Hong Kong native Keith Yam Ka-lok is the executive chef of Tuber Umberto Bombana and Cannubi at K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui. He spoke to Andrew Sun.<\/em><\/p>\n As Hongkongers, my mom and dad mostly had very traditional local foods. We cooked ordinary family dishes. At festive times, we had rice dumplings and Chinese cakes.<\/p>\n I was a terrible student, so at 16, I told my mom I didn\u2019t want to study any more \u2013 I wanted to go out and work.<\/p>\n I had two relatives who were chefs. One was in a Chinese restaurant, the other in a Western restaurant. A day in a Chinese kitchen started earlier, seemed like harder work and conditions seemed dirtier, so I chose to work in Western cuisine.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t know a word of English when I started, but in the kitchen I was very curious, wanting to know the names of ingredients.<\/p>\n For dinner in Hong Kong, and also where I would bring visitors, I really like Man Ho<\/strong> (3\/F, JW Marriott Hotel, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty. Tel: 2810 8366). Chef Jayson Tang, who I worked with briefly at the old Ritz-Carlton hotel [in Central], is very detailed, with such high standards. He incorporates some contemporary Western techniques in his dishes and they are very good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Keith](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/02\/16\/cc773c6d-4878-4cd9-9e6c-d14bbbaccba4_cd1b6055.jpg\" "\\"Keith")
<\/div>