Le Cordon Bleu (Sydney) graduate Harvey Hsieh has spent much of his cooking career mastering French cuisine, working under some of the world’s most celebrated names.
There’s Richard Ekkebus at Michelin-starred Amber in Hong Kong and World’s Best Female Chef 2011 Anne-Sophie Pic at La Dame de Pic in both London and Singapore.
In late 2023, however, the 35-year-old Filipino chef found a different kind of mentor in Vicky Cheng, whose approach to French cooking through an Asian lens resonated deeply with his own background. It almost feels like joining Cheng’s team in Hong Kong wasn’t so much of a career move for Hsieh as it was a return to his roots.
How Chef Vicky Cheng Changed Harvey Hsieh’s Approach to Fine Dining
“I decided to work for chef Vicky because our roots are similar,” Hsieh says. “We’re both French-trained but overseas Chinese. After cooking French food for most of my career, I felt it was time to cook food that was closer to my roots.”
Hsieh joined Cheng’s acclaimed restaurant VEA as chef de cuisine, where he immersed himself in the chef’s culinary philosophy and the restaurant’s culture, one where Chinese and local ingredients finessed by blue-ribbon Gallic technique tell the story of childhood memories and locality.
Though he as worked in kitchens that abide by classical French precision, Hsieh found Cheng’s cooking refreshingly different from the others.
“Chef Richard’s style was classic French. Chef Anne-Sophie Pic’s cuisine was incredibly complex in its flavor profile. Chef Vicky’s food is direct, yummy, and juicy.”
Yet beyond technique, it was Cheng’s philosophy toward ingredients that left the greatest impression.
“I’ve learned so many things from chef Vicky,” Hsieh says. “One of the most valuable is how much importance he gives every ingredient. He gives the same respect to a piece of carrot as he does to a tin of caviar. I think that says everything about the kind of chef he is.”
Where French Technique Meets an Asian Palate: Inside Estuary
Now, Hsieh is stepping into his biggest role yet—as executive chef of Estuary, Cheng’s newest restaurant in Macau. While VEA is known for interpreting French cuisine with the clever use of Chinese ingredients, Estuary, he describes, “is 100% French cuisine, but with an Asian palate.”
He adds, “Our cuisine focuses on delicious French cooking while giving importance to using nourishing ingredients and techniques such as fermentation and essential oils. The restaurant is called Estuary as we are geographically located in an Estuarine rich location.”
Drawing inspiration from the rich ecosystem where freshwater and seawater meet, the menu represents a reverential understanding of flavor, culture, and craft that balances nourishment, generosity, and finesse.
Among the dishes Hsieh is most excited to introduce are Daurikus caviar paired with Japanese spring turnip, and grilled fish maw served with black garlic and sand ginger—plates that reflect both refinement and restraint.
How Harvey Hsieh Is Finding His Own Voice at Estuary
The move from chef de cuisine to executive chef definitely comes with greater responsibility, but Hsieh is willing, ready and able to take on the added expectations.
“There’s definitely more pressure,” he admits. “But I always tell myself that pressure is good. Honestly, it makes me feel alive.”
For a chef who has spent years refining craft under some of the industry’s most respected names, Estuary figures as something that’s more than just a promotion, but a great opportunity to finally define his own voice.
And we can’t wait to see it unfold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Harvey Hsieh is a Filipino chef and the executive chef of Estuary, Vicky Cheng’s newest restaurant in Macau.
Vicky Cheng is a Hong Kong chef best known for VEA, his acclaimed fine dining restaurant that blends French techniques with Chinese ingredients.
Estuary is Vicky Cheng’s newest restaurant in Macau, serving French cuisine designed for an Asian palate while highlighting nourishing ingredients and refined techniques.
He graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Sydney and worked under renowned chefs including Richard Ekkebus and Anne-Sophie Pic before joining Vicky Cheng.
While VEA combines French cuisine with Chinese ingredients, Estuary focuses on classic French cooking tailored to Asian tastes, emphasizing seasonality, fermentation, and nourishing ingredients.
