From a kitchen apprentice in Hong Kong, to executive Chinese chef at Bangkok's five-star hotels, to twice winning two Michelin stars in Macau — across four decades at the stove, Tam Kwok Fung has turned seasonal Cantonese cooking into one of Macau's culinary calling cards.
Tam Kwok Fung (Chef Tam) is a Hong Kong-born Cantonese master chef whose career has been built largely in Macau, and the executive chef of Chef Tam's Seasons (譚卉) at Wynn Palace. He built two-Michelin-star reputations at both Jade Dragon (City of Dreams) and Chef Tam's Seasons, and carried the latter into the upper ranks of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants — making him one of the representative figures of contemporary Macau Cantonese cuisine going international.
Profile
- Chinese Name: 譚國鋒
- English / Known as: Tam Kwok Fung (Chef Tam)
- Birthplace: Hong Kong (no reliably sourced birth year)
- Domains: Culture · Business · Food
- Industry: Hospitality · Cantonese cuisine · Fine dining
- Profession: Executive Chef
- Affiliation: Chef Tam's Seasons, Wynn Palace (Macau)
Background
Tam Kwok Fung grew up in Hong Kong and entered the trade as a kitchen apprentice at sixteen — a "learned at the stove" path rather than formal culinary schooling. He later moved to Thailand, leading the Chinese kitchens at China House (Mandarin Oriental Bangkok) and Mei Jiang (The Peninsula Bangkok), where his restaurants were repeatedly named among the city's best Chinese establishments. In 2005 he won gold at the 5th World Championship of Chinese Cuisine, cementing his reputation. From around 2007 he moved his stage to Macau, at a time when the city's integrated resorts were aggressively recruiting name chefs and pushing fine dining.
Note: some press calls Tam Kwok Fung a "Macau master chef," referring to where his career and fame were built; multiple biographical sources consistently record that he entered the trade in Hong Kong, so this archive frames his background as "Hong Kong-born, with Macau as his main stage."
Career
I. Bangkok years: hotel executive Chinese chef
Before moving to Macau, Tam built his experience within Bangkok's five-star hotel system, leading the Chinese restaurants at the Mandarin Oriental and The Peninsula, with his kitchens repeatedly rated the city's best Chinese dining. These years grounded him in the standards and management of high-end hotel restaurants.
II. Jade Dragon at City of Dreams: building two Michelin stars (c. 2007–2018)
After settling in Macau, Tam served as culinary director at City of Dreams and founded the Cantonese restaurant Jade Dragon (譽瓏軒). It earned one Michelin star (2014/2015) and then two stars (2016), becoming one of the defining works of his career. After he left, Jade Dragon was taken over by his protégé Kelvin Au Yeung and went on to earn a third star.
III. Wynn Palace and Chef Tam's Seasons (2018–present)
In 2018, Wynn Palace recruited Tam as executive chef of Wing Lei Palace, which ranked No. 36 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2019. In 2023 his eponymous Cantonese restaurant, Chef Tam's Seasons (譚卉), opened — a concept built on China's twenty-four solar terms, with the menu changing roughly every half-month to follow the season.
Defining Moments
1. A star in year one, two stars the next
Chef Tam's Seasons earned one Michelin star in the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau 2024 (announced March 2024) within its first year, rose to two stars in the 2025 guide, and retained two stars in the 2026 guide. For a newly opened restaurant, this pace of promotion is rare in Macau.
2. The climb up Asia's 50 Best
Chef Tam's Seasons first entered Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2024 at No. 49, also winning "Best Restaurant in Macau"; it jumped to No. 9 in 2025 — the only Macau restaurant on that year's list — and took the "Highest Climber Award"; it rose again to No. 7 in 2026, holding "Best Restaurant in Macau" for several consecutive years.
3. Black Pearl and "Chef of the Year"
Tam himself was named "Chef of the Year" in the 2023 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide (then at Wing Lei Palace), the first chef in Macau to receive the honour. Chef Tam's Seasons subsequently rose from one diamond (2025) to two diamonds (2026) in the Black Pearl guide. (Black Pearl's "Chef of the Year" is a personal award, distinct from a restaurant's diamond rating.)
Public Character
Public accounts of Tam Kwok Fung cluster around the keywords Hong Kong-born, Cantonese master, seasonal solar-term cooking, two Michelin stars, Asia's 50 Best. His "twenty-four solar terms" seasonal philosophy and steady record of star promotions give him an important place on the map of contemporary Macau Cantonese cuisine. This archive records only his publicly verifiable restaurants, awards and professional record in neutral terms; all star and award claims follow the official Michelin Guide, the official Asia's 50 Best list, and Wynn's official materials.
Key Achievements
- Executive chef of Chef Tam's Seasons, Wynn Palace — two Michelin stars (Guides 2025 and 2026)
- Founding chef of Jade Dragon, City of Dreams — built it to two Michelin stars (2016)
- No. 7 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2026, "Best Restaurant in Macau" for several consecutive years; No. 9 in 2025 with the "Highest Climber Award"
- Black Pearl "Chef of the Year" 2023 (first in Macau) and gold at the 5th World Championship of Chinese Cuisine (2005)
Information compiled from the official Michelin Guide, the official Asia's 50 Best website, Wynn Resorts (Macau) official materials, and public reporting from Macau News and CNA Luxury, among others. If anything is inaccurate or needs updating, please contact us — we aim to respond within 48 hours.
