Reach for the stars

The 45-year-old has seen his career evolve over three phases. The first phase covers his first job at a hotel that lasted seven years, where he grew from knowing nothing to mastering every basic cooking skill. The second phase was when he worked as an executive chef at another five-star hotel for nine years, where he continued to hone his culinary skills and learned more about kitchen management.

"The third phase began when I was invited to become the executive chef at Jing Yaa Tang in preparation for its opening," Li says. "It was in this latest phase of my career where I tried to develop my own style."

Jing Yaa Tang first opened its doors in 2013, and soon became a favorite in the capital for its Peking roast duck and authentic regional takes on Chinese cuisine.

From the restaurant's opening menu to the most recent seasonal crab menu, each one was created by Li, featuring poetic names he devised for the dishes.

Roast duck is one of Li's signature dishes and is cooked in the traditional way in a wood-fired oven.

Li is strict about each step of making this classic Beijing dish, starting with the source-each duck has to be between 40 and 45 days old and weigh between 2 to 2.5 kilograms.