Alan Yau
{{Short description|Hong Kong-Chinese restaurateur}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alan Yau
| post-nominals = OBE
| image = Alan Yau 01 (cropped).jpg
| birth_name = Yau Tak-wai
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1962|11|11}}
| birth_place = Sha Tau Kok, British Hong Kong
| nationality = British
| occupation = Entrepreneur, restaurateur
| years_active = 1992–present
| known_for = Wagamama, Hakkasan, Busaba Eathai, Yauatcha, Princi, Park Chinois, Babaji, Softchow
| title = CEO of Softchow
| awards = Michelin Star (Hakkasan, 2002)
Michelin Star (Yauatcha, 2005)
OBE (2006)
| module = {{Infobox Chinese
|c={{linktext|lang=zh|丘|德|威}}
|j=jau1 dak1wai1 |y=Yau Tak Wai
|p=Qiu Déwei}}
}}
Alan Yau ({{zh|c=丘德威}}) {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE}} (born 11 November 1962) is a Hong Kong-born British restaurateur who founded the Wagamama chain in the United Kingdom. Of Hakka ethnicity, he was born in Sha Tau Kok, Hong Kong and moved to King's Lynn, Norfolk in 1975 with his family.
Alan Yau started his career in 1992 founding Wagamama and was appointed an OBE in the 2006 New Year Honour's List for services to the restaurant industry. Following that, Alan founded numerous ventures in gastronomy such as Hakkasan (awarded a Michelin Star in 2003), Yauatcha (awarded Michelin star in 2005) and Park Chinois. In 2016 Alan pivoted into the software world and founded Softchow, a taste aggregation platform.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Article/2017/08/15/Alan-yau-to-open-restaurant-Yamabahce-in-Marylebone |title=Yau comes out restaurant 'retirement' for third time to launch Yamabahce |website=bighospitality.co.uk |date=14 August 2017 |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-04-08 }}
In April 2019, The Asian Awards honoured Alan for his culinary work with the "Outstanding Achievement in the Arts" award.{{cite web |title=The Asian Awards Winners |url=https://www.newasianpost.com/the-asian-awards-2019-celebrate-musics-rising-star-rika/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904191517/https://www.newasianpost.com/the-asian-awards-2019-celebrate-musics-rising-star-rika/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 September 2019 |website=New Asian Post |accessdate=4 September 2019 }}
Career highlights
= Wagamama =
Founded in 1992 by Yau,{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/my-life-in-food-alan-yau-restaurateur-8390478.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126081443/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/my-life-in-food-alan-yau-restaurateur-8390478.html |archive-date=2013-01-26 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=My life in food: Alan Yau, Restaurateur|date=2012-12-06|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2019-04-08}} Wagamama is a ramen bar with nearly 200 locations globally as of early 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2019/01/06/wagamama-opening-3rd-nyc-location-in-murray-hill/|title=Wagamama opening third NYC location in Murray Hill|last=Keil|first=Jennifer Gould|date=2019-01-06|website=New York Post|language=en|access-date=2019-04-08}} Yau left Wagamama in 1997.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/13dd30ea-6d45-11e5-8171-ba1968cf791a|title=The Alan Yau factor: Wagamama to Park Chinois|date=2015-10-09|website=Financial Times|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-04-08}}
= Busaba Eathai =
Founded in 1999, Busaba Eathai is a casual dining Thai restaurant chain.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10557252/Authentic-taste-of-Thailand-appeals-to-cash-conscious-Brits.html|title=Authentic taste of Thailand appeals to cash-conscious Brits|last=Burn-Callander|first=Rebecca|journal=Daily Telegraph|date=2014-01-08|access-date=2019-04-08|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}} Yau left Busaba Eathai in 2008.{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/the-tao-of-yau-6464882.html|title=The Tao of Yau|date=2010-04-30|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=2019-04-08}}
= Hakkasan =
Founded in 1999, Hakkasan was initially a fine dining Chinese restaurant which later expanded to include nightlife entertainment. Hakkasan was awarded a Michelin Star in 2003{{Cite web|url=https://hakkasan.com/about/accolades/|title=Michelin Star Restaurant {{!}} Award Winning|website=Hakkasan Restaurant|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-08}} and Yau exited Hakkasan in 2008.{{Cite web|url=https://moneyweek.com/499447/wagamama-founder-alan-yau-uses-his-noodle/|title=Wagamama founder Alan Yau uses his noodle|date=2018-12-14|website=MoneyWeek|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-04-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecaterer.com/articles/321865/alan-yau-to-turn-busaba-eathai-into-restaurant-chain|title=Alan Yau to turn Busaba Eathai into restaurant chain|last=Kühn|first=Kerstin|date=1 July 2008|website=thecaterer.com|access-date=2019-04-08}}
= Yauatcha =
Founded in 2004 by Yau, Yauatcha is dim sum restaurant and patisserie tea house chain. Yauatcha was awarded Michelin Star in 2005. Yau left Yauatcha in 2008.
= Princi UK =
In collaboration with Rocco Princi, Yau founded Princi in 2008; an Italian Bakery in Soho. He sold his shares to Starbucks in 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2018/starbucks-christian-davies-princi-howard-schultz-coffee-bakery/|title=Starbucks Opens Princi Bakery in Seattle|date=2018-08-01|website=PYMNTS.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-08}}
= Cha Cha Moon =
In 2008, a collaboration with Kuwaiti firm Kout Food Group saw Yau open Cha Cha Moon in Kingly Court, London, a ‘fast casual' Chinese noodle bar. A second location was launched in Whiteleys Shopping Centre, but closed down less than a year later to be transformed into Cafe Licious/Chi Wok/Pasta Rossa.{{Cite web |date=2016-09-26 |title=Original Cha Cha Moon restaurant for sale |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/original-cha-cha-moon-restaurant-for-sale |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=The Caterer |language=en}} The Kingly Court location closed in 2016 as Kout Food Group began to withdraw from the UK market.
= Babaji =
= Duck and Rice =
Founded in 2015 by Yau, Duck and Rice is a Chinese pub with comfort food in Soho, London.{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/restaurants/wagamama-founder-alan-yau-launches-the-duck-and-rice-10151301.html|title=Wagamama founder Alan Yau launches the Duck and Rice, a pub with a Chinese twist|last=Kitson|first=Rod|date=2015-04-02|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=2019-04-08}}
= Park Chinois =
Founded in 2015, Park Chinois is a Chinese old school entertainment restaurant.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/drinking-and-dining/park-chinois-restaurant-review/|title=New Openings: Park Chinois|last=Armstrong|first=Hilary|date=2016-05-05|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=2019-04-08|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}
Similar to most of Yau's other creations, Park Chinois stays as authentic as possible to the restaurateur's heritage by drawing inspiration from popular dishes in 1930s Shanghai restaurants and supper clubs.{{Cite web |title=Park Chinois - A Glamorous Chinese Restaurant Near Berkeley Square, Mayfair |url=https://www.mfnights.com/post/park-chinois |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=www.mfnights.com|date=2 February 2022 }}
= Softchow =
Softchow was founded in 2017 by Yau as a "taste aggregation platform".{{Cite web|url=https://guide.michelin.com/sg/dining-out/alan-yau-wants-to-create-the-spotify-of-food-the-man-behind-hakkasan-opens-new-restaurant-in-singapore/news|title=Alan Yau Wants To Create The 'Spotify' Of Food; The Man Behind Hakkasan Opens New Restaurant in Singapore|website=MICHELIN Guide|language=en|access-date=2019-04-08}}