appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Kylie Knott

For almost 40 years, Davé, a Chinese restaurant in the heart of Paris, attracted the who’s who of fashion, film, art and music.
Opened in 1982, it was not just a place to eat, but an exclusive, intimate salon where celebrities, artists and designers gathered for what felt like a private, timeless film sequence.
Conversation and creative juices flowed as fast as the champagne, and at the centre of it all was the owner, Hong Kong-born Tai “Davé” Cheung, a charismatic host who spent nights weaving his way through the dimly lit tables, often with his beloved cat Momo in tow, chatting with a cast of celebrities.
Faces from the fashion world who dined there included designers Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Rei Kawakubo and Alexander McQueen, and supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Keanu Reeves swung by along with music icons Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Tina Turner and Janet Jackson. Madonna was a regular.

Creativity was ignited at Davé and, if lucky, you might have spotted French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier sketching a look, or American artist Keith Haring doodling away.
With the restaurant originally located on Paris’ Rue Saint-Roch, before moving to nearby Rue de Richelieu, a long and historic street not far from the Palais-Royal, one might assume that Davé was a bit la-di-da.
But despite being in the posh part of Paris and frequented by the world’s fashion elite, Davé was an unpretentious, humble spot with a nondescript facade that was always affixed with a “complet” (full) sign.
When guests stepped through the velvet curtain, they entered a world that was warm and welcoming, far removed from the prying eyes of fans and the paparazzi.

That is why A-listers loved Davé: it valued people’s privacy, providing a safe space for them to eat, drink and get merry.
Here, the gossip was as thick as the cigarette smoke and, if you knew Cheung, you would be seated and served without a menu or regard to prices.
But following the 2008 financial crash, its popularity began to wane. In 2018, Cheung retired, and the restaurant closed its doors for the last time.
But its legacy lives on thanks to a new book, A Night at Davé.
Released by London-based publishers Idea Books, A Night at Davé takes a glamorous glimpse inside the storied restaurant by showcasing some of the photos from Cheung’s vast archive of Polaroids.

Inspired by artist Andy Warhol, Cheung took thousands of instant photos of his famous clientele, with copies of them covering the restaurant’s walls, creating a personal album of a bygone era of Parisian glamour.
Cheung, who bought his first Polaroid camera in 1982, was intrigued by its ability to capture a moment in an instant. And while he was not professionally trained, he did get composition and technique tips from French fashion photographer Jean‐Baptiste Mondino.
As well as selfie-style photos, A Night at Davé features letters, sketches and handwritten notes left behind by loyal clientele, some scribbled on menus, others on business cards.
American filmmaker Sofia Coppola, whose filmmaking father Francis Ford Coppola, a lifelong friend of Cheung and a regular customer who once booked the entire restaurant for New Year’s Eve, wrote the book’s foreword.
She says there was nothing more glamorous than going to Davé in the 1980s with her parents and their friends.
“I was 14 and the place was filled with the fashion and show business of that era, people table-hopping and hanging out, platters of Davé’s mum’s Chinese food and Davé taking Polaroids,” she recalled of one night. “Somehow I ended up cosied up with Yves Saint Laurent.”

Selecting final photos for the book was challenging.
“I took around 10,000 Polaroids but gave many away, and some were stolen,” Cheung tells the Post via email from France, where he is still based.
As to why the restaurant became such a cult hang-out, Cheung puts it down to luck – and the clever use of soft, red-tinted lighting that, like today’s smartphone filters, created a flawless complexion.
“I think I was lucky – and people felt good there,” Cheung says. “The decor was all red, with soft make-up lighting that makes everyone look beautiful – and happy.”
Timing also played a role. Davé opened at the start of the 1980s, a decade of decadence defined by a rise not just in materialism but in technological advancements such as the personal computer and the birth of the internet.
A vibrant pop culture scene was also exploding around that time, fuelled by the debut of MTV and the rise of the blockbuster movie.
Fashions were flashy, with women plugged into “power dressing” that was matched with big hair and even bigger shoulder pads.

France’s sociopolitical climate was also shifting in the wake of the 1981 presidential victory of Socialist Party candidate Francois Mitterrand. The win ended decades of conservative rule and people were ready to cut loose.
“The ’80s had a real change of energy,” Cheung says. “France had a new government with the left arriving – things opened up.
“The [US] dollar was strong, 10 francs, so many Americans and Brits came to Paris, especially musicians like Mick Jagger and Duran Duran.
“Recording in Paris was cheaper, so they worked by day and came to my place by night.”
But while photos capture moments in time, they cannot freeze them. With the new millennium came changes, none bigger than the rise of the smartphone.
Celebrities were suddenly under constant scrutiny, while paparazzi-style fan photos killed any chance of privacy.
“In the 2000s, hip hop shifted everything, and then digital technology changed the whole rhythm,” Cheung says. “Digital brings people together and separates them at the same time.”

As for the food, “it was mainly Chinese cuisine, but because Vietnam was a former French colony, I added touches of Vietnamese flavours to adapt to the French palate”, he says.
“People loved the lemon chicken, the Sichuan beef, the prawns … and celebrities especially went crazy for the spare ribs.”
But the restaurant’s legacy is less about the food and more about the late-night shenanigans – and Cheung himself.
In a 2005 interview published in The Guardian, Cheung said guests did not go to the restaurant for the food. “They come for me,” he said.
“My guests are tired, and this is where they can relax at the end of the day and be with each other socially,” the article quoted him as saying. “They don’t want to be disturbed by a bunch of tourists. My job is to make fabulous people feel fabulous. I mean, really, anybody can serve a spring roll.”
And making guests feel fabulous is what Cheung did best; his experience in the industry was shaped by working in his parents’ restaurant from a young age after arriving in Paris from Hong Kong.
“My real school was my parents’ restaurant on rue Gambey – that’s where I learned the work, the rhythm, the instinct,” he says.
It was also where he formed his A-list connections: Vogue’s Barney Wan and Grace Coddington dined there, as did photographer Helmut Newton.
His parents’ restaurant closed in 1980, but Cheung was determined to stay in the industry.

Cheung was born in Hong Kong in 1953 and called the city home until he was 14. “In 1967, because of the Cultural Revolution, my family had to leave.”
It was a chaotic time in the city, with the 1967 Hong Kong riots, caused by local discontent over labour issues and the spillover of China’s Cultural Revolution, prompting a wave of emigration.
While Cheung has never returned to Hong Kong, when his father died, he and his mother visited the city of Tianjin in northern China, where his parents were born.
A Night at Davé also includes an interview with Cheung conducted by writer Charles Morin, who conceived the book with Cheung and fellow writer Boris Bergmann.
In the interview, Cheung mentions that a female family friend had told his parents Paris was the place to be, as France was experiencing Les Trente Glorieuses (The Glorious Thirty) – the prosperous “golden age” from 1945 to 1975 following the end of World War II.
“It made you dream. In Hong Kong, things were getting harder,” Cheung is quoted as saying.
“My mother had to sell all her jewellery. Back then, a plane ticket was very expensive. No charters, none of that. I remember people dressed up for the flight. The women especially: in suits, heels, very chic, from big fashion houses. It was a real departure – almost a ceremony. I was about to turn 14.”

As for anecdotes from his time at the restaurant, Cheung says the unexpected New Year’s Eve with Francis Ford Coppola, his family and Yves Saint Laurent stands out among the many great nights.
“And the wild nights with members of Duran Duran, whom I adored; the fashion world arriving all together like a travelling circus. There was always something happening.”
And Momo, who Cheung is holding in the book’s cover photo, was there to witness some of it.
“I’ve always lived with cats. Momo was incredibly gentle, always around, watching everything. He lived until he was 12, a real companion.”

These days, Cheung lives a quieter life, splitting his time between Paris and the sea.
“I spend six months of the year in Paris, and six months by the sea in the southwest of France, and sometimes in the Antilles,” he says, referring to the archipelago in the Caribbean Sea.
“It is a good balance. And yes, I keep in touch with a few close friends from the old days – the ones that matter.”
The spot where Davé once stood is now a Korean restaurant – and Cheung is OK with that.
“The new place has nothing to do with what I created – and that’s fine. A new life for the space,” he says.
“Honestly, I don’t miss anything. I closed the door completely. It was a unique time, and it’s truly gone. But you can still find traces of it in my book.”


Chinese Restaurant Awards 2026: Hong Kong’s Mott 32 takes top spot in Canada

Mooncakes for the dog? How China is reinventing its iconic festive snack

The Serial Killer Speakeasy is coming to Hong Kong. Why you should be outraged

Singapore food watchdog investigates alleged illegal sales of dog meat

Food and Drinks

How Paris’ famed Chinese restaurant Davé and its Hong Kong-born owner drew the stars

(From left) Tai “Davé“ Cheung, US filmmaker Tim Burton and Lisa Marie Presley are pictured at Davé, a legendary Chinese restaurant in Paris, France that saw celebrities including Madonna, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Keanu Reeves, David Bowie, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson, Yves Saint Laurent and Tom Ford dine there.

Singer Madonna and Armenian-American film director and writer Alek Keshishian are pictured at Davé. Photo: Tai “Davé” Cheung

A Polaroid of Naomi Campbell features in A Night At Davé. Photo: Tai “Davé” Cheung

Davé poses with French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. Photo: Tai “Davé” Cheung

Sofia Coppola (left) and Kirsten Dunst are pictured Davé. Photo: Instagram/idea.ltd

Cheung cites the red decor and soft make-up lighting – which made “everyone look beautiful” – as one of the reasons Davé was so popular with celebrities. Photo: Idea Books

Cheung ran Davé from 1982 to 2018. Photo: Tai Davé Cheung

(From left) Cheung, American filmmaker Jim Jarmusch and French author Jean-Jacques Schuhl are pictured at Davé. Photo: Tai “Davé” Cheung

The cover of Cheung’s book. Photo: Idea Books

German actress and former model Nastassja Kinski holds Cheung’s cat Momo. Photo: Tai Davé Cheung

89-year-old pastry chef’s ingredient of success: working with his son and grandson

(From right) Yasuo Ono, his son Yoshihide and grandson Kazuki pose in the kitchen of Emily, the cake shop in Owariasahi, in Japan’s Aichi prefecture, that they operate. Photo: Instagram/emily_cake_ono

The interior of Emily. Photo: Instagram/emily_cake_ono

A slice of cake from Emily. Photo: Instagram/emily_cake_ono

A cake from Emily. Photo: Instagram/emily_cake_ono

Emily strives to keep its baked goods affordable. Instagram/emily_cake_ono

Best things to eat in Chaoshan, China, a food paradise in Guangdong province

Blanched Canadian geoduck in chicken broth at Jiang by Chef Fei. Photo: Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou

Huang Jinghui, aka Chef Fei, puts the finishing touches on a dish. The Chinese chef has worked at top restaurants from Guangzhou to Singapore, but he continues to take inspiration from his homeland in the eastern part of China’s Guangdong province. Photo: Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Huang is one of China’s most distinguished chefs. Photo: Mandarin Oriental Singapore

The dining room of Jiang by Chef Fei at the Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou. Photo: Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou

Huang serves his boneless crucian carp congee at Cherry Garden in Singapore. Photo: Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Huang (right) inspects ingredients with his team at Jiang by Chef Fei in Guangzhou. Photo: Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou

The private dining room at Cherry Garden in Singapore, where Huang is establishing a new culinary direction. Photo: Mandarin Oriental Singapore

How Peking duck got so famous and changed the world’s perception of Chinese cuisine

Then US President Richard Nixon (right) and then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai eat during Nixon’s official visit to China in 1972. Photo: Getty Images

The signature Peking duck at Hong Kong’s Hutong restaurant. Photo: courtesy of Hutong

Then US President Richard Nixon (right) and then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai eat together in Shanghai, China in 1972. Photo: AP

Nixon’s official trip to China, which included a visit to the Great Wall, was televised across the United States. Photo: AFP

Peking duck at Mott 32 in Canada. Photo: Mott 32

A chef takes roasted ducks out of an oven at a Quanjude food shop in Beijing in 2025. Set up by Yang Quanren in 1864 in Beijing, Quanjude, a brand for Peking duck, has become a must-visit for visitors. Photo: Xinhua

6 of Singapore’s best hidden speakeasy bars that will take you back in time – and how to find them

Bartenders at Chandu create drinks with a narrative that are loosely based on history. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

A bartender mixes a drink at Chandu, one of our picks of six of the best hidden speakeasy bars in Singapore. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

The Mizuwari whisky highball at Live Twice uses Hokkaido soft water rather than soda to accentuate the malt notes of the Japanese Nikka whiskies. Photo: Instagram/@livetwicesg

Chandu is inspired by Singapore’s colonial era, when opium dens flourished in the city state. Photo: The Robertson House by The Crest Collection

Chandu’s Mata Hari cocktail is named after a Dutch dancer and courtesan. Photo: Facebook/Chandu

Oriental Elixir, located in a Peranakan rowhouse, is a dimly lit watering hole for nonconformist cocktails. Photo: Philipp Meier

Oriental Elixir’s Malabar Tamarind cocktail combines the sour ingredient with roasted cherry tomato gin, dry vermouth. Photo: Instagram/@oriental.elixir

Junior the Pocket Bar is a small, 25-seater speakeasy that tasks itself with changing the menu completely every few months. Photo: Philipp Meier

A cocktail titled Sesame from the Korea-inspired menu at Junior the Pocket Bar. Photo: Junior the Pocket Bar

Jade Harbour is part of The Bund menu currently offered at Junior the Pocket Bar, inspired by the Shanghai district. Credit: Junior the Pocket Bar

For its Korean Joseon dynasty-inspired menu, the interiors of Junior the Pocket Bar featured dragons. Photo: Philipp Meier

Roxy is a hip-hop-inspired speakeasy hidden inside the Miss Fitz restaurant in Singapore’s Marina Bay. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

The drinks at Roxy are based on classics, but are given their own spin. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

Last Word has finessed tipples that were invented in the 1920s. Photo: Philipp Meier

Last Word’s eponymous cocktail is a classic, blending gin, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse and lime. Photo: Instagram/@lastwordsg

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Stars from Madonna to Tom Ford ate there. Now, Hong Kong-born owner Tai ‘Davé’ Cheung reflects as a new book of photos gives a peek inside


Stars from Madonna to Tom Ford ate there. Now, Hong Kong-born owner Tai ‘Davé’ Cheung reflects as a new book of photos gives a peek inside.


How Paris’ famed Chinese restaurant Davé and its Hong Kong-born owner drew the stars

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Stars from Madonna to Tom Ford ate there. Now, Hong Kong-born owner Tai ‘Davé’ Cheung reflects as a new book of photos gives a peek inside

Stars from Madonna to Tom Ford ate there. Now, Hong Kong-born owner Tai ‘Davé’ Cheung reflects as a new book of photos gives a peek inside