Tam Kwok Fung (Chef Tam) is a Hong Kong-born Cantonese master chef whose career has been built largely in Macau, and the executive chef of Chef Tam's Seasons (譚卉) at Wynn Palace. He entered the trade in Hong Kong at sixteen, later led Chinese kitchens at The Peninsula and Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, and settled in Macau from 2007. He built a two-Michelin-star reputation at Jade Dragon (City of Dreams) before moving to Wynn Palace in 2018. His eponymous restaurant, Chef Tam's Seasons, opened in 2023 around the twenty-four solar terms; it earned one Michelin star in its first year (Guide 2024), rose to two stars in 2025 and held them in the 2026 guide, and ranked No. 7 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2026.
From a kitchen apprentice in Hong Kong, to executive Chinese chef at Bangkok's five-star hotels, to twice winning two Michelin stars in Macau — across four decades at the stove, Tam Kwok Fung has turned seasonal Cantonese cooking into one of Macau's culinary calling cards.
Tam Kwok Fung (Chef Tam) is a Hong Kong-born Cantonese master chef whose career has been built largely in Macau, and the executive chef of Chef Tam's Seasons (譚卉) at Wynn Palace. He built two-Michelin-star reputations at both Jade Dragon (City of Dreams) and Chef Tam's Seasons, and carried the latter into the upper ranks of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants — making him one of the representative figures of contemporary Macau Cantonese cuisine going international.
Profile
- Chinese Name: 譚國鋒
- English / Known as: Tam Kwok Fung (Chef Tam)
- Birthplace: Hong Kong (no reliably sourced birth year)
- Domains: Culture · Business · Food
- Industry: Hospitality · Cantonese cuisine · Fine dining
- Profession: Executive Chef
- Affiliation: Chef Tam's Seasons, Wynn Palace (Macau)
Background
Tam Kwok Fung grew up in Hong Kong and entered the trade as a kitchen apprentice at sixteen — a "learned at the stove" path rather than formal culinary schooling. He later moved to Thailand, leading the Chinese kitchens at China House (Mandarin Oriental Bangkok) and Mei Jiang (The Peninsula Bangkok), where his restaurants were repeatedly named among the city's best Chinese establishments. In 2005 he won gold at the 5th World Championship of Chinese Cuisine, cementing his reputation. From around 2007 he moved his stage to Macau, at a time when the city's integrated resorts were aggressively recruiting name chefs and pushing fine dining.
Note: some press calls Tam Kwok Fung a "Macau master chef," referring to where his career and fame were built; multiple biographical sources consistently record that he entered the trade in Hong Kong, so this archive frames his background as "Hong Kong-born, with Macau as his main stage."
Career
I. Bangkok years: hotel executive Chinese chef
Before moving to Macau, Tam built his experience within Bangkok's five-star hotel system, leading the Chinese restaurants at the Mandarin Oriental and The Peninsula, with his kitchens repeatedly rated the city's best Chinese dining. These years grounded him in the standards and management of high-end hotel restaurants.
II. Jade Dragon at City of Dreams: building two Michelin stars (c. 2007–2018)
After settling in Macau, Tam served as culinary director at City of Dreams and founded the Cantonese restaurant Jade Dragon (譽瓏軒). It earned one Michelin star (2014/2015) and then two stars (2016), becoming one of the defining works of his career. After he left, Jade Dragon was taken over by his protégé Kelvin Au Yeung and went on to earn a third star.