Let Chef Claudio Dieli, Chef de Cuisine of The Mistral  create the most authentic and flavourful  Italian fare in town; while Leung Fai Hung, Chinese Head Chef, Hoi King Heen Chinese Restaurant fascinate you with the best of regional Cantonese cuisine.

HONG KONG, August 2007 - InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong is delighted to announce the appointment of Claudio Dieli as Chef de Cuisine of The Mistral Italian restaurant. Claudio will be responsible for the restaurant’s culinary activities to develop and introduce new concepts and presentations that are aligned to the restaurant’s core ethos of serving fine Italian food and drink in the setting of a rustic country manor.

Claudio Dieli joins from the Four Seasons where he held positions as Chef de Cuisine in Cairo, Egypt and Amman, Jordan. Prior to that Claudio enjoyed a sous chef position at the renowned Segreto in Dubai and was pre-opening head chef at Iniga Restaurant and Cocktail Bar in London.

Claudio was trained at the Giovanni Falcone Hotel and Catering School, the Stage at the President Park Hotel and Stage at the Hotel Touring in Sicily, Italy.

The Mistral offers delicious Italian cuisine in a rustic setting of terracotta floor-tiles, Italian stucco walls and wooden archways reminiscent of an Italian country home. The fresh handmade pasta and use of the freshest seasonal ingredients – often flown in jetfresh - and wine - straight form the heart of Italy - offer a truly fabulous dining experience.

The Mistral is also a member of the "Buon Ricordo" Italian Restaurant Association, one of the first and few non-European members of the elite association which brings together restaurants that provide authentic Italian cuisine and fine wines.

Leung Fai Hung is the Head Chef of Hoi King Heen Chinese Restaurant at InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong. Hoi King Heen is renowned for its authentic cuisine, using only the freshest, most seasonal ingredients and seafood prepared by master chefs in full view of diners from the open kitchen.

Chef Leung has been with the Hotel since February 1995 and was promoted to Head Chef in early 1996. Chef Leung’s culinary adventure began in 1979, and since then he has travelled throughout China, Japan and Hong Kong to further develop his cooking skills. Hoi King Heen’s open kitchen and talented chef justly tantalise lovers of traditional Cantonese cuisine.

Chef Leung was awarded World Champion of Chinese Cuisine - Silver Medal in the 6th World Championship of Chinese Cuisine held in Beijing in October 2008 in an event hosted by the Organizing Committee of the World Association of the Chinese Cuisine. The World Champion of Chinese Cuisine for Chef Leung came on the heels of the International Master Chef for Chinese Cuisine award he received from the World Association of Chinese Cuisine (WACC) in October. WACC is a non-government and non-profit organization established in 1991. With more than 80 members from China, US, France, Britain, Germany, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Australia, as well as Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, WACC is dedicated to the development of Chinese culinary culture.

Also in the same month, Chef Leung won the Best Student Award of Master Chef Level - Ching Kwong Kee Memorial Award given by the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute (CCTI) of Hong Kong. CCTI provides education in Chinese Cuisine from the elementary to the master chef level, elevating the professional status of Chinese Chefs as well as the quality and hygiene standard of Chinese Cuisine in Hong Kong. It also aims to establish Hong Kong as a regional training and accreditation centre in Chinese Cuisine by introducing trade testing to the industry.