Founded in Singapore in 2004, this is the Imperial Treasure Group’s first foray outside its home base. Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Yi Feng Gallery is one of Shanghai’s most popular restaurants. It’s advisable to book well in advance. There are several reasons for this. The first is the high quality of the Cantonese cuisine (with a sprinkling of Shanghainese dishes). The second is its location. Yi Feng Gallery is very near the Bund and just in front of the Peninsula Hotel.
Originally from Hong Kong, Alfred Leung came to Singapore in 1981 to work for the now-defunct Happy Valley, the most expensive Chinese restaurant at the time. Later, he also worked for Wah Lok in the Carlton Hotel, Kirin Court, and co-founded Crystal Jade in 1990 before leaving to start Imperial Treasure.
In June 2015, the Singaporean sold the majority holding of Imperial Treasure to Malaysia-based private equity group Navis Capital Partners for a sum reported by Bloomberg to be between S$60 and S$80 million (US$45 to US$60 million). Leung remains a significant shareholder. Navis Capital very wisely retained him as the CEO of the group.
The Imperial Treasure Group is now also present in Seoul, London, and Paris. Tokyo is on the horizon. The selection of new markets is very focused. In the words of founder Alfred Leung, “In my travels around the world, I see a gap in the market for fine Chinese cuisine. Today, good food alone is not enough. Service, ambience and beautiful plating are also key considerations.”
L402-403 • Yi Feng Gallery • 99 Beijing Dong Lu • Huangpu
御宝轩(上海) • 黄浦区北京东路99号 • 益丰 • 外滩源402-403号
