Chef serves traditional Chinese fare with a unique touch

During his six years working at the hotel, Yang got the chance to rotate between different kitchens to learn the cooking skills behind the different cuisines.

"From a breakfast buffet and Indian cuisine to Shanghai cuisine, my experience is varied," says Yang, who finally found his focus with vegetarian food in 2011.

In 2015, Yang was invited to become the executive chef for Lin's Dining Lounge. There, he tried to combine cooking methods and ingredients from Western cuisine and Chinese cuisine in one dish, but this was not a hit with diners.

Then, gradually, after updating the menu three times, Yang found a way of cooking Chinese cuisine in the traditional way but presenting it in a Western style.

"My goal is just to cook delicious vegetarian food for diners, whatever the cuisine or cooking techniques," says Yang.

Typhoon shelter tofu is one highlight of Yang's menu. It is made using the way typhoon shelter crab is cooked to make tofu. The tofu is fried with garlic and red chili. For the dish, Yang uses egg tofu and adds diced mushroom and butter as fillings.

"I like a contrast in my dishes, such as in this tofu dish. Egg tofu is usually a light dish, and I make it unexpectedly spicy," Yang explains. Yang is very strict about ingredients. The vegetable sashimi is one example where he uses premium mushrooms, such as tricholoma matsutake, and black truffle with fresh vegetables, which he serves with mustard.