A wave of celebrity chefs rolls into Beijing
"Everyone is coming to China. It is the land of opportunity," explains Eric Johnson, Chef Partner of the famous Jean-George in Shanghai, while we discuss the boom in the restaurant business. And there's no better indicator of Beijing's mounting cosmopolitanism than the recent influx of culinary stars to Beijing's kitchens.

The most renowned and long buzzed arrival is Daniel Boulud's Maison Boulud a Pekin at Handel Lee's brainchild, The Legation Quarter. On June 14, The Ritz-Carlton Financial Street pulled together three top chefs: Chef Johnson, for his first trip to Beijing, as well as 1-Michelin Star Chef Volker Drkosch from Germany and 2-Michelin Star Chef Claudio Sadler from his restaurant in Milan. At Blu Lobster, media darling Chef Brian McKenna held down Robert Parker's May 24 Great Wall visit; and from August 5-7, he will collaborate with Pascal Barbot (hailed as the youngest chef from a 3-Michelin Star restaurant) to bring Beijing yet more cosmopolitan cooking.

Some celebrity chefs come for a slice of the world's largest pie; a few are attracted by the creative blank slate; while others see a chance to advance professionally. For Boulud, the opportunity to be a pioneer drew him to Beijing. "There is more that has yet to be accomplished on the restaurant scene in Beijing," he reveals.

The Olympic Games are partly responsible for the surge in eateries: hundreds of thousands of mouths will need feeding, many of them well-heeled world travelers who spread the word to fellow internationals. But is this just a bubble waiting to pop? Boulud is realistic about his world-class reputation. "As a chef, it is more important to be famous for the quality and consistency of your work and the pleasure people have in dining in your restaurants," he says. "Quality on every level" must be assured for true success, Boulud asserts, "cuisine, service, elegance, comfort, personal attention" not just two weeks of full bookings.

In other words: regardless of previous accolades and awards, top chefs have to hit the grindstone and work. "Celebrity chefs don't just open restaurants for fun," declared Johnson. "Otherwise, they would all open restaurants in Bangkok."

Manuela Zoninsein