Master Wang is preparing to close due to a shortage of chefs

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 08. 25. 10:15

Master Wang, the capital’s most famous Chinese restaurateur, is forced to suspend two of his major projects planned for 2025, and one or two of his restaurants may even close in the autumn-winter months – reported hvg.hu based on the restaurateur’s Facebook post.

The problem is that the National Directorate General of Immigration (OIF) has stopped issuing work permits to Chinese citizens as of January 2025. According to Master Wang, this means that he cannot replace his chefs who have left in the past two months with qualified professionals from China, while he cannot find a Chinese master chef of the appropriate standard in Budapest.

“It’s hard to be optimistic about the future,” he wrote in his post, adding that he would like to have a dialogue with the relevant authorities. He also tagged the OIF and Mayor Gergely Karácsony in the post, but the latter, he said, has no influence on immigration policy.

If the situation does not change, according to Master Wang, more of his restaurants could close in 2026.