chef

Those are not the most encouraging words to hear just before eating lunch at one of Hong Kong's smartest British restaurants, Alfie's by KEE, but head chef Neil Tomes has more to say.

The past 15 years or so have been a noticeable period of improvement for food in England," the English chef says, citing the trend in British cuisine for better ingredients, preparation and cooking methods, and more appealing presentation

With British food, I think that Hong Kong restaurants are keeping up," says David Tamlyn, the Welsh executive chef at The Pawn in Wan Chai.

Singaporean head chef Tommy Teh Kum Chai offers daily specials on a blackboard, rather than sticking to a menu

What do Hong Kong diners welcome, according to Welsh executive chef David Tamlyn?

British Cuisine: the Best of Old and New British cuisine (烹饪) has come of age in recent years as chefs (厨师) combine the best of old and new

Chefs such as Delia Smith, Nigel Slater, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay made the public realise that cooking - and eating - didn't have to be a boring thing

Before star chefs such as Oliver began making cooking fashionable, it was hard to find a restaurant in London that was open after 9pm.

Chefs agree that diners in Hong Kong are embracing the modern British trend

Even the traditional chefs are aware of the need to adapt to local tastes and customs, while maintaining the Britishness of their cuisine.

It was short of well-trained chefs

But in the very beginning, there was just Careme,the top chef who elevated dining into art.

By 1814, people crowded outside the bakery,straining for a glimpse of the latest sweet food created by the young chef who worked inside.

By age 15, he had become an apprentice (学徒) to Sylvain Bailly, a well-known dessert chef with a successful bakery in one of Paris' most fashionable neighborhoods.

In 1816, Careme began a culinary journey which would forever mark his place as history's first top chef.

Long before television cooking shows, Careme walked readers through common kitchen tasks, instructing them to "try this for yourself, at home" as famous American Chef Julia Child might do, many years later.

Some viewers of her cooking show, The French Chef, insist they saw Child drop lamb on the floor and pick it up, with the advice that if they were alone in the kitchen, their guests would never know.

Cooking is an occasional hobby and a vehicle for celebrity chefs.

She visits a different home each week and with the help of chef Matt Tebbutt offers top tips on how to reduce food waste.