Our story

A young cook leaves his home country. One suitcase, one dream, no plan B.

He lands at Royal China in London, one of the most important addresses for Cantonese cuisine in all of Britain. Since 1996 the restaurant has stood for a single principle: only the best is good enough. Handmade dim sum, fresh every day. Classical techniques, uncompromising standards.

He starts at the very bottom. He washes woks, folds dumplings, watches the old masters. He stays longer than he has to. And he slowly works his way up.

This is also where he first learns what truly defines a great Peking duck. The right marinade. The patience to dry the skin properly. The timing of the glaze. He understands quickly: this is not a dish you simply cook. It is a discipline of its own.

Anyone in London who really wants to understand what perfection means cannot avoid one name: Hakkasan.

The Michelin-awarded restaurant in Mayfair is considered one of the most important addresses for high-end Chinese cuisine in the world. Cantonese tradition meets fine dining, every detail in place. Our chef becomes part of this house and refines everything he had built up over the years before.

The duck above all.

At Hakkasan the Peking duck is no afterthought. It is the centerpiece. The skin has to crack so loudly you can hear it. The meat beneath must be tender, juicy, never dry. He learns how little margin this dish allows, and how much experience it takes to hit that margin every single time.

And then comes Germany.

What begins as a journey turns into a life. He meets the woman who will change everything. A visit becomes a home, and out of that home grows a dream: to build something of their own, together.

They choose Düsseldorf, they choose Bilk, they choose an unassuming corner on Brunnenstraße. Far away from the glamour of London's Michelin world, but close to what really matters.

They open Dim Sum Gourmet. He in the kitchen, she the soul of the house.

To this day our chef still stands at the stove every single day.

He folds the dumplings with the same hands that once learned the craft in London. He glazes the Peking duck to the same standard he built up over more than two decades. He picks the ingredients personally, every day, because he knows no other way and wants no other way.

Dim Sum Gourmet is not a grand restaurant. No white tablecloths, no candlelit interior. What you will find here: handmade dim sum that has no equal in Düsseldorf, and a Peking duck our guests have been talking about for years.

This little place in Bilk is not just our restaurant. It is our life.

And we are happy to share it with you.