St Albans country hotel and spa Sopwell House has appointed Benny Lee as the new head chef of its Asian-inspired restaurant, Omboo.
Hailing from Malaysia, Lee boasts over 18 years’ experience gleaned from working in some of London’s most acclaimed restaurants.
Beginning his career in 2006 at Japanese restaurant, Hare and Tortoise, Lee went onto hone his craft within Michelin-starred kitchens, including Hakkasan Hanway Place and Kai Mayfair, before making his way up to the position of head chef at Chinese restaurants Shikumen and Plum Valley in Chinatown.
Most recently, he held the title of master head chef at Singaporean restaurant, The Bugis, located in The Bailey’s Hotel in Kensington.
Now at the helm of Omboo, Lee and his team are focused on delivering authentic Asian sharing dishes inspired by the spice routes of the Far East.
Lee has overseen the creation of the new menus at the restaurant, where the spotlight is on carefully designed dishes which utilise traditional culinary techniques to reflect the depths of Asian flavours.
AB Hotels Limited, a family-owned company of unique hotels, currently owns Sopwell House in Hertfordshire which features 128 guestrooms.
Lee said: “My aim is to position Omboo as a destination Asian restaurant. My new a la carte and sharing set menus showcase authentic Asian flavours and ingredients inspired from my heritage in contemporary dishes, such as Lobster tail and Chilean sea bass.”
David Petitt, director of Marketing at Sopwell House, added: “We are delighted to welcome Benny Lee to the Omboo family. I am confident that Benny’s passion for authentic flavours and his meticulous attention to the finest detail will elevate the menu offering at Omboo to new heights.”