Reina Chen (Chen Jie), Chef of Fumée Shenzhen, China, was born and raised in Shanghai. She studied Kunqu Opera for five years at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and Beijing Opera and Arts College, learning from renowned inheritor Zhang Xunpeng and later performing with the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe. Her early training in opera cultivated a strong sense of aesthetics, discipline, and resilience, which now informs her work in the kitchen.

Reina’s culinary journey includes advanced training at the Basque Culinary Center and a year at Paul Pairet’s Ultraviolet in Shanghai. In 2024, she became Head Chef at Fumée Shenzhen, where she introduced a modernist Chinese cuisine menu that highlights local ingredients, seafood, fruits, spices, and herbs, balanced with innovative sauces and contemporary techniques.

Her approach fuses classical Western flavours with Chinese roots, producing a dining experience rich in umami, colour, and aroma. Reina has earned significant recognition for her creativity and leadership, including The Best Chef Award World Class 2 Knives 2025, Australian Beef Ambassador, and appointment as LOEWE Chinese Cultural Advisor. Her cuisine delivers harmony, excitement, and refinement, like the rhythm of traditional opera.