China's thousands of years of history have nurtured a diverse and beautiful cultural treasure. With the refinement of Chinese cuisine, the catering industry is stillexploring how to present Chinese aesthetic, which cannot be achieved fortnight and for some people, it is a lifelong endeavour. This year's newly-awarded Michelin one-star Sichuan cuisine restaurant in Guangzhou – Yong – is a pioneer in this regard. In its first year of operation, Yong has not only developed its own style but also created a memorable dining space where Chinese culture is perfectly interpreted through the art of food.

Housed in a century-old villa in the Dongshankou old town of Guangzhou, restaurant Yong, owned by vessel collector, investor and Sichuan cuisine master Lan Guijun, has become a veritable treasure-house of culture and gastronomy. Through refurbishment and landscape redesign, the building evokes an aura of yore as if we were going back in time while enjoying Master Lan's cuisine. It is heart-warming to see the time-honoured and almost forgotten oriental aesthetic come alive again.