Tuesday, 16 June 2026 03:15 PM
Partnerships
Lee Kum Kee & Yingtao hosted an intimate dinner in NYC, presenting a 5-course menu that reframes foundational Chinese ingredients as fine dining building blocks.
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / June 16, 2026 / Lee Kum Kee, the 138-year-old global leader in Chinese sauces and condiments, partnered with Yingtao for an exclusive tasting experience on June 10, marking the beginning of a strategic collaboration that redefines how foundational Chinese ingredients power contemporary fine dining.
Hosted at Yingtao's Manhattan dining room, the five-course tasting experience demonstrated how more than ten Lee Kum Kee sauces, including Premium Oyster Sauce, First Draw Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Chiu Chow Chili Crisp Oil, and Pure Sesame Oil, serve not as background pantry staples, but as precision culinary tools chosen by chefs.
Developed by Chef Emily Yuen and founders Bolun Yao and Linette Yao, the menu showcased dishes such as Black Truffle Lo Mai Gai finished with Premium Oyster Sauce and Sesame Oil Cake with Soy Caramel made using First Draw Soy Sauce - illustrating how traditional Chinese ingredients provide depth, structure and balance at the highest level of execution.
"We are a contemporary Chinese restaurant - not fusion," said Bolun Yao, Co-founder of Yingtao. "Contemporary means pushing boundaries. Fusion means breaking them. Everything we create is rooted in Chinese culinary traditions - we are just finding new ways to help people experience it."
For Lee Kum Kee, the collaboration reinforces a core truth: the same sauces trusted by generations of home cooks are also the building blocks of refined, modern gastronomy.
"Flavor carries memory and heritage," said Joyce Tsai of Lee Kum Kee. "Our products have always been part of everyday cooking. Today, they are also enabling some of the most exciting Chinese cuisine in America."
The dinner gathered leading food editors, cultural journalists and digital creators to engage in a broader conversation about the evolution of Chinese cuisine in the United States - a trend increasingly defined by technical precision, cultural confidence and global recognition.
The partnership signals Lee Kum Kee's continued commitment to supporting chefs who are shaping the future of Chinese culinary expression - from home kitchens to Michelin-caliber dining rooms - pivoting that authentic ingredients remain the essential staple of exceptional cuisine and culinary experience.
About Lee Kum Kee
Lee Kum Kee, established in 1888, is the global gateway to Asian culinary culture. Originating from a single restaurant in Nanshui, China, it has grown into a global brand, empowering restaurants and millions of home cooks to explore Asian flavors and culinary culture. Beloved by consumers and chefs alike, the family-owned brand offers over three hundred authentic sauces and condiments, including favorites like Sriracha Chili Sauce, Sriracha Mayo, Premium Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Oyster Flavored Sauce, Chili Crisp Oil, and more. With a rich heritage and commitment to quality, Lee Kum Kee has expanded its presence in more than 100 countries across five continents through international retailers, specialty stores, and online at USA.LKK.com. For more information, follow Lee Kum Kee on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest.
About Yingtao
Yingtao is a contemporary Chinese restaurant in New York City, founded by Bolun Yao and Linette Yao and led in the kitchen by Head Chef Emily Yuen. The restaurant is dedicated to presenting Chinese cuisine with full respect for its heritage and full ambition for its future - rooted in tradition, expressed through a modern and deliberate culinary lens.
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SOURCE: Lee Kum Kee