Chinese cuisine has broken into the competitive fine-dining scene in the United States.

Yingtao, located in Manhattan, New York, is a contemporary restaurant founded by husband-and-wife team Bolun and Linette Yao. The restaurant presents Chinese flavors through a modern tasting menu format, blending traditional elements with contemporary fine-dining techniques.

Yingtao is a one-star Michelin restaurant, one of a relatively small number of Chinese restaurants in the US to receive the distinction.

With Yingtao, the young couple said they seek to redefine Chinese cuisine in New York, blending tradition with innovation and showcasing Chinese culture on the global fine-dining stage.

Bolun Yao, the restaurant's owner and founder of August Hospitality Group, grew up in Xi'an, Shaanxi province and New Zealand before moving to the US. He later came to New York to pursue food studies at New York University. After graduating, instead of entering the traditional food industry, he decided to chase a long-held dream: opening his own restaurant, named in honor of his beloved grandmother.

"I've tried almost every Michelin-starred restaurant in New York, many of them more than three times," he told China Daily.

Through those experiences, he realized something was missing: The city had "countless excellent and traditional" Chinese restaurants, from Sichuan to Cantonese, but very few presented Chinese cuisine through contemporary fine-dining.

For Yao, the motivation behind Yingtao comes partly from how Chinese food is often perceived in the US.

"Many people know Chinese food with large portions, cheap prices or takeout," he said. "But Chinese cuisine is much more complex than that."

"Chinese cuisine in New York City can feel very 'static,' but we don't see it as just a fixed category — we want to elevate it," Linette, the managing partner, told China Daily. "Chinese food and culture involve a lot of technique and skill, and many classic traditions are already reflected in the dishes served in restaurants."

Yingtao's tasting menu draws inspiration from across China, reinterpreting familiar dishes through modern culinary techniques. Bolun Yao cited the rise of contemporary Korean cuisine in New York as a model: two decades ago, Korean chefs began experimenting with tasting menus and modern presentations, eventually earning international recognition.