Starting at fifteen as a "tail wok" in a Hong Kong dim sum hall, two decades later he became one of the world's youngest head chefs of a three-Michelin-star Chinese restaurant — Kelvin Au Yeung kept the Jade Dragon his master left him, turning it into a Cantonese temple holding both three stars and three diamonds.
Kelvin Au Yeung is a Hong Kong-born Cantonese master chef and the Director of Culinary at Jade Dragon (譽瓏軒), the Cantonese restaurant at City of Dreams, Macau. A protégé of founding chef Tam Kwok Fung, he took the restaurant from two stars to three and has held both a Michelin three-star and a Black Pearl three-diamond rating for years — making him one of the representative chefs of contemporary Macau Cantonese cuisine.
Profile
- Chinese Name: 歐陽文彥
- English Name: Kelvin Au Yeung (Au Yeung Man Yiu)
- Birthplace: Hong Kong (birth year ~1979, inferred, not officially published)
- Domains: Culture · Business · Food
- Industry: Hospitality · Cantonese cuisine · Fine dining
- Profession: Director of Culinary
- Affiliation: Jade Dragon, City of Dreams (Macau)
Background
Kelvin Au Yeung grew up in Hong Kong and entered the trade at fifteen, starting as a "tail wok" — the most junior position on the wok line — in a dim sum hall, a classic "learned at the stove" path. He worked through a Wan Chai seafood restaurant and a Hakka cuisine house before cooking at the Michelin-starred Island Tang in Central, Hong Kong. In 2010 he moved to Macau, joining City of Dreams as a senior sous chef at the Cantonese restaurant Lung Heen, laying the groundwork for his later move to Jade Dragon.
Career
I. Jade Dragon's opening and his apprenticeship (2012–2017)
When Jade Dragon opened in 2012, Au Yeung joined as a senior sous chef under founding chef and Cantonese master Tam Kwok Fung. Over these years he rose from senior sous chef through chef de cuisine, witnessing and contributing to the restaurant's climb from one Michelin star (2014/2015) to two stars (2016).
II. Becoming executive chef and the third star (2017–2019)
In November 2017, after Tam Kwok Fung left for Wynn Palace, Au Yeung became executive chef of Jade Dragon. In 2019 the restaurant earned its third Michelin star under his leadership; he was reported to be around thirty-nine at the time, making him one of the world's youngest head chefs of a three-Michelin-star Chinese restaurant.
III. Director of Culinary and holding the line (2021–present)
In November 2021, Au Yeung was promoted to Director of Culinary at Jade Dragon. Under his leadership the restaurant has held three Michelin stars continuously — an eighth consecutive year (2019–2026) in the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau 2026 — alongside a Black Pearl three-diamond rating (from 2020), making it the only Cantonese restaurant in Greater China to hold both top honours.
Note: earlier English press generally called him "Executive Chef," while the official site and recent sources use "Director of Culinary"; both are correct for their respective dates, and his current title is Director of Culinary.
Defining Moments
1. Inheriting his master's wok, then adding a star
Jade Dragon was founded by Tam Kwok Fung and built to two stars; after Tam left, his protégé Au Yeung took over and raised it to three stars in 2019. Two generations of master and disciple holding the stars at the same Cantonese restaurant is a rare story of succession in Macau's dining world.
2. Both three stars and three diamonds
Jade Dragon is the only Cantonese restaurant in Greater China to hold both a Michelin three-star and a Black Pearl three-diamond rating; the restaurant also reached No. 27 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2019 (its highest ranking), and was for years the only Macau restaurant on the list.
3. Chef of the Year (2026)
In 2026, Au Yeung was named "Chef of the Year" at Harper's Bazaar Hong Kong's "BAZAAR Taste Elite Macao 2026," while Jade Dragon was named "Restaurant of the Year."
Public Character
Public accounts of Kelvin Au Yeung cluster around the keywords Hong Kong-born, started as a tail wok, protégé of Tam Kwok Fung, three Michelin stars, three-diamond Black Pearl. His steady record of holding three stars, and his rise from the most junior kitchen role, give him an important place on the map of contemporary Macau Cantonese cuisine. This archive records only his publicly verifiable restaurants, positions and awards in neutral terms; all star and award claims follow the official Michelin Guide, City of Dreams official materials, and the official Asia's 50 Best list.
Key Achievements
- Director of Culinary of Jade Dragon, City of Dreams — three Michelin stars for several consecutive years (2019–2026)
- Black Pearl three-diamond (from 2020); the only Cantonese restaurant in Greater China holding both three stars and three diamonds
- No. 27 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2019 (its highest ranking); for years the only Macau restaurant on the list
- Harper's Bazaar "Chef of the Year 2026"; took the restaurant from two stars to three (2019) after succeeding his master
Information compiled from the official Michelin Guide, City of Dreams and Melco official materials, the official Asia's 50 Best website, and public reporting from SCMP, Macau News and Harper's Bazaar, among others. If anything is inaccurate or needs updating, please contact us — we aim to respond within 48 hours.
