She’s always been creative. So when people ask how and why Margaret Xu Yuan decided to leave her career as a highly respected creative director with one of top international advertising agency in Hong Kong to run be the celebrity chef she now is and proprietor of Yin Yang Coastal, the answer is easy: There’s always a restless spirit in being creative. There’s a need to taste everything at that buffet table of choices until deciding what works best for you and where you see things leading.

When working on the Galloping Foodies series, and though not having seen her for almost two decades though knowing the following she has gained through her culinary creativity, Margaret was at the top of the Wish List.

We approached her, mentioned the idea behind Galloping Foodies and left her to do what she does best: Create culinary magic.

As Joao Moreira, the Brazilian Magic Man of Hong Kong racing mentioned after seeing a photo of the dish Margaret created and dedicated to him, “Looks not just beautiful and colourful, but yummy!”

In a world where words and expressions like “KOL” and “foodie expert” are bandied about, Margaret is, quite simply, the real deal. She lets her creations do the talking. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Or whatever she chooses to prepare.

We visited Yin Yang Coastal earlier and were more than amazed at what we discovered. It was an adventure getting there- and which is in a village in the New Territories and so far removed from life in the concrete jungle that is city life in Hong Kong.

As for the homemade creations prepared by Margaret and using only the freshest ingredients from where she lives? Another adventure.

Visit Yin Yang Coastal at Ting Kau beach ( near the Royal View Hotel ), House 117, Ting Kau Village, Tsuen Wan, New Territories.