Located on Hong Kong Island, Gloucester Luk Kwok Hong Kong (formerly Luk Kwok Hotel) is an established name in the hotel industry with a history of 84 years. It was the first hotel in Hong Kong to have its own Chinese restaurant, which was renowned for its traditional Cantonese delicacies and remained a popular rendezvous for local businessmen several years ago.

Since 2001, Mr William MA has served as the Chinese culinary executive chef for Canton Room, the existing Chinese restaurant of Gloucester Luk Kwok Hong Kong. He retains the essence of traditional Cantonese cuisine and gives a new twist to Cantonese dishes by applying western cooking techniques. Chef MA said, “Many Chinese restaurants follow western dining customs when it comes to food plating and serving. I prefer to use western ingredients as side dishes, such as chamomile flowers and salad leaves. They add depth and visual appeal to the food.”

Health is a priority for Chef MA in cooking. He chooses fresh ingredients and uses less oil, salt and sugar in the hope of providing his customers with healthy and delicious dishes. To add a fresh, distinct flavour to his cooked dishes, he likes to cook with a variety of ingredients such as tea leaves, lavender, chili leaves and sweet potato leaves. Chef MA also often talks to his customers about healthy eating.

Soups are the treasure of Cantonese cuisine and a favourite of the Chinese. As most conventional soups are meat-based, they may not be good for health. Chef MA likes to make hearty and delicious soups with fish, which is lower in fat than other types of meat, as well as other ingredients such as kombu, kelp, wood ear fungus, cloud ear fungus, Chinese yam, watercress and assorted mushrooms. Watercress and fish soup, as suggested by him, is effective in nourishing the body during the dry autumn and winter months.

Despite his wealth of experience, Chef MA still enjoys taking part in culinary competitions. He believes it is not about winning or losing, but learning from others for self-improvement.

Mr William MA started his culinary career at the age of 16 and worked for various renowned restaurants in Kowloon. He also had spells working in hotels and restaurants in Beijing, Shenyang, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Honoured with numerous awards in local and overseas cooking competitions, he is an Honorary Commandeur of La Commanderie Des Cordons Bleus De France.