A never-ending journey

While the exclusive Wendy’s Wok World dinners remain closed to the public, in recent years Lui has been bringing her project to a wider audience. That includes co-hosting exclusive dinners with venerable restaurant Ser Wong Fun and plant-based meat brand OmniFoods in Hong Kong, as well as pop-up events in Bangkok and New York in partnership with local arts organisations.

“It’s intriguing how diverse audiences interpret my projects,” she says. “In Hong Kong, most gravitate towards the intricacies of the wok techniques; overseas, people are generally more interested in my philosophical approach to the art of wok cooking.”

They’re clearly both vital ingredients – and like all wok-fried dishes, it all comes together as part of a bigger whole. “Many dishes are easy to learn but difficult to master,” says Lui. “Take beef hor fun: making a passable version isn’t difficult, but achieving excellence is a totally different challenge. You have to impart a fragrance to the noodles without breaking them, ensure the noodles are soft and the beef remains tender, all while maintaining the crispness of the vegetables. Each ingredient must be stir-fried, every bite imbued with wok hei.”

In Wendy’s Wok World, every dish is a martial arts technique. There’s always more to learn. A greater purity. A higher standard to reach.

Three wok recipes to try

Want to test the calibre of a chef? Order these three classic wok dishes.