CHEF LEONARD CHEUNG’S FIRST RESTAURANT FEATURES ATTITUDE-DRIVEN TASTING MENUS GUIDED BY SEASONALITY AND INTERACTION
Cultivate, the first restaurant venture helmed by Chef Leonard Cheung, is set to redefine Hong Kong’s perception of fine casual dining when it opens its doors this March. After building palpable anticipation through a series of exquisite, privately hosted dinners throughout 2020, Chef Cheung is ready to awe guests on a larger scale and fill a bold yet whimsical niche that the city’s dining scene did not realize it was missing.
Located on Soho’s Elgin Street, the 22-seat restaurant is dressed in muted tones and natural textures to provide a blank canvas where the forward-thinking chef and his talented kitchen team will showcase beautiful and complex creations on a constantly evolving 8-course tasting menu (HK$1288). While approximately a third of the menu will change every three weeks, Cultivate will undergo a bold transformation each quarter by introducing a new theme and style of cuisine, offering guests a radically different dining experience every few months. Dividing the year into a succession of what Chef Cheung calls “volumes,” the first five themes have already been planned through June 2022, with the first volume focusing on spring. Later volumes will feature courses dominated by single colors and recipes inspired by culinary trends from different decades.
A dreamer who doesn’t sleep, Chef Cheung obsesses over details that remain hidden from even the most trained eyes. His quest for perfection, coupled with a restless and naturally curious mind, is the fuel for Cultivate’s culinary engine. Classically trained and a veteran of Michelin-starred restaurants including Eleven Madison Park, Bo Innovation, and 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Chef Cheung will showcase his mastery of vegetables, acidity, char, spice, and herbaceous flavors on Cultivate’s tasting menus.
“The cuisine at Cultivate will redefine what ‘fine casual,’ ‘interactive dining,’ and ‘fun dining’ should be in this day and age,” says Chef Cheung. Accordingly, rather than relying solely on premium proteins and flashy touches like truffles, wagyu, and caviar, the kitchen team will take humble, seasonally-appropriate ingredients and elevate them to unthinkable heights through innovative preparations, advanced cooking techniques, and unconventional flavor combinations.
True to Cultivate’s unexpected and self-assured nature, the wine list will be unapologetically American, with half of the varietals coming from American Viticultural Areas. Ranging from well-known Napa Valley to overlooked regions such as New York’s Finger Lakes, the wine list will feature familiar producers such as Cakebread, Schafer, Inglenook/Francis Coppola, Ridge, and Joseph Phelps. In addition, Cheung will also showcase vineyards that many Hong Kong diners aren’t familiar with, such as Chappellet, Far Niente, and Saintbury.
Similarly, the selection of Italian varietals will come from popular regions such as Piedmont and Tuscany as well as relatively unknown areas including Sicily, Sardinia and Trento-Alto Adige. To complement the tasting menu, a six-glass wine pairing (+HK$780) will be offered alongside a non-alcoholic “Elixir Pairing” option (+HK$550), a unique offering of drinks artfully crafted to match and elevate each course.
Cultivate opens for dinner bookings from 24 March and offers a single 8-course set menu that changes regularly. Some dietary restrictions and allergies can be accommodated with 48-hour notice.
About Chef Leonard Cheung
Chef Leonard Cheung’s culinary career began in Hong Kong at Michelin-recognized restaurants 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana and Bo Innovation. His experience propelled him to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, where he honed his technical skills and hoarded knowledge and inspiration from chefs at some of New York’s most notable restaurants, including Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad; followed by a stint at Husk & McCrady’s in Charleston, South Carolina.