For many chefs, a Michelin star is the ultimate accolade, recognition that can define a career. Ireland first joined the guide in 1974 and today boasts 17 one-star and five two-star establishments between North and South, not bad for a country of this size. But while there are plenty of places for ambitious Irish chefs to cut their teeth at home, a big part of the development of Ireland’s Michelin story is how much our chefs love to travel, soaking up skills, craft and discipline in starry kitchens abroad. With more than 3,000 starred restaurants across 30 countries, it’s no surprise then to find Irish talent in some of the best diningrooms around the globe.

Chor-Fai Shek, 30, from Cookstown, Co Tyrone

In Hong Kong

Chef Chor-Fai Shek

Three Michelin stars marks the top of the game, and starting your career at that level sets the bar high. But that’s how it began for Chor-Fai Shek. His parents have had a Chinese takeaway in Cookstown for more than 40 years, so food was always part of their life, but it was a family trip to London, while still in school doing A-levels, that introduced him to the world of Michelin fine dining. The family ate at three-star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and discovered that the then chef patron Clare Smyth was also from the North. “Something clicked,” says Shek.

He wrote to her asking for work experience, did a trial, and was offered a three-year apprenticeship.