JIA boutique hotel appoints Celebrated Australian Chef Teage Ezard to Create New Restaurants

JIA, a chic boutique hotel in Hong Kong has partnered with award-winning Australian chef Teage Ezard to create its two new restaurants – introducing an exciting new culinary experience in Hong Kong in early 2005.

The two eateries at the Philippe Starck-designed boutique hotel include a signature Restaurant/Lounge on the first floor, featuring the provocative, cuisine of award-winning Melbourne Chef, Teage Ezard, in contemporary surroundings rich with textures and ambient lighting.

On the ground floor will be a smaller, more casual Café serving Ezard’s new concept “Street food” and a Bar where guests can relax with creative cocktails in a fun, lively atmosphere.

Teage Ezard terms his signature cuisine “Australian free style” influenced by the cuisines of Asia, particularly China and Thailand. He is renowned for his restaurant, ezard at adelphi, which in 2001 was awarded three chefs hats from The Age Good Food Guide – a coveted award and Australia’s equivalent of Michelin stars. He has established a reputation in the media for "fearless experiments with foreign flavours" and "mind-blowing Asian influences". 

Ezard’s “Street food” which will be served in the Café reflects the flavours and cultures of Asia and the Mediterranean region.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to present the ezard style of food and ideas beyond Australia, to an incredibly cosmopolitan community such as Hong Kong," Ezard said.

In 1999, Ezard realised his life-long ambition by opening his own restaurant, ezard at adelphi, located at the hip aldelphi hotel in Flinders Lane, Melbourne. In its first year it was named as Best New Restaurant in The Age Good Food Guide. It was also named Best New Restaurant by the American Express Restaurant Awards, and Best New Business by the Restaurant & Catering Association of Victoria.

In August 2001 the restaurant was awarded Three Chefs Hats– while Ezard was named ‘Chef of the Year’ for the “dazzling, sometimes provocative” dishes which have become his trademark.

His first cookbook, simply called ezard, recently won the Best Chef Book in The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Now available in paperback, it shows how he creates memorable dishes of startling complexity by mixing and matching simple flavours and adapting cooking techniques.

“Ezard’s cuisine is regarded as an ideal match for JIA boutique hotel, and we are looking forward to introducing this new concept to Hong Kong’s discerning diners,” said Yenn Wong, owner of JIA.

Both restaurants are being designed by AFSO, headed by Andre Fu, a protégée of celebrated London designer John Pawson. Fu received special recognition by Wallpaper as an upcoming talent in 2003 and was also named as one of the Hot 100 designers by Elle Décor UK. His recent works include Zen and Zenzibar in Xintiandi, Shanghai as well as the private residence of international movie star Michelle Yeoh.