Richard Chen
Encyclopedia
Richard Chen is the executive chef
of Wing Lei, a restaurant in the Wynn Las Vegas
.
Chef Chen began his career at the age of seven, working in his parents’ restaurant in his native Taiwan
. His family moved to the United States and re-established a new restaurant in suburban Chicago and Richard continued to work with them.
He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America
in Hyde Park, New York
. In 1986, he became a chef at the La Vista International Hotel (later renamed the Marriott World Trade Center in December 1995).
He then moved back to Chicago to become a chef in Euro-French cuisine
at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago
.
In 2002, Richard became Chef de Cuisine
and Manager of the fusion
restaurant Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula Chicago
. Chicago magazine
named it as one of its "Best New Restaurants" in 2002 and Zagat listed it in the "Top Food, Service and Décor" category.
While at the Shanghai Terrace, Richard also became executive chef of Wing Lei starting April 28, 2005 after an extensive recruitment campaign by Steve Wynn
himself. The 2008 Las Vegas Michelin Guide
awarded it one star, making it the only Chinese restaurant
in North America
to have earned the honor. It has also received the 2008 AAA
Four Diamond award. The name Wing Lei is derived from the translation of the Chinese character for Wynn and means "forever prosperous".
Richard married Cathy Yee in the summer of 2006. Cathy owns the Chinese restaurant Ya Fei in the Robinson
neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Kathy herself was named Pittsburgh Magazines Restaurateur of the Year.
Richard then opened his contemporary Chinese restaurant, Richard Chen Pan Asian Cuisine, on August 1, 2008 in the recently re-identified Eastside development in East Liberty
neighborhood of Pittsburgh
with executive chef Simon Lewis and general manager Alec Chipman and co-owner and wife Cathy Chen. It featured upscale dining for Pan-Asian cuisine in a fusion-inspired interior.
. EDGEstudio from the Garfield
neighborhood in Pittsburgh designed the 120 seat, 4600 square feet (427.4 m²) interior. In its short 9 months of operations, it became locally favoured and was a semi-finalist for best new restaurant for the 2009 James Beard Foundation Award
. It temporarily closed April 29, 2009 citing renovations. It closed on April 30, 2009 citing economic concerns. A pan-Asian restaurant has opened in the space. Pittsburgh Magazine readers voted it the 2009 "Worst Loss to the Local Dining Scene".
Chef Chen has repeatedly cited through various interviews that his cooking style emphasizes precise technique and a French influence on light Chinese cooking which is distinct from Chinese take-out
food.
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
of Wing Lei, a restaurant in the Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas is a resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The US $2.7 billion resort is named after casino developer Steve Wynn and is the flagship property of Wynn Resorts Limited. The resort covers . It is located on Las Vegas Boulevard and Sands Avenue Wynn Las...
.
Chef Chen began his career at the age of seven, working in his parents’ restaurant in his native Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. His family moved to the United States and re-established a new restaurant in suburban Chicago and Richard continued to work with them.
He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America
Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America is a non-profit culinary college located in Hyde Park USA, founded in 1946. The CIA also has branch campuses in St. Helena, California, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as a campus in Singapore. It is a not-for-profit academic institution of higher learning...
in Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....
. In 1986, he became a chef at the La Vista International Hotel (later renamed the Marriott World Trade Center in December 1995).
He then moved back to Chicago to become a chef in Euro-French cuisine
Nouvelle Cuisine
Nouvelle cuisine is an approach to cooking and food presentation used in French cuisine. By contrast with cuisine classique, an older form of French haute cuisine, nouvelle cuisine is characterized by lighter, more delicate dishes and an increased emphasis on presentation.-History:The term...
at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago
Ritz-Carlton Chicago (A Four Seasons Hotel)
Ritz-Carlton Chicago is a part of the Toronto-based Four Seasons chain of luxury hotels and resorts. Ritz-Carlton Chicago, an American Automobile Association Five Diamond and Mobil Five Star hotel, is located atop Water Tower Place in the heart of downtown Chicago, Illinois...
.
In 2002, Richard became Chef de Cuisine
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and Manager of the fusion
Fusion cuisine
Fusion cuisine combines elements of various culinary traditions while not being categorized per any one particular cuisine style, and can pertain to innovations in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.-Categories and types:...
restaurant Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago is a 20 story luxury hotel located at the intersection of East Superior street and North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The hotel is part of The Peninsula hotels group based in Hong Kong. In late 2009 the hotel was purchased by Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels who...
. Chicago magazine
Chicago (magazine)
Chicago is a monthly magazine published by the Tribune Company. It concentrates on lifestyle and human interest stories, and on reviewing restaurants, travel, fashion, and theatre from or nearby Chicago. Its circulation in 2004 was 165,000, larger than People in its market...
named it as one of its "Best New Restaurants" in 2002 and Zagat listed it in the "Top Food, Service and Décor" category.
While at the Shanghai Terrace, Richard also became executive chef of Wing Lei starting April 28, 2005 after an extensive recruitment campaign by Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn (developer)
Stephen Alan "Steve" Wynn is an American business magnate who played a pivotal role in the 1990s resurgence and expansion of the Las Vegas Strip...
himself. The 2008 Las Vegas Michelin Guide
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
awarded it one star, making it the only Chinese restaurant
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
to have earned the honor. It has also received the 2008 AAA
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
Four Diamond award. The name Wing Lei is derived from the translation of the Chinese character for Wynn and means "forever prosperous".
Richard married Cathy Yee in the summer of 2006. Cathy owns the Chinese restaurant Ya Fei in the Robinson
Robinson Township, Pennsylvania
Robinson Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States approximately west of Pittsburgh. The population was 13,354 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Robinson Township is located at ....
neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Kathy herself was named Pittsburgh Magazines Restaurateur of the Year.
Richard then opened his contemporary Chinese restaurant, Richard Chen Pan Asian Cuisine, on August 1, 2008 in the recently re-identified Eastside development in East Liberty
East Liberty (Pittsburgh)
East Liberty is a culturally diverse neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's East End. It is bordered by Highland Park, Morningside, Stanton Heights, Garfield, Friendship, Shadyside and Larimer, and is represented on by Patrick Dowd...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
with executive chef Simon Lewis and general manager Alec Chipman and co-owner and wife Cathy Chen. It featured upscale dining for Pan-Asian cuisine in a fusion-inspired interior.
. EDGEstudio from the Garfield
Garfield (Pittsburgh)
Garfield is a neighborhood in the east end of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Garfield lies about three miles as the crow flies from the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers at the City's heart. It sits on a bluff above the Allegheny River...
neighborhood in Pittsburgh designed the 120 seat, 4600 square feet (427.4 m²) interior. In its short 9 months of operations, it became locally favoured and was a semi-finalist for best new restaurant for the 2009 James Beard Foundation Award
James Beard Foundation Award
The James Beard Foundation Awards were established in 1990 and are often called "The Oscars of Food." Held on the first weekend in May, the Awards honor the finest chefs, restaurants, wine professionals, journalists, cookbook authors, restaurant designers, and other food professionals in the...
. It temporarily closed April 29, 2009 citing renovations. It closed on April 30, 2009 citing economic concerns. A pan-Asian restaurant has opened in the space. Pittsburgh Magazine readers voted it the 2009 "Worst Loss to the Local Dining Scene".
Chef Chen has repeatedly cited through various interviews that his cooking style emphasizes precise technique and a French influence on light Chinese cooking which is distinct from Chinese take-out
Take-out
Take-out or takeout , carry-out , take-away , parcel , or tapau , is food purchased at a...
food.