Celebrity Chef 'Zhi Ge' Returns as Consulting Chef at Tai Wai Chinese Restaurant
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Celebrity chef Wong Wing-zik, popularly known as "Zhi Ge," has made a dramatic return to Hong Kong's culinary scene by joining new Chinese restaurant Nian Yue Lou at The Wai shopping centre in Tai Wai as consulting chef. The 60-year-old former TVB food show host, who rose to fame hosting the classic programme "Commander of Food," is spearheading the restaurant's new menu after years in the shadows following business collapses and legal troubles. He will recreate his three legendary signature dishes and introduce affordable dinner set options to bring "star-level experiences at the most down-to-earth prices."
Key Points
- Wong Wing-zik has joined the LUBUDS restaurant group's Nian Yue Lou at Shop 232, The Wai, 18 Che Kung Miu Road, Tai Wai, as consulting chef
- He will recreate his three famous signature dishes on a newly designed menu, leveraging his decades of culinary expertise
- Dragon King Group, which Wong co-founded with his brother Wong Wing-hong in 2004, expanded to nine branches and listed on GEM in 2018, raising approximately HK$50 million
- Wong sold all his Dragon King Group shares in 2021 and was arrested that same year for involvement in a share ramping investment fraud scheme
- The group reduced to three branches by 2023 and has since ceased all operations
- Wong returned to television in 2024 as a stern judge on TVB cooking competition "Partner Kitchen"
Why It Matters
This comeback represents more than a personal redemption arc for Wong—it signals renewed appetite among established names to capture Hong Kong's evolving diner demographics, who increasingly seek quality cuisine at accessible price points amid economic uncertainty.
This comeback represents more than a personal redemption arc for Wong—it signals renewed appetite among established names to capture Hong Kong's evolving diner demographics, who increasingly seek quality cuisine at accessible price points amid economic uncertainty.