IHG Hotels & Resorts Greater China Launches the 2026 IHG Star Chef Gourmet Tour

As diners increasingly seek experiences that go beyond great food, hotel dining is evolving into a key gateway for discovering local culture and destinations. Responding to this shift, IHG Hotels & Resorts has continued to develop its annual Star Chef Gourmet Tour for a fourth consecutive year, bringing together hotels across Greater China to celebrate regional culinary traditions and foster deeper cultural expression and emotional connection.

This year, the programme returns with a refreshed three-part journey — Origin, Authenticity and Craft — bringing together culinary teams from nearly 50 hotels across the IHG portfolio. Through ingredient provenance, regional culinary traditions and contemporary craftsmanship, the year-long series showcases IHG’s diverse dining offerings and commitment to culinary innovation. The Journey of Origin marks the opening chapter, beginning at Crowne Plaza Hangzhou Science City.

“Today’s diners are looking for more than exceptional food — they are seeking cultural discovery, meaningful experiences and emotional connection,” said Jerome Qiu, Chief Operating Officer, IHG Greater China.

“With more than 900 hotels across Greater China, IHG is uniquely positioned to bring together diverse culinary traditions, local dining expertise and regional food cultures, creating richer and more differentiated dining experiences for our guests. At the same time, we continue to invest in culinary talent development and innovation across our portfolio. Now in its fourth year, the Star Chef Gourmet Tour has become an important platform for collaboration and creativity, reflecting our long-term commitment to elevating hotel dining and strengthening its role in destination experiences.

Looking ahead, we will continue to leverage the strengths of our multi-brand, multi-destination portfolio to deepen the connection between dining and local culture, creating more meaningful guest experiences while enhancing the appeal of our destinations through distinctive culinary offerings.”

The Journey of Origin Through the Lens of Rice

The opening chapter of the IHG Star Chef Gourmet Tour, Journey of Origin, is inspired by the theme A Grain with a Thousand Flavors, exploring the evolution of flavor through rice, a cornerstone of Chinese culinary culture. Centered on rice — one of the most enduring ingredients in Chinese cuisine — the experience explores how a single ingredient has shaped regional food traditions, everyday life and culinary creativity across generations.

For the opening chapter, culinary teams from IHG hotels across East and South China came together to reinterpret rice through regional ingredients, local techniques and personal culinary stories, inviting guests to discover the many ways a single ingredient can connect people, places and traditions.

• The dinner opened with the appetizers Pomegranate-Shaped Beef & Roasted Chili Crispy Rice Bun, Jade-Green Rice Noodle Rolls and Chilled Botan Shrimp, with Steamed Rice Cakes, where crisp textures, delicate seafood flavours and refreshing notes awakened the palate.
  
  
• Double-Boiled Duck Soup with Fish Maw and Black Rice followed, infusing the broth with the nutty depth and richness of black rice.
  
  
• Seared Rice Crisp with Yellow Skin Marble Goby and Black Truffle paired the sweetness of seafood with the aroma of toasted rice and earthy truffle
• Crispy Beef with Rice Mochi and 15-Year Balsamic contrasted the chewiness of rice mochi with crisp beef and the complexity of aged vinegar.
  
  
• Braised Pork Belly with Wild Chives, Red Glutinous Rice, Baby Squid and Rice Cake reinterpreted traditional rice-based dishes through a contemporary lens.
  
  
• Wok-fried Pea Shoots with Millet Oil celebrated the natural aromas of grains.
  
  
• Steamed Cod Fish, Sichuan Pickled Chili Sauce and Pesto Clam Risotto demonstrated rice’s ability to bridge regional influences and culinary styles.
  
  
• The journey concluded with Squid Ink Egg Tart with Sweet Almond, Lily Bulb, Winter Melon and Rice Reduction, offering a refined expression of rice in dessert form.
  
  

Together, the menu showcased how a single ingredient can inspire diverse culinary expressions while connecting regional traditions, local ingredients and contemporary creativity.

Beyond the menu itself, the evening experience was designed to bring guests closer to the creative process behind each dish. Participating chefs took on the role of “flavour guides”, sharing their inspirations through short films, behind-the-scenes photography and illustrated menus that traced the development of each creation. Together, these elements transformed the dinner into a multi-sensory journey that connected ingredients, craftsmanship and storytelling.

The Journey Continues

Following the launch of the Journey of Origin in Hangzhou, the 2026 Star Chef Gourmet Tour will continue with two upcoming chapters — Journey of Authenticity and Journey of Craft. Together, the three chapters form a year-long exploration of ingredients, culinary traditions and innovation, while reflecting IHG’s long-standing strengths in diverse dining offerings, operational excellence and elevated guest experiences.

Journey of Authenticity, inspired by the element of fire, will explore how geography, climate and cooking techniques shape the character of ingredients and regional cuisines. Journey of Craft, centered on the element of water, will highlight contemporary interpretations of traditional culinary practices such as stock-making and fermentation, demonstrating how heritage techniques continue to inspire modern dining experiences.

More than a culinary programme, the Star Chef Gourmet Tour reflects IHG’s long-term vision for hotel dining. As dining continues to evolve from a functional offering into a more experience-led occasion, IHG remains committed to creating dining experiences that foster deeper cultural connection and emotional resonance. Through the Star Chef Gourmet Tour, IHG continues to explore the long-term value of hotel dining, making food and beverage a meaningful way for guests to experience a destination and discover its unique local character.

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