HK Government House’s former chef unveils own contemporary Chinese restaurant

Its interior boasts of an East meets West ambience with a modern twist.

When Chef Chung Kin Leung left his post at the Hong Kong Government in early 2014, he got invited by the Chinese food connoisseur LBF Concept to create a contemporary Chinese restaurant with Hong Kong hospitality. Combining Chef Chung’s many years of experience in the culinary industry and LBF passion, Lai Bun Fu was born.

Lai Bun Fu aims to showcase the best dishes that the Guangdong region has to offer. The restaurant’s name was derived from two Chinese phrases embodying the culinary experience it presents to its diners. “Lai Bun” is a Cantonese term for “refined hospitality” is combined with “Fu”, an abbreviation for “xi fu”, which means “Master”. It is therefore in Lai Bun Fu’s DNA to offer an unrivalled dining experience with unparalleled hospitality and food.

With a soft opening last December 18, this 52-seater restaurant Lai Bun Fu presents Executive Chef Chung’s signature, delectable Chinese dishes, which has graced the tables of many notable figures during his tenure at the Hong Kong Government House. Lai Bun Fu also provides an exclusive setting to sample Chef Chung Kin Leung’s food in a private dining room which seats 12 people.

According to Vivien Shek, director of business development at LBF, Lai Bun Fu’s interior design and meticulous detailing recreates the old British colonial Hong Kong with a new innovative zest of modernity. She adds that it is endowed with an East meets West ambience where the nostalgic aura with a modern twist exemplifies the past, present and future of Hong Kong.

Vivien also reveals that while they are putting together the restaurant, they had a difficulty with their manpower. “We spent a lot of time looking for the best candidates who share the same vision as the team of LBF. We are very happy that the team is very passionate and looking forward to delivering high standard of culinary experience to diners in Hong Kong and worldwide,” she said.

While they prefer to not disclose the total funding they spent putting up the restaurants, the team shares that the menu and interior design took them at least 9 months to prepare.

While Lai Bun Fu aims to sustain the quality of food and service and deliver the best to their diners, they we aren’t able to showcase every single signature dish of Chef Chung due to the size of the restaurant. Therefore, unlike other traditional Chinese restaurants which keep the same menu throughout the year, they will just present a wide variety of seasonal dishes.

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