Translating for the palate

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Toronto, Cheng grew up with Chiu Chow (Chaozhou) food and his grandmother's Shanghai dishes. In Canada, however, his daily life became overwhelmingly Western.

"I grew up on a Western palate, but I am Chinese at heart," he says.

Cheng began cooking professionally as a teenager. During his six and a half years working at a Canadian restaurant, he progressed from novice to working across its kitchen stations.

"Since I was young, I was given many opportunities to compete in culinary contests," he says. He was taught "discipline of time" and "organization" — lessons he believes are unique to such high-pressure settings.

Those early experiences later gave Cheng a personal connection to Chef of China, where he joined the judging panel. Moving from competitor to judge allowed him, as he puts it, "to be on the other side of things" and "hopefully be able to help the industry as well".

The program exposed him to chefs from across the mainland and Hong Kong, each drawing on different regional styles of Chinese cooking. Their ingredients, knife skills and techniques were "not just inspiring, but also new and fresh", particularly for "somebody who's been cooking Western cuisine most of his life".

What interested him was what the high pressure revealed: "How quickly they adapt and how well they work as a team and also how well they perform as individuals".

As the field narrowed, judging became more difficult. "You're keeping only the best, and it's at a point where it starts to get very difficult to make a decision," Cheng says. "But in the end, it all comes down to taste. You can have the most creative dishes and the most amazing stories, but if there is no substance, you will not generate deliciousness."

In his early 20s, Cheng moved to New York to refine his skills at Daniel Boulud's three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Daniel. The kitchen quickly challenged his confidence.

The restaurant served about 300 guests a night while demanding precision. When he arrived at noon, it left too little time to prepare, so Cheng began coming at 11 am, then 10 am, and sometimes as early as 8 am.

"I went to New York, and I had realized that I was nothing," he says.

It is a lesson he has carried with him: no title or accolade removes the need to improve. "I know that even if I am the best today, I may not be tomorrow," he says. After about a year and a half, colleagues recognized his exceptionally orderly station and willingness to help others.