Richard Chen

Richard Chen is the executive chef of Wing Lei, a restaurant in the Wynn Las Vegas.

Chef Chen began his career at the age of seven, working in his parents’ restaurant in his native Taiwan. His family moved to the United States and re-established a new restaurant in suburban Chicago and Richard continued to work with them.

He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.^[1] In 1986, he became a chef at the La Vista International Hotel (later renamed the Marriott World Trade Center in December 1995^[2]).

He then moved back to Chicago to become a chef in Euro-French cuisine at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.

In 2002, Richard became Chef de Cuisine and Manager of the fusion restaurant Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula Chicago. Chicago magazine named it as one of its "Best New Restaurants" in 2002 and Zagat listed it in the "Top Food, Service and Décor" category.

While at the Shanghai Terrace, Richard also became executive chef of Wing Lei^[3] starting April 28, 2005 after an extensive recruitment campaign by Steve Wynn himself.^[4] The 2008 Las Vegas Michelin Guide awarded it one star, making it the only Chinese restaurant in North America to have earned the honor. It has also received the 2008 AAA Four Diamond award.^[5] The name Wing Lei is derived from the translation of the Chinese character for Wynn and means "forever prosperous".^[6]

Richard married Cathy Yee in the summer of 2006. Cathy owns the Chinese restaurant Ya Fei^[7][8][9] in the Robinson neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Kathy herself was named Pittsburgh Magazine's Restaurateur of the Year^[8].

Richard then opened his contemporary Chinese restaurant, Richard Chen Pan Asian Cuisine, on August 1, 2008 in the recently re-identified Eastside development in East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh^[10] with executive chef Simon Lewis and general manager Alec Chipman and co-owner and wife Cathy Chen. It featured upscale dining for Pan-Asian cuisine in a fusion-inspired interior. .^[11] EDGEstudio from Pittsburgh's Garfield neighborhood designed the 120 seat, 4,600-square-foot (430 m²) interior.^[12] In its short 9 months of operations, it became locally favoured^[13] and was a semi-finalist for best new restaurant for the 2009 James Beard Foundation Award^[14]. It temporarily closed April 29, 2009^[15] and permanently closed on April 30, 2009 citing economic concerns^[16]. A pan-Asian restaurant has opened in the space^[17]. Pittsburgh Magazine readers voted it the 2009 "Worst Loss to the Local Dining Scene"^[18].

In May 2011, Richard Chen left Wing Lei to start Kushi Yama in Amarillo, Texas^[19][20].

Chef Chen has repeatedly cited through various interviews that his cooking style emphasizes precise technique and a French influence on light Chinese cooking which is distinct from Chinese take-out food.^[21]

References