Dai Jun

At a glance

Dai Jun leads Lamdre’s kitchen after a career that moved from Cantonese and Chaozhou cooking into plant-based restaurants. His professional story connects regional technique, previous work at King’s Joy and Shan He Wan Duo, and the development of Lamdre with owner Zhao Jia. In October 2026 MICHELIN named him the Beijing–Tianjin 2027 Mentor Chef Award recipient.[1] [2]

Cooking & identity

A plant-based ingredient is treated as a subject in its own right. The guide describes research into plant ingredients in Japan, and a Yunnan porcini dish cooked over charcoal for a smoky quality.[1] [3]

Why this profile is included

A guide-recognised Beijing plant-based restaurant with a named chef, documented methods and a December 2025 collaboration with Chef Tam’s Seasons. Plant-based identity, personal mentorship recognition and restaurant rankings are recorded separately.[1] [2]

Connected restaurant / chef: Lamdre

Independent observations

ChefsLanding · 2026-11-04 · Editorial commentary on the public record

Moving from Cantonese and Chaozhou kitchens into vegetables removes a very comfortable set of luxury signifiers. The wok still has work to do when the abalone and fish maw leave. That is a more interesting professional test than finding a grander adjective for expensive produce.

The mentorship award supplies another reason to follow him: methods that can be shared are more useful to a profession than a solitary signature. We would rather learn what he teaches a young cook about a mushroom than count how many trophies can stand behind it.

Sources & dates [1] [2]

Recent developments

1. 2026-10

   The Mentor Chef Award recognises his work in plant-based cooking and his contribution to training younger chefs.[2]

Collaborations & guest appearances

1 collaboration project · 1 within the two-year research window

Projects are deduplicated: multiple nights, venues or reports do not automatically become separate collaborations. Food-and-drink events and shared festival appearances are labelled by format.

1. Four handsReported after the event

   Tam × Lamdre

   • 2025-12 (Exact day not published)
     Chef Tam’s Seasons, Wynn Palace · Macau
     Reported after the event

   Participants / partners
   Tam Kwok Fung / Chef Tam’s Seasons · Dai Jun / Lamdre

   The first collaboration with Lamdre’s Dai Jun focused on early-winter plant ingredients and Cantonese methods. Later 2026 coverage describes this December 2025 project.[5] [6]

Career & milestones

1. Early career

   Trained in Cantonese and Chaozhou cooking before specialising in plants.[1]

2. 2011

   In a 2024 interview, Dai dates his move into vegetarian cooking to a 2011 interview at King’s Joy, when he first learnt that it was a vegetarian restaurant.[4]

3. Vegetarian cooking · evolving approach

   He describes three stages: substituting for meat, refining vegetable dishes at Vege Wonder, then working with simpler ingredients at Lamdre.[4]

4. Before Lamdre

   Worked in plant-based kitchens including King’s Joy and Shan He Wan Duo; exact dates are not supplied by the cited profile.[1]

5. Ingredient research · dates unspecified

   The guide records travel in Japan to research plant ingredients.[3]

6. Lamdre

   Led Lamdre’s kitchen alongside owner Zhao Jia, combining Chinese regional ingredients with a seasonal all-plant menu.[1]

7. 2025-12

   The public record documents a December 2025 collaboration with Tam Kwok Fung at Chef Tam’s Seasons.[5] [6]

Recognition over time

Restaurant ratings and individual honours are listed separately. Editorial profiles are labelled as coverage.

1. 2027

   MICHELIN Guide Beijing–Tianjin · Mentor Chef Award, announced October 2026[2]

Sources & dates

Public biographies, restaurant statements and named projects checked on 4 November 2026. Exact employment dates and unreported engagements may remain unavailable.

1. 50 Best · Lamdre · Asia2026 profile and chef biography ↗Checked 2026-11-04
2. MICHELIN · MICHELIN Beijing–Tianjin2027 · restaurant and personal awards ↗Published 2026-10-27 · Checked 2026-11-04
3. MICHELIN · Lamdre · MICHELIN profile and Dai Jun’s Mindful Voices statement ↗Checked 2026-11-04
4. 50 Best · Dai Jun · first-person2011 career change and three stages ↗Published 2024-03-04 · Checked 2026-11-04
5. scmp.com · Tam collaboration · 2025-12-lamdre ↗Published 2025-12-29 · Checked 2026-11-02
6. thepeakmagazine.com.sg · Tam collaboration · 2025-12-lamdre ↗Published 2026-01-18 · Checked 2026-11-02