A Day at NYC’s Only Michelin Star Chinese Restaurant | On The Line | Bon Appétit
26 August 2026 · 15:51 watch
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Go behind the scenes at Yingtao in New York City as executive chef Emily Yuen prepares a modern Chinese fine-dining menu, demonstrating how to scale traditional techniques for a 74-cover Michelin-starred service.
Key takeaways
- Master the slow, monitored simmer of pork and poultry bones to extract deep umami while keeping superior stock clean.
- Use dry-aging for Wagyu and precise marinades for black cod to improve texture and flavour retention before cooking.
- Dedicate prep time to labour-intensive tasks like peeling individual tomatoes to achieve uniform mouthfeel in modern Chinese plates.
- Individually inspect sensitive ingredients, such as century eggs, to guarantee consistent texture and presentation.
- Utilise the pre-shift briefing to bridge the gap between kitchen prep and front-of-house execution for high-cover services.
Refining Chinese Classics for Fine Dining
Managing a Michelin-starred service requires balancing traditional flavour profiles with modern kitchen organisation. At Yingtao, executive chef Emily Yuen leads her team through a meticulous prep schedule to execute a high-end, 74-cover service. The culinary approach focuses on stripping back traditional Chinese elements to their core essentials and applying contemporary techniques to reframe them. This involves strict ingredient sourcing, precise prep routines, and a focus on consistency across complex components.
From the morning market run to the final pre-shift briefing, Yuen's day is a lesson in workflow efficiency. Rather than relying on standard commercial shortcuts, the kitchen team takes on labour-intensive prep work. This includes peeling individual tomatoes to achieve a perfect texture, hand-folding delicate wontons, and carefully inspecting century eggs to ensure they meet the restaurant's standards for both visual presentation and texture.
Key Prep Techniques: Superior Stock and Dry Aging
Two foundational elements of Yuen's menu are the superior stockStockA liquid made by simmering bones, meat, fish, vegetables or aromatics. and the protein preservation techniques. Superior stock is the backbone of high-end Chinese cuisine, demanding a slow, disciplined simmer to extract maximum collagen and depth from poultry and pork bones without clouding the brothBrothA seasoned liquid produced by simmering meat, vegetables, bones or other ingredients.. Chefs will observe the patience required to clarifyClarifyTo remove suspended particles or impurities from a liquid to produce a clear result. and balance these rich liquids, ensuring they provide a clean yet deep umamiUmamiThe savoury taste associated with compounds such as glutamate and certain nucleotides. base.
For the proteins, Yuen demonstrates how modern preservation techniques can merge with Chinese flavour profiles. The kitchen dry-ages Wagyu beef to concentrate its natural rich beefiness, adjusting the moisture levels to enhance the texture before service. Meanwhile, the black cod is treated with a precise marinade, requiring a calculated soaking time to penetrate the oily flesh without breaking down the delicate flakiness of the fish. Managing these prep timings is critical to preventing the cod from turning mushy or the Wagyu from over-drying.
The Road to Service
The final hours before service are dedicated to refinement and team communication. A crucial step shown is the development and evaluation of new dishes, such as the pastry team's latest dessert creations. Yuen assesses these items not just for taste, but for operational viability on a busy line. Finally, the day culminates in the pre-shift meeting, where the front-of-house and back-of-house teams align on the night's covers, dietary requirements, and specific service targets. This structured hand-off ensures the meticulous kitchen prep translates seamlessly to the guest experience.
Questions from the pass
Frequently asked questions
How does Chef Emily Yuen approach the preparation of superior stock?
Chef Emily Yuen prepares superior stock by slowly simmering a combination of pork and poultry bones to extract collagen and deep umami. This technique requires careful temperature control during the long simmer to ensure the broth stays relatively clear while developing a rich mouthfeel. It serves as the foundational liquid base for many of the restaurant's key dishes.
Why is dry-aging used for Wagyu beef in a Chinese kitchen?
Dry-aging is used at Yingtao to concentrate the natural beef flavour and reduce excess moisture in the Wagyu. This process tenderises the meat and ensures a clean, intense beef profile that holds up well during subsequent cooking. Controlling the dry-aging environment is critical for maintaining consistency before the beef is portioned for service.
What is the benefit of marinating black cod instead of cooking it fresh?
Marinating black cod allows the flavour profiles to penetrate deep into the oily flesh of the fish. At Yingtao, this step is carefully timed to balance the seasoning without breaking down the delicate, flaky texture of the cod. Over-marinating must be avoided to prevent the fish from becoming mushy during cooking.
How does the kitchen maintain high standards for delicate elements like century eggs?
The kitchen team individually inspects century eggs to ensure their texture and visual appearance meet strict fine-dining standards. Since century eggs can vary in firmness and flavour intensity, this step guarantees that only those with the correct gelatine-like whites and creamy yolks are plated for the diners.
Why does the kitchen spend labour-intensive prep hours peeling individual tomatoes?
Peeling individual tomatoes ensures a refined, skinless texture that integrates smoothly into delicate dishes. This step removes the tough outer skin, allowing the tomato to absorb accompanying dressings and broths more effectively, providing a clean bite that matches the restaurant's focus on high-end execution.
Original video by Bon Appétit. This overview is written independently by The Chef's Circle editorial desk — watch the original on YouTube.
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