Tue 17 May 2022

Interview with Billy Yeung - Lung King Hing

As the world’s first three Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, Lung King Heen is at The Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong and has a rather unusual take on Asian food and wine pairings, thanks to their diversified wine list. Senior Sommelier at Lung King Heen, Billy Yeung, shared thoughts about food pairing and on-trade trends.

What are some food and wine pairings in Asia that would probably surprise someone in Europe?

You can match grenache from Rhone Valley with Peking Duck. It’s common to have pinot noir to go with the duck, but remember the Peking Duck comes with hoisin sauce. That makes the grenache go really well with this combination. Next, you can consider Stir Fried Egg Yolk Prawns with US oaky chardonnay, which pairs up well. In Chinese and Cantonese cuisine, we have the rather salty preserved tofu, which is similar to cheese. You match it with Sauternes like Chateau d’Yquem or some late harvest riesling, which is wonderful. What a welcome to Asia!

Tell us about choosing wine from your wine list

Different from the wine list of a fine dining French restaurant, we have more options than the typical Chinese restaurant wine list. Normally, French restaurants select 80-90% of their wines from France for their wine list. For Asian cuisines, we can diversify with wines from around the world. This makes an exciting adventure for the sommelier. You can come to Lung King Heen and tickle your palate with wine pairing from our selected wines.

Are there any recent changes in the Asian market’s choice of wine?

China’s wine is expanding, so their planting area is rising up every year. There are many investors with the fortune to invest in wineries or even build wineries in China. While many organic wines or different grape varieties are now available around the world, now is a great opportunity for China or Japan, Indonesia or Thailand to do more exporting to the international market.

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Interview with Billy Yeung - Lung King Hing