Esther Sham, the Hong Kong born Shanghainese-American, was exposed to a myriad of different cuisines from an early age but it was an early career in modeling that ignited her passion in cuilinary. With a strict diet, Sham’s desire for food indulgence increased her exposure to fine dining which sparked the latent culinary creativity within her.

Sham began experimenting in the kitchen, channeling her interest in haute cuisine into developing her own style of cooking. She left modeling behind to begin her professional journey into food with an apprenticeship at three-Michelin starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Hong Kong. It wasn’t long before she branched out on her own with the opening of the first Ta Pantry in 2008. Despite the private kitchen’s initial success, Sham continued to broaden her culinary horizons at Amber at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental under the tutelage of renowned chef Richard Ekkebus before returning to Ta Pantry in the evenings.

In 2011, Sham’s desire to deepen her skillset brought her to two-Michelin starred Relais Louis XIII in Paris and Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier. After her return to Hong Kong, Sham continued to oversee the evolution of Ta Pantry and subsequently launched her first French dining destination, Maison ES, in April 2015.

To Sham, Maison ES and Ta Pantry reflects her personal journey—be it the décor or the cuisine. As a mother of three sons with a past diagnois in depression, these aspects are interwovened into the growth of the restaurants: transforming the décor from the young, pastel femininity into a more matured, rose-filled French estate. Plating and ingredients are also done with more candor than before, bringing in the wisdom and experience that she has had throughout this decade entering the world of cuisine.