We smell a change in the air. The Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) has appointed a new head chef for the school cafeteria, starting in the 2021-22 academic year.

A native Beijinger, Mr Jack Wong joined YCIS Beijing as part of the Chartwells team with certifications in western cooking and nutrition, in addition to a wealth of experience at well-regarded restaurants around the city. Chef Jack had experiences catering for international school children as sous chef and also worked as head chef at the western-style restaurant and brewery Jing-A 1979 and as director of the restaurant, Nutrition Box.

We are delighted to welcome him on board and look forward to an engaging new menu to excite the taste buds.

In the weeks leading up to the first day of school, select parents, students and staff had the opportunity to sample Chef Jack’s tasting menu. They shared their feedback.

The sample menu dishes ranged from European favourites like spaghetti bolognese to traditional Korean dishes like ‘bibimbap’ (a rice bowl packed with meat and vegetables). The carefully prepared tasting menu spread over three days included:

• Bavarian potato soup, Chinese beef stew, spaghetti bolognese
• corn soup, Columbian deep-fried chicken, Korean bibimbap
• mushroom soup, American potato pie, sweet and sour fish

The tasting menu gave parents, students and staff, a better understanding of the quality of food campus-goers might expect.

The school cafeteria provides a wide range of dishes supplied by specialist caterers, Chartwells. The school management works in close cooperation with Chartwells to ensure that children from early childhood education (ECE) to secondary receive a delicious and healthy balanced diet that is nut-free, MSG-free, and with no artificial flavourings or colourings.