1. The French Laundry, California

In the early 2000s, The French Laundry was one of the first restaurants that piqued my interest in becoming a chef. What I loved there was the teamwork and the sourcing of every single ingredient – like nothing I’d ever seen before. The restaurant’s chef-proprietor Thomas Keller was in the kitchen, and there was a real aura to the place. Social media has taken away some of the romance, especially in destination restaurants, because you can see them too much on the inside. But this was the first time that I had that feeling of romance and anticipation.

2. Silk Road, London

Silk Road (47 Camberwell Church Street, London) is probably my favourite: a little restaurant near where I live in south London. I’ve been going for more than 10 years for their simple, home-style Xinjiang cuisine – it’s never really changed. Everything is fresh, piping hot and comes out fast. There’s a sense of homeliness in the food. The noodles and dumplings are handmade and everything is reasonably priced. The style of service also gives me that feeling of growing up in Hong Kong. It’s fast, abrupt and impersonal, which I like. I don’t want to be asked “How’s business?”.