Bolun & Linette Yao of YINGTAO: Michelin-Starred Contemporary Chinese Dining in NYC

Reimagining Chinese Fine Dining

• 💡 Yingtao aims to redefine contemporary Chinese cuisine in New York City by offering a tasting menu experience that blends diverse global influences with Chinese roots.
• 🎯 The restaurant seeks to present a different angle for Chinese food, moving beyond traditional family-style or regional focuses to incorporate personal travel and cultural experiences.
• 🚀 Bolun and Lynette are part of a growing movement to elevate Chinese cuisine, challenging stereotypes of it being cheap or low-quality, and showcasing its playful, creative, and high-quality potential.

The Yingtao Concept and Inspiration

• 🔑 The restaurant is named after Bolun's grandmother, Yingtao, who was a significant mentor and best friend, embodying an open-minded and supportive spirit.
• ✨ Her personality is reflected in Yingtao's bold, dimmed interior, 80s/90s hip-hop playlist, and unique elements like a "sneaker dry-aging room," creating a cool, open-minded atmosphere.
• 🏡 The design features an open kitchen to evoke the feeling of visiting a friend's home, blending a relaxed vibe with fine dining elements.
• 🧠 Inspiration also comes from New York City's vibrant dining culture and the success of contemporary Korean restaurants like Jungsik, which paved the way for innovative Asian cuisine.

Culinary Innovation and Global Influences

• 🔬 Yingtao's dishes are created by deconstructing traditional Chinese recipes and reinterpreting them with fine dining techniques, local sourcing, and seasonality.
• 🍽️ Examples include a rice roll inspired by a New York everything bagel and a lamb dish that elevates Xi'an street barbecue with dry-aging and charcoal grilling.
• 🌍 The cuisine is a reflection of Bolun's diverse upbringing and travels in China, New Zealand, California, and New York, integrating various cultures into his Chinese heritage.

Building a Michelin-Starred Restaurant

• ⚠️ Opening Yingtao as a young couple involved significant challenges, including navigating the competitive New York dining scene and learning from mistakes in real-time.
• 🤝 Bolun and Lynette's partnership thrives on balancing creative vision with operational execution, with Lynette bringing structure to Bolun's "crazy ideas."
• 📌 Mentor Simon Kim (Cote) provided crucial advice on combining creativity with disciplined planning to bring ideas to fruition.
• ✅ Maintaining a Michelin star requires continuous learning, team building, and adapting to the unpredictable nature of the restaurant industry.

Future Vision and Industry Impact

• 📈 The goal is to build Yingtao into a lifestyle brand, exploring collaborations with music, fashion, and home goods, and conducting unique collaboration dinners with other Michelin-starred restaurants.
• 🚀 Through their August Hospitality Group, they plan to expand beyond Chinese cuisine to other "New Asian" concepts, such as fine dining Thai cuisine.
• 💡 Bolun believes that opening restaurants is addictive due to the satisfaction of creating amazing experiences and fostering community, despite the inherent stress and challenges.
• 🌱 Their ultimate aim is to celebrate Asian creativity, entrepreneurship, and culture by being confident in their unique cultural blend rather than strictly adhering to "authenticity."