In Hong Kong, food is far more than mere daily sustenance – it is a profound cultural language of care, hospitality and communal connection. Deeply rooted in the enduring spirit of the traditional Chinese shared table, Studio Générale and More Good hosts its signature annual fundraising event, Zou Zit. For the 2026 edition, #legend serves as the official media partner, with Lee Kum Kee among the sponsors. The initiative reimagines the traditional family gathering by extending the warmth and dignity of a shared meal beyond private dining rooms and into the wider Hong Kong community. Driven by the belief that Chinese cuisine encompasses a vast universe of regional techniques, local heritage and evolving flavours, the event brings together creative minds and culinary talents to raise vital funds for food relief programmes across the city
Kenneth Chan and Mei Wang
For the Mid-Autumn 2026 edition, titled “Carried Forward” and taking place on 23 September 2026, food charity and social enterprise More Good, in collaboration with creative agency Studio Générale, has curated an ambitious culinary journey. The dinner traces the evolution of traditional Cantonese cooking into the vibrant Hong Kong street-food and dai pai dong culture enjoyed today.
Speaking alongside Kenneth Chan, head of operations at More Good, Mei Wang, founder of Studio Générale, reflects on the dinner’s core philosophy: “In Chinese culture, we eat together. We share big dishes of food and nobody ever leaves that table hungry. What we wanted to do is take that concept, that feeling, that intention and spirit, and extend it to Hong Kong’s communities. We also live in a city with amazing Chinese cuisine. So many talented chefs come to Hong Kong from all different parts of China – it’s such an epicentre of regional foods. We wanted to highlight that Chinese cuisine is bigger than any single concept.”
Kenneth Chan and Mei Wang
“This year, for Mid-Autumn 2026, we have a really special concept,” she continues on how this vision translates into this year’s collaboration. “For the first time, we’re bringing together two incredible chefs. Nero comes from the Shunde tradition and brings a very refined, delicate cooking style. Wendy, the chef behind Wendy’s Wok World, is known for her bold, fiery dai pai dong approach. What’s exciting is the chance to start from the birthplace of Guangdong cuisine and, through their food, trace how it has evolved into the Hong Kong flavours we know today. We’re exploring the transient nature of food—how traditions are passed down, shaped by history, and influenced by the city we call home. That’s the story we wanted to tell with this year’s dinner.”
Also see: Studio Générale does More Good with chefs and charity
Sam Lui and Nero Ip
To bring this narrative to life, the dinner pairs two distinct culinary forces for the very first time. Chef Nero Ip, whose cooking is anchored in the refined, foundational techniques of Shunde, joins Sam Lui – the chef behind the conceptual project Wendy’s Wok World – who brings the fiery, high-heat discipline of dai pai dong stir-frying.
The evening is further enriched by a multi-sensory cultural programme. The bar programme, crafted in collaboration with Kinsman, features their award-winning menu “A Tale Across Chinatown”, which traces Chinese flavour profiles across global urban landscapes. Meanwhile, the musical director has designed a linear soundscape that takes guests on a historical journey from vintage city-pop classics to contemporary Hong Kong tracks. A dedicated silent auction showcases artworks by local ceramicist Phoebe Chan, presenting Hong Kong-inspired pottery and Mid-Autumn moon jars, alongside UK-born artist Phoebe Richardson, who creates pieces inspired by Hong Kong.
Nero Ip
The 2026 Zou Zit menu stands as a masterclass in technical skill, cross-cultural experimentation and respect for local food heritage. Chef Nero Ip presents a series of collaborative and inventive dishes that bridge regional traditions with modern techniques.
A centrepiece of his menu is the Shunde stuffed dace fish with sour cabbage fish broth, co-created with chef Lai Ka Wing from the Hong Kong University Alumni Association. This updated Shunde classic elevates traditional dace fish paste with lap cheong cured sausage and wood ear fungus, the fish pan-seared and served alongside a tangy, aromatic sour cabbage fish broth.
Another highlight is his satay beef tang yuan served in a Vietnamese pho beef broth. “The whole concept is about bringing Tai Hang back to life again. The menu was inspired by my own gastronomic memories of Tai Hang from about 15 years ago, when the area was so popular. I still remember the satay beef noodles, the satay soup hotpot and the Vietnamese pho broth. So I created satay beef-filled tang yuan, paired with a Cantonese-inspired beef soup base and finished it with all the condiments I love from Vietnamese pho. The savoury mochi idea actually started two years ago when I was working on a hairy crab menu with a friend,” Ip recalls.
Sam Lui
Representing Wendy’s Wok World, Lui approaches Cantonese wok cooking not as a means of reinventing recipes, but as a rigorous discipline that demands absolute precision and mastery of wok hei. “The practice of wok cooking is exceptionally principled and exacting, leaving a remarkably small margin of error,” she explains. “This precision cannot be measured with a thermometer or a scale, but rather relies entirely on what the chef embodies.”
She focuses on mastering classic recipes that demand immense skill to execute correctly. Dishes such as siu chau wong appear everywhere across Hong Kong, yet every ingredient – from the chives to the bean sprouts and seafood – requires its own precise timing so that each component remains crisp, dry and perfectly cooked. Her menu also features salted egg yolk prawns, an ultimate test of oil-temperature control and deep-frying mastery that achieves a crisp golden exterior without saturating the delicate seafood within.
Sam Lui and Nero Ip
Every ticket sold and every auction bid placed during the Zou Zit Mid-Autumn Dinner directly supports More Good’s core mission: providing high-quality, nutritious meals to vulnerable communities, elderly residents and low-income families across Hong Kong. By collaborating with local artisans, historic food purveyors and creative studios, More Good continues to show how the city’s creative community can generate tangible social impact through shared cultural experiences.
Sam Lui, Nero Ip and Mei Wang
The Mid-Autumn celebrations form just one part of More Good’s ongoing autumn fundraising efforts. Golf enthusiasts and supporters of community outreach are invited to take part in the upcoming More Golf More Good Charity Tournament, to be held on Thursday, 29 October 2026, at The Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club. The event aims to raise essential operational funds to sustain More Good’s daily meal distribution programmes throughout the winter season. Whether joining the Zou Zit shared table or registering a team for the October golf tournament, public support ensures that the spirit of Hong Kong’s generosity continues to nourish those who need it most.
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