Tony Cheng is known for fabulous restaurants such as The Drawing Room, Hainan Shaoye, Ammo and, most recently, Le Salon. The secrets to his success? Sharp knives and a leaf out of Thomas Keller’s book...

Pasta roller
This is one of the best investments in my life, especially considering the amount of pleasure my friends have derived from its output. When making fresh egg pasta, unless you have superhuman strength, tremendous skills and ridiculous amounts of time, the pasta roller is a necessity for any home or professional chef.

Knives
The correct tools are paramount to the proper preparation of a great meal. I roll my eyes when I have to work in a kitchen equipped with a blunt or mediocre set of knives. Safety issues aside, displaying a good-looking set of knives will make your home kitchen look much sexier.

Food processor
I feel sorry for those chefs who lived in the pre-food processor era. I fail to comprehend how chefs made silky smooth soups and sauces back then. The most simple functions – like the blitz and blend – will save you tons of time.

Sous vide and vacuum machine
This is one of my newer toys, which I believe will become more common in home kitchens. This is boring news for restaurants, so if you happen to own a restaurant, you can ignore this part. Essentially there are two gadgets: one seals the food in a vacuum pack and the other cooks the food in a controlled and precise temperature. It’s super simple and perfect for control freaks.

Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller
What a great cook book. It’s both simple yet sophisticated. Every home chef looking to cook Western food should buy it. Ad Hoc’s butter milk fried chicken... yum. Nuff said.

Le Salon
Shop 1302, 13/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Rd, Causeway Bay, 2115 3328.