang Haoquan’s signature braised sea cucumber with scallions is quintessentially Jiaodong cuisine. Photo: Ming Court

Chefs Wang Haoquan (left) and Tsang Chiu-king recently collaborated on three dinners at Ming Court restaurant in Hong Kong. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Various dishes from the collaboration dinners at Ming Court. Photo: courtesy of Ming Court, Wan Chai

Pan-seared local green lobster, one of the dishes at the dinner. Photo: courtesy of Lu Shang Lu and Ming Court

Wang’s signature braised sea cucumber with spring onion is classic Jiaodong cuisine. Photo: courtesy of Ming Court, Wan Chai

Wang’s hot and sour soup with fish maw and cuttlefish roe. Photo: Ming Court

How Potluck Club reinvents Cantonese cuisine in Manhattan’s Chinatown in New York

Cory Ng is one of the co-founders of Potluck Club in Manhattan, New York. The restaurant serves Cantonese cuisine with a modern twist. Photo: Potluck Club

Potluck Club’s salt and pepper chicken with spring onion biscuits, pickled jalapeños and chilli-plum jam. Photo: Potluck Club

The decor at Potluck Club reflects the Cantonese influences with which the founders grew up. Photo: Potluck Club

A variety of dishes at Potluck Club. Photo: Potluck Club

The founders of New York’s Potluck Club pose with American television host Carson Daly (centre). Photo: Potluck Club

Jellyfish tiger salad with coriander, Chinese celery and spring onion at Potluck Club. Photo: Potluck Club

The entrance of Potluck Club is filled with nostalgic decor. Photo: Potluck Club

Phoenix Palace’s salt and pepper cuttlefish with heirloom tomato jam. Photo: Phoenix Palace

Phoenix Palace’s olive yaotiew, which is also known as youtiao. Photo: Phoenix Palace

The Chinese restaurant bringing real Hong Kong barbecue to the UK’s West Country

These Cantonese barbecue dishes were the result of a collaboration between Chinese restaurant Wangs and roast meat specialist Lap Fai-lee for a one-off pop-up in August 2025 to raise funds for Wangs’ Cantonese barbecue oven. Photo: Instagram/@oishinboy

Customers gather outside Wangs. Photo: Wangs

An assortment of dishes at Wangs. Photo: Wangs

Wangs celebrates the diversity of food across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Photo: Wangs

Top Chinese chef’s YouTube cooking series stirs up buzz – and bickering

Andrew Wong poses in his home kitchen, the setting for his new YouTube cooking series, where he provides home cooks with the essential skills of Chinese cooking. Photo: A.Wong

Clear shrimp dumplings and pork and prawn dumplings at A.Wong in London. Photo: James Gillies

A selection of dim sum from A.Wong in London. Photo: James Gillies

A chef shows the folding technique for xiaolongbao at A.Wong. Photo: James Gillies

6 of Singapore’s best hidden speakeasy bars that will take you back in time – and how to find them

Bartenders at Chandu create drinks with a narrative that are loosely based on history. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

A bartender mixes a drink at Chandu, one of our picks of six of the best hidden speakeasy bars in Singapore. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

The Mizuwari whisky highball at Live Twice uses Hokkaido soft water rather than soda to accentuate the malt notes of the Japanese Nikka whiskies. Photo: Instagram/@livetwicesg

Chandu is inspired by Singapore’s colonial era, when opium dens flourished in the city state. Photo: The Robertson House by The Crest Collection

Chandu’s Mata Hari cocktail is named after a Dutch dancer and courtesan. Photo: Facebook/Chandu

Oriental Elixir, located in a Peranakan rowhouse, is a dimly lit watering hole for nonconformist cocktails. Photo: Philipp Meier

Oriental Elixir’s Malabar Tamarind cocktail combines the sour ingredient with roasted cherry tomato gin, dry vermouth. Photo: Instagram/@oriental.elixir

Junior the Pocket Bar is a small, 25-seater speakeasy that tasks itself with changing the menu completely every few months. Photo: Philipp Meier

A cocktail titled Sesame from the Korea-inspired menu at Junior the Pocket Bar. Photo: Junior the Pocket Bar

Jade Harbour is part of The Bund menu currently offered at Junior the Pocket Bar, inspired by the Shanghai district. Credit: Junior the Pocket Bar

For its Korean Joseon dynasty-inspired menu, the interiors of Junior the Pocket Bar featured dragons. Photo: Philipp Meier

Roxy is a hip-hop-inspired speakeasy hidden inside the Miss Fitz restaurant in Singapore’s Marina Bay. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

The drinks at Roxy are based on classics, but are given their own spin. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

Last Word has finessed tipples that were invented in the 1920s. Photo: Philipp Meier

Last Word’s eponymous cocktail is a classic, blending gin, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse and lime. Photo: Instagram/@lastwordsg

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Chef Wang Haoquan’s Shandong cuisine and Tsang Chiu-King’s Cantonese dishes were a match made in heaven at recent dinners in Hong Kong


Chef Wang Haoquan’s Shandong cuisine and Tsang Chiu-King’s Cantonese dishes were a match made in heaven at recent dinners in Hong Kong.


What is Shandong cuisine? Chinese chefs’ Hong Kong dinners bring out food’s best

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chef Wang Haoquan’s Shandong cuisine and Tsang Chiu-King’s Cantonese dishes were a match made in heaven at recent dinners in Hong Kong

Chef Wang Haoquan’s Shandong cuisine and Tsang Chiu-King’s Cantonese dishes were a match made in heaven at recent dinners in Hong Kong