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Hong Kong Michelin star restaurant angered over Malaysia copycat
The Chairman, a one-Michelin-star Cantonese restaurant in the Central business district of Hong Kong, has released a statement denying any affiliation with a new site set to open in Malaysia which uses both its name and logo.
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“We do not have any operation in Malaysia and do not have any association with any restaurant opened or to be opened in Malaysia bearing the name ‘Chairman’ or ‘大班樓’,” the Hong Kong restaurant said in a statement posted on its Instagram page.
Rumours of a second site from the Michelin star restaurant began after a large billboard on the fifth floor of Pavilion Damansara Heights, a luxury shopping centre in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur that opened on 9 October, was spotted by fans of the Cantonese fine dining spot.
The billboard displayed the words ‘The Chairman Group’ below a logo bearing a remarkable similarity to that of the Hong Kong Michelin star restaurant, with its Chinese character name (大班樓) each surrounded by the shape of a flower. Eagle-eyed patrons may have spotted a difference in the shapes of the flowers in the new logo, bearing five rather than four petals.
Hong Kong’s The Chairman is owned by The Chairman International and fronted by chef-owner Danny Yip. The restaurant moved to its current location on Wellington Street in 2022, and has maintained its Michelin star since 2021.
The restaurant responded to queries about a second site via Instagram on Tuesday (10 October). “In response to inquiries from our patrons, The Chairman International Limited, trading as The Chairman , would like to clarify that, apart from The Chairman Restaurant (大班樓 at 198 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, we do not have any branch, franchise or any other form of operation in or outside Hong Kong,” the statement read.
It went on: “For the record, we have not authorised or approved any person or entity in or outside Hong Kong to use any of our English or Chinese names and/or any of our logos and related designs.”
Hours later, The Chairman Group Malaysia, which is responsible for the new Kuala Lumpur site, set to open in January 2024, also took to Instagram to clarify its position.
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“In light of recent confusion surrounding the Chairman Group Malaysia and The Chairman Company Limited of Hong Kong, we’d like to clarify that we have no affiliation with the Hong Kong Restaurant,” it said.
However, the Instagram post also named a Mr Chan, described as “one of the founders of Chairman Hong Kong and our advisor”, who “will soon be introducing a new establishment in Malaysia”.
South China Morning Post, where this story was previously reported, could not independently verify the identity of Mr Chan, but said Yip confirmed that he is indeed one of the founders of the original restaurant.
In a response to follow-up queries from the Post, Kelvin Leong, the head of operations for The Chairman Group Malaysia, explained of Mr Chan’s role: “This endeavour will be distinct from his previous venture in Hong Kong, yet it remains firmly rooted in Mr Chan’s founding values and vision when he first founded The Chairman Hong Kong. We strive to deliver a new and exciting culinary experience to the Malaysian people with the guidance of Mr Chan.”