Daniel Calvert

Dedication to your craft, continual self-improvement and commitment to the highest standards – this is what it takes to become Hong Kong’s youngest Michelin-starred chef. With a CV that reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the elite culinary world, Daniel learned from the very best, honing his skills in the world’s top kitchens in London, New York and Paris. He immediately made his mark in Asia, preceding his star with Hong Kong Tatler’s ‘Best New Chef of 2018’ award and driving BELON in its unstoppable climb of ​Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Continuing to achieve milestones, BELON earned itself the Highest Climber of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019, and in 2020 earned its place in the Top 5, placing fourth on the list. In 2019, under his watchful eye, BELON received its first Michelin star, an honour maintained in Michelin Guide 2020.

Daniel built his career on solid foundations. At 16 he landed a job at ​The Ivy, one of London’s highest regarded dining destinations. He followed this up with a three-year stint under Australian-born Shane Osborn at two-Michelin-starred ​Pied à Terre, putting a modern twist on French classics.

The relentlessly driven young chef took his hunger for success to New York City, where he worked for culinary juggernaut Thomas Keller at three-Michelin-starred ​Per Se, earning a promotion to the role of sous chef having caught Keller’s eye – and that is some eye to catch.

The Big Apple was not big enough, and Daniel seized the opportunity to join Paris’three-Michelin-starred ​Epicure at ​Le Bristol in 2014, often touted as the world’s best hotel restaurant. Daniel further refined his French cooking, impressing visiting guests and Parisians alike with his commitment to precision and respect for the classics.

Joining neo-Parisian bistro BELON, in Hong Kong’s vibrant SoHo neighbourhood, presented Daniel with a chance to helm his own kitchen and hesitate he did not. Daniel continues to push boundaries and delight diners with his daily changing seasonal menus. He takes great pride in mentoring young chefs and instilling the same commitment to excellence in them. Folks travel for his signature Roast Chicken.

The precise, minimalist presentation of his plates masks the hours of meticulous preparation and dedication that goes on behind the scenes. The decades of hard-won experience that go into producing something simple and beautiful is under the surface, revealed by the first bite.

Although a private person who enjoys a good book, Daniel can often be found out and about sampling his favorite local Hong Kong eats after service. On the futile pursuit of perfection, he advises, “Practice makes practice”.