Twenty Years Ago Today

There are Chinese restaurants, and then there's Yan Toh Heen, tel: (852) 2721 1211. Located in the InterContinental Hong Kong hotel, this ultra-swanky eatery has long garnered a celebrity clientele (Cindy Crawford, Jean-Claude van Damme, Jackie Chan) and critical acclaim for its rarefied interpretations of Cantonese cuisine.

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Yan Toh Heen marked its 20th anniversary this year with a characteristically opulent makeover. New hand-tufted carpets, half a million crystal topaz beads and a collage by artist Olga de Amaral complement the priceless jade place settings that have been a fixture of the restaurant since it opened a discreet door in 1984. Chef Cheung Kam-chuen, the establishment's guiding light from the beginning, has also devised commemorative dishes, including the spectacular Yunnan ham and flowering chives in a black truffle glaze, and poached lobster and bird's nest in egg white. "Guests have become increasingly discerning over the past 20 years," says Cheung. Fortunately, the restaurant has kept pace with them, every step of the way.