The iconoclastic culinary event returns for another year with a brand new line-up for a night that will be full of the unexpected
Update on 26 November 2020: Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong and out of concern for all parties involved, Gelinaz has made the decision to postpone the event to January or February 2021. A new event date will be announced in two weeks and guests who have already purchased tickets can keep their tickets for the new date or request a refund by emailing hello@happyparadise.hk with their reservation name and email.
Since 2015, The Grand Gelinaz Shuffle has brought together some of the world’s biggest names in dining together for a meal to remember. Traditionally, the event sees top chefs swapping kitchens for one night only—not within their own cities but all over the world. Last year, for the first time, the team decided to take a more sustainable approach and created the rather prescient Stay At Home Tour, which meant chefs took part in a more symbolic swap—that of their recipes. For the 2019 edition, chefs such as Vicky Lau of Tate Dining Room, Jowett Yu of Ho Lee Fook and David Thompson of Aaharn were presented with anonymous recipes from their fellow chefs that they were encouraged to remix and make their own.
For the 2020 edition, with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging across the globe, the idea is now for appointed chef curators to decide how to carry out the Grand Gelinaz Shuffle in their own cities. For Hong Kong, that responsibility lies with May Chow of Happy Paradise, who has rallied fellow chefs to participate—for 2020, the line-up includes Agustin Balbi of Ando, Ricardo Chaneton of Mono, Matt Abergel of Yardbird Hong Kong and Ronin, Menex Cheung of China Tang, and Stephanie Wong of Roots.
The six chefs will present a dinner experience like no other, that will span multiple locations across Central—along with culinary hijinks, an element of theatricality will add extra dimension to the evening. Starting from 6:30pm, diners will experience a roving programme of exclusive off menu dishes, drinks, and performances by local talent—the entire event providing the heavily impacted performance arts sector as well as the hospitality industry a unique outlet and opportunity to showcase their creativity.