Richard Chen
{{family name hatnote|Chen|lang=Chinese}}
Richard Chen is the former executive chef of Wing Lei, a Chinese restaurant inside Wynn Las Vegas.Wynn Las Vegas. WingLei (Chef Ming Yu).{{cite web|url=http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/Dining/FineDining/WingLei| title=wynnlasvegas.com |accessdate= Dec 4, 2016}}
Early life and education
Chen was introduced to catering at the age of seven by his parents who ran a restaurant in Taiwan. The family moved to the United States and re-established a new restaurant in suburban Chicago where Richard continued assisting them.{{Citation needed|date=January 2016}} Chen graduated at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.{{cite news|last=Millman|first=China|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08061/861720-46.stm|title=Celebrated chef to open Chinese restaurant in E. Liberty|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|date=March 1, 2008|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}
Career
In 1986 he was appointed chef at the La Vista International Hotel (which was in December 1995 renamed as Marriott World Trade Center{{cite web|url=http://www.panynj.gov/wtcprogress/history-wtc.html|title=History of the World Trade Center|publisher=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey|location=New York, NY|accessdate=May 11, 2009|archive-date=October 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018090811/http://www.panynj.gov/wtcprogress/history-wtc.html|url-status=dead}}).
He then returned to Chicago to become a chef in Euro-French cuisine at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.
In 2002, Chen became Chef de Cuisine and manager of the fusion restaurant Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula Chicago. Chicago magazine named it as one of its "Best New Restaurants" in 2002 and Zagat listed it in the "Top Food, Service and Décor" category.
While at the Shanghai Terrace, Chen also became executive chef of Wing Lei{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=901sKtrssIM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/901sKtrssIM |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|title=Wing Lei - Chinese Restaurant - Wynn Las Vegas|website=YouTube |date=2008-07-19|accessdate=2011-12-27|location=Las Vegas, Nevada|format=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} starting April 28, 2005 after an extensive recruitment campaign by Steve Wynn himself.{{cite web|url=http://newasiancuisine.com/2784-richard-chen.html|title=At the Table with Chef Richard Chen|publisher=New Asian Cuisine e-newsletter|date=February 2009|volume=5|issue=2|accessdate=May 11, 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131034537/http://newasiancuisine.com/2784-richard-chen.html|archivedate=January 31, 2010}} The 2008 Las Vegas Michelin Guide awarded it one star, making it the only Chinese restaurant in North America to have earned the honor. It has also received the 2008 AAA Four Diamond award.{{cite web|url=http://www.sobewineandfoodfest.com/2009/view_person.php?person=27&type=Chef%20&%20Culinary%20Personality|title=Richard Chen - Chef and Culinary Personality|location=Miami, Florida|accessdate=May 11, 2009}} The name Wing Lei is derived from the translation of the Chinese character for Wynn and means "forever prosperous".
Chen married Cathy Yee in the summer of 2006. Cathy owns the Chinese restaurant Ya Fei{{cite news|last=Billingsley|first=Sarah|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/dining/20020906dine3.asp|title=Ya Fei's Asian cuisine ranks among area's finest|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|date=September 6, 2002|accessdate=May 11, 2009}}{{Official website|http://www.yafeirestaurant.com/about_us.html}}. Retrieved 2011-12-27.{{cite web|url=http://www.yelp.com/biz/ya-fei-restaurant-pittsburgh|title=Ya Fei Restaurant|publisher=Yelp|accessdate=2011-07-21}} in the Robinson neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Kathy herself was named Pittsburgh Magazine's Restaurateur of the Year.
Chen then opened his contemporary Chinese restaurant, Richard Chen Pan Asian Cuisine, on August 1, 2008, in the recently re-identified Eastside development in East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh{{cite news|last=Downer|first=Elizabeth|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08213/900705-34.stm|title=A yen for Chen: Star chef opens in Eastside|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|date=July 31, 2008|accessdate=May 11, 2009}} with executive chef Simon Lewis and general manager Alec Chipman and co-owner and wife Cathy Chen. It featured upscale dining for Pan-Asian cuisine in a fusion-inspired interior.{{cite web|last=McDonald |first=Deborah |url=http://www.wqed.org/mag/columns/dish/2008/1108_richard_chen.php |title=Richard Chen Pittsburgh |publisher=Pittsburgh Magazine |location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |date=2008-11-08 |accessdate=May 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091106065424/http://www.wqed.org/mag/columns/dish/2008/1108_richard_chen.php |archivedate=November 6, 2009 }} EDGEstudio from Pittsburgh's Garfield neighborhood designed the 120 seat, {{convert|4600|sqft|m2|adj=on}} interior.{{cite web|last=Certo|first=Tracy|url=http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/richardchen072408.aspx|title=New Richard Chen restaurant adds flair to East Liberty dining scene|publisher=Pop City Media|date=July 30, 2008|accessdate=May 11, 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807173334/http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/richardchen072408.aspx|archivedate=August 7, 2008}} In its short 9 months of operations, it became locally favoured{{cite news|last=Millman|first=China|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08332/931010-34.stm|title=Richard Chen Pittsburgh shakes up fine dining with vibrant atmosphere, cuisine|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|date=November 27, 2008|accessdate=May 11, 2009}} and was a semi-finalist for best new restaurant for the 2009 James Beard Foundation Award.{{cite web|url=http://www.jamesbeard.org/index.php?q=node/99 |title=JBF Awards|accessdate=May 11, 2009}} It temporarily closed April 29, 2009{{cite web|last=Schooley|first=Tim|url=http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/04/27/daily48.html|title=Richard Chen Pittsburgh closing for renovations|publisher=Pittsburgh Business Times|date=April 29, 2009|accessdate=May 11, 2009}} and permanently closed on April 30, 2009, citing economic concerns.{{cite news|last=Millman|first=China|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09120/966662-46.stm|title=Citing economy, upscale Richard Chen's closes|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|date=April 30, 2009|accessdate=May 11, 2009}} A pan-Asian restaurant has opened in the space.{{cite web|url=http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/January-2010/New-Restaurants-to-Visit-Now/|title=New Restaurants to Visit Now|first=Kate|last=Chynoweth|date=17 December 2009 |publisher=Pittsburgh Magazine|accessdate=2011-07-21}} Pittsburgh Magazine readers voted it the 2009 "Worst Loss to the Local Dining Scene".{{cite web|url=http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/October-2009/Best-and-Worst-of-Pittsburgh/|title=Best (and Worst) of Pittsburgh|publisher=Pittsburgh Magazine|accessdate=2011-07-21|year=2009|author=Colleen Heavens}}
In May 2011, Chen left Wing Lei to start Kushi Yama in Amarillo, Texas.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u2zwkCJkMo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/2u2zwkCJkMo |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|title=Richard Chen's Hickory Smoked Duck|publisher=KAMR-TV|date=2011-08-11|accessdate=2011-12-27|location=Amarillo, Texas|format=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}
Chen has repeatedly explained to various interviewers how his French influenced light Chinese plates, which require impeccable technique in the making, differ so evidently from popular Chinese take-out food.{{cite web|url=http://www.behindtheburner.com/expert/richard_chen.html|title=Expert Interview: Richard Chen|publisher=Behind the Burner|accessdate=May 11, 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224130428/http://behindtheburner.com/expert/richard_chen.html|archivedate=February 24, 2009}}
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American people of Taiwanese descent