Caviar indulgence

Piles of black and brown caviar, adorned with a bright green watercress coulis, appeal to both the eyes and taste buds. Photos by Fan Zhen /

Related: Chef Yannick: Reinventing simple cuisine, pairing it with fine wine

Yannick Alleno is back in Beijing with an autumn menu that is simple, yet decadent. Pauline D. Loh and Fan Zhen share a tasting menu for two that starts with a platter of sturgeon roe.

Made in China? Who would have thought these plump, briny pearls of dark brown and gray originated in China, or that they already have the stamp of approval from a top Michelin-starred chef who rates them as one of the best farm-raised caviar he has ever tasted.

You know all about Beluga, Ossetra and Sevruga. Now you can complete the full acronym and add Schrencki caviar to the list.

Our tasting team is introduced to this uniquely Chinese-farmed caviar by Yannick Alleno, who had flown to Beijing specially to celebrate the first anniversary of his Stay Restaurant at the Shangri-La with a brand new autumn menu.

In an exclusive tasting for only two, this chef of few words took the menu away from our hands with an "I will take care of you", and returns to the kitchen to orchestrate a symphony that sings in our mouths.

First on the table was a bone china platter decorated in autumn hues.

On a dark amber bed of jellied beef consomme, six generous piles of black and brown caviar glistened. As we gazed at the delicacy in admiration, a bright green watercress coulis is spooned onto our plates, adding both visual appeal and a freshness to compliment the deep flavors of the caviar.

As we carefully spoon wobbly consomme gel, caviar and coulis into our mouths, there is nothing more to say.

The caviar pearls pop with a satisfaction that is grounded by the earthiness of the beef consomme, a double whammy flavor layer that adds depth to epicurean perfection. The slight sharpness of the watercress coulis cleanses the palate ready for the next mouthful.

News reports of the Chinese caviar farms first started appearing early this year, after a decade of research and experiments finally bore fruit. It is truly heartwarming to know that a chef of Alleno's caliber has chosen to honor local products and recognize their quality.

Incidentally, if you are curious, the sturgeons are raised in Qiandaohu, or Thousand Island Lake, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, where the fish has been reared for the last decade or so from millions of fingerlings first imported from Russia. The sturgeon eggs are only harvested from fish that are 8 years old and above which have been carefully pampered so they are always in top condition.

The perfectly orchestrated platter at Stay will set you back about 500 yuan ($80), while 100 g of unadorned caviar served with blinis and condiments will give you very little change from 2,000 yuan. But we say, support Chinese caviar and splurge on a sensational treat.

Even as we licked our lips and savored the aftertaste of the briny caviar, we were tempted next by a prettily presented duck dumpling dotted with cherry syrup.

Alleno's food has inimitable style. While flavors are rich and meticulously matched, there is always a signature touch of freshness. And so the duck is confitted, shredded and stuffed into what is basically a giant ravioli, or as he prefers to call it, a gyoza.

It is a very rich dish that resonates with a vigor that suits the cooling season, with tiny ruby spots of cherry juice reduction on the dumpling glowing like pomegranates in the fall. Alleno tantalizes further with three cherry halves dotting the plate, and each is greedily consumed for the almond scent that compliments the golden tones of duck so well.

A white cod follows, so tenderly immersed in lightly salted butter in a gentle cooking process that the fillet keeps its immaculate snowiness. The translucent whiteness of the fish is set off by little piles of yellow and green zucchini spaghetti topped by a zucchini flower petal tempura.

By the time the Kobe beef fillet appears, we are near satiation. But the beef is irresistible. Medium rare fillets sit between a parmesan biscuit base and a confit of sweet shallot and parsley and go down so easily we are amazed we actually still had room.

Next, our willpower is seriously challenged by Stay's pastry ribbon of desserts. It is such a glorious glimpse into pastry paradise that our forks cannot be stilled. Besides, the presentation is so unusual that it is worth paying the price just to experience the decadence of the feast.

Pastry chef Fabian Couteau is an artist, and every sweet creation he places in Stay's Pastry Library is a work of art, both for the eye and the sweet tooth.

Taking pride of place on the specially designed steel ribbon platter is the Saint Honore, a classic French dessert of whipped cream flavored with vanilla sandwiched between layers of flaky puff pastry. But it is the chestnut and cognac pie that draws our attention this time, mainly because the palate veers toward seasonal choices.

As we stagger out of the restaurant replete with all the good things in life that are best represented by good company and even better food, we are already planning our next meal at Stay.

Indeed, if we could, we would have stayed, just as Alleno plans, but we had to hurry back to meet deadlines.

Contact the writers atpaulined@ and fanzhen@.

Cod and zucchini is another creation by Yannick Alleno.

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Orignal From: Caviar indulgence

Chef Yannick: Reinventing simple cuisine, pairing it with fine wine

Clockwise from top: S.T.A.Y.'s founder Yannick Alleno (center), chef de cuisine Maxime Gilbert (left), and pastry chef Florian Couteau. Presentation of codfish braised in slightly salted butter. The S.T.A.Y. dining area in the Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing. Provided to

A chef with three Michelin stars like Yannick Alleno will go to almost any length to gain even a small improvement in a recipe.

He'll find the best provider for every given ingredient and he will not stop fussing with those ingredients until he can finish the dish with a fine edge.

Related Food Review: Caviar indulgence

Things got even more exciting when Yannick chose the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing to open his very first S.T.A.Y. - short for Simple Table Alleno Yannick - restaurant in Asia.

The restaurant's premise is to reinvent simple French cuisine in a stylish contemporary setting.

Chef Yannick personally selected the brilliant Maxime Gilbert as the chef de cuisine to execute his quarterly creation as well as pastry chef Florian Couteau to run the restaurant's pastry kitchen named Pastry Library.

One of the unique appetizers of autumn menu on offer is stuffed and braised savory cabbage.

The secret weapon of the hot appetizer is the tender veal. Succulent in taste, it also absorbs flavorings beautifully teamed with red cabbage, and is served with meaty sauteed chanterelle mushrooms freshly picked in Yunnan.

Wine paired with the appetizer is the organically grown and produced Chateau Gigognan Chateauneuf-du-Pape Clos du Roi 2005.

One of the main courses to follow is codfish braised in slightly salted butter with Zucchini spaghetti and fresh almond, saffron tomato fondue.

The codfish is served on a bed of grilled vegetables such as summer squash and pumpkin flowers in tomato sauce, with a sprinkle of saffron and almonds.

The best choice of wine for the dish is the white Meursault Les Clous 2007 by Pere & Fils.

Another main course is the Kobe beef filet Bercy style - renowned worldwide for its astounding marbling, tenderness and juiciness - with shallots and parsley.

The wine paired with the course is Chateau Domaine de L'Eglise Pomerol 2001, a red wine from Bordeaux. Its rich, spicy and light chocolate tone is simply the best choice for paring with the stylish Kobe steak, said the chef.

Dessert after the main course is chestnut and cognac flavor pie. It is specially recommended by pastry chef Florian Couteau.

The ideal choice of wine with the dessert is Les Cypres de Climens Barsac 2002.

Address: Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing, 29 Zizhuyuan Lu, Haidian district, Beijing.

Contact: 86-10-6841221 ext. 6727

zhuanti@

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Orignal From: Chef Yannick: Reinventing simple cuisine, pairing it with fine wine

A more convivial dining experience

MODO

Dessert: White Chocolate Mousse with Blackcurrant Sorbet & Tuile

MODO, situated in the heart of Beijing's Sanlitun South Village, is one of a good choices for dinning and entertainment.

Owned and run by Executive Chef Daniel Urdaneta and wine enthusiast Alex Molina, MODO is the second restaurant enterprise of this dynamic and creative duo in Beijing following the first restaurant Mosto opened in June 2008. "When we thought about opening another restaurant a!er Mosto, we agreed on one basic notion: we wanted to do something completely different from what we had done before", says Alex. "We wanted MODO to be a more convivial dining experience, inviting people to share food in a hip and laid back se!ing".

The guests can expect a creative concoction of flavours from different corners of Europe and even a bit farther east. When asked to describe the food served at MODO, Daniel's response is: "To create my dishes, I draw inspiration from many different cuisines: South American, Mediterranean, and even Chinese. But I believe that the real ability of a modern chef should consist of translating his own skills and influences into his own style. A style that defies categories."

MODO is a lot about wine. The restaurant holds a card-based Enomatic wine dispenser to offer guests an alternative way to discover, taste and contrast 8 interesting and good value wines by the glass on three different pore quantities: 15 ml tasting pore, 75 ml half glass and 150 ml full glass.

The interior of MODO is integral part of the restaurant's dining experience. "It's not just about food and wine. Music, design, table ware and our people are fully integrated in the casual and friendly atmosphere" says Eva (co-owner in the restaurants and owner of Biorck & Co. Lifestyle). For instance, MODO's kitchen is fully open to allow full transparency in our cooking and free dialogue between guests who sit at the bar and cooks. Fine food can be enjoyed in a casual, relaxed, minimalistic and approachable way, that's definitely a fine dining experience.

Address: Sanlitun South Village, No.19,Sanlitun Rd, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Tele: +86-10-64157207

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Orignal From: A more convivial dining experience

Ultraviolet, ultra sensory

Truffle burnt soup bread /

Ultraviolet is one of a kind; a multi-sensory experience where you not only taste and smell but are surrounded with projections and soundtracks that correspond with each of the plates that arrive at your table.

Paul Pairet's pet project limits nightly guests to just a mere 10, and having only opened in May, the restaurant continues to be booked solid months in advance.

No newbie to Shanghai, French chef Pairet began his stint in 2005 when he started at Shangri-La's Jade on 36 and in three years, brought it to international recognition. In 2009, Pairet introduced the city to Mr. And Mrs. Bund, which has arguably become the city's best for French food and one of the premiere fine-dining restaurants in Shanghai.

Now his dream - 15 years in the making - of a dining experience that orchestrates images, lighting, sounds, aromas and environments to enhance his food has been one of the most talked about openings for Shanghai's dining scene this year.

No detail is left to chance. From the first car ride to the restaurant's secret location, to the first moments before entering the dining room and throughout the meal, you feel as if you're on a psychedelic trip, then you're on an amusement park ride and then are transported to each of the places Pairet wants to take you with each of his dishes.

From the first moments in the car to the last dessert, the excitement of the unknown swells and is only perpetuated by the eagerness of the host and wait staff.

The first 10 courses, or act 1, are a mixture of classic favorites from Mr. And Mrs. Bund, including the truffle burnt soup bread (pictured)that is rich in oaky flavors, and new creations Pariet and his team have developed over the years.

The interpretation the British classic fish and chips - which, surprisingly, has no fish - was lightly battered and fried and served on an oversized plate, a teasing juxtaposition that is common throughout the meal.

The presentation goes beyond just what is presented on the plate and the scenes that are projected on the walls. The host, Fabien, who also serves as the restaurant's director, becomes a bit of the mad scientist as he prepares, cuts and serves the cuttlefish, which is uniquely paired with Sichuan spices.

One of the peaks of the meal was the first main course, the sea bass Monte Carlo. The bass was moist and baked in bread and topped with olive oil, tomato, mozzarella, olive and basil mixture that was as palatable as it was interesting.

Much like the first act, the six desserts tend to jump around a bit. Pairet once again pits classic and convention with childlike wonder and fun.

One minute you're enjoying a sophisticated carrot cake or egg tartlet and the next you're feasting on gummy bears and drinking gummy bear-infused Evian water while watching gummy bears (and the staff) race around the room.

There were some down sides to the six-hour psychedelic culinary exploration.

While each dish is creative and inventive, some of the dishes are very strong. The bouillabaisse, a classic French soup, while a mere spoonful, was very heavy and overloaded with flavors to the point of being overpowering.

For the untrained eater, the 23 courses is a hefty amount of food. As the table neared dessert number 4 or 5, we wondered if we could be able eat and enjoy any more of the food that was to come our way.

Another obstacle is the amount of time it takes to serve all these courses. There were a few times when there was a sense of hurriedness and diners not able to enjoy each course at their own pace.

What really stands out at Ultraviolet - second to the experience of it all - is the service.

With a wait staff ratio of 1:1, it's hard to not get swept into the moment with the amount of sheer passion and excitement coming from the waiters, host and cooks. No need is too small and no request unmanageable for the team. Guests are their top priority, and they make sure the experience is one that none will forget.

There are few things in Shanghai that can compare with the experience the team at Ultraviolet presents, be it with the food, presentation, service and entertainment value, especially with its price tag of 2,000 yuan ($318) per person (which includes wine and drink pairings).

The only hard part will be getting a spot at the table.

sundayed@

 

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Orignal From: Ultraviolet, ultra sensory

Good croissant is a French croissant

Beef bourguignon tastes incredibly tender and flavorful. Provided to

Flaky and crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, a good croissant is all these and more at Le Salon et Croissanterie at Hysan Place in Causeway Bay. This is the latest from restaurateur and celebrity chef Tony Cheng, who just three years ago, debuted in Hong Kong with his Michelin-honored The Drawing Room, also in Causeway Bay.

Le Salon is fine dining on French cuisine in the newest upscale mall in the center of the busiest shopping district in Hong Kong. After a slightly confusing ride on the elevator and a few "express" escalators, potential diners will reach the upper floors where dining options spread out. Le Salon is the only French restaurant and is on the 13th floor.

White table cloths are "framed" to the table, dark sofas and cool grays, and dim lighting provide a very romantic setting for your meal. The food is traditional French with a few creative touches from the culinary masterminds, Cheng and his mentor, chef Roland Schuller.

We started with a basket of the much talked about croissants. Four flavors were served: chocolate, tiramisu, caramel and chestnut. All formed in the classic crescent shape, and made with top quality French butter and flour, the croissants are considered a highlight for many diners.

The ratio of flour to butter is 2:1, giving the croissants a flaky exterior and a warm buttery aroma.

The chocolate croissant is made using Valrhona chocolate cream topped with salted-caramelized hazelnuts. The tiramisu croissant is filled with coffee mascarpone cream and sprinkled with cocoa powder. The caramel croissant is made with caramel cream with a light sprinkling of crunchy Maldon sea salt. But the overall favorite at our table was the chestnut croissant filled with chestnut cream and garnished with candied chestnuts.

All the croissants are baked in-house and served fresh from the oven. A limited number is baked each day, making them much sought after.

We dined on a few well-loved classic French dishes that were all beautifully prepared and presented.

The beef bourguignon was slow cooked for about 30 hours and made with M5 Wagyu beef cheek. It was incredibly tender and flavorful. The coq au vin, chicken cooked in burgundy wine, was made with earthy, woody mushrooms and the duck leg confit with pommes sarladaises was served with an orange salad that was the perfect complement to this rich dish.

For dessert, there was the brulee waffle with strawberries and fresh cream - a marriage of a fairly large waffle and creme brulee, which was baked into the little waffle pockets. It was a sweet and creative way to end the meal.

The more casual Croissanterie outside of Le Salon has a few small tables in front for customers to sit and enjoy a pastry with a steaming cup of coffee, or order items for take away.

A two-course set lunch menu is offered for HK$188 ($24) and a three-course set is available for HK$268. Prices for entrees start from HK$138 and $398 for mains.

sundayed@

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Orignal From: Good croissant is a French croissant

Honestly good

Alaska king crab. Photo provided to

He is a CIA graduate, a Native American and the latest chef to blaze into town with some perfectly grilled entrees. Ryan Sablan Dadufalza impresses Eileen Wen Mooney with his genuine flavors.

In the past few years, we have seen chefs arrive from just about every corner of the world, shaking up a culinary scene that, until not too long ago, was dominated by Sichuan and Cantonese eateries.

Ryan Sablan Dadufalza, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and a Native American, is the new promising chef in town. I really adore his cooking style of giving less but more - there isn't any fancy foam nor fizzy things. Ryan's cooking style is just honest flavors cranked out of ingredients, pulling things together simply, and knowing what goes well with what.

Dadulfalza, chef de cuisine at Grill 79, will impress you with his David Blackmore heirloom Wagyu steak, what he calls the Louis Vuitton of meat. The meat slab is best cooked medium. I cut the meat - there was no oozing blood - and popped it into my mouth. I was really taken by the buttery texture of the meat that just melted in my mouth. This was without a doubt one of best steak I ever tasted.

I am impressed with the chef's thoughtful composition, because the steak was served with grilled leek and asparagus Carbonara style, not the typical starchy mashed potatoes, which take up space that could be better used for dessert. The lemony Guam-style sauce was another nice touch, refreshingly light.

Dadulfalza has also crafted amazing appetizers, such as an Alaskan King Crab, which is very light and citrusy, accompanied by an avocado Hollandaise that has a subtle but smoky chipotle hint. The crunchy roasted pistachios sprinkled around the dish contrasted with the silky texture of the crab meat. I deliberately ate my crab slowly to stretch the enjoyment a bit more.

I have eaten foie gras in many different ways, but what I had at Grill 79 is unforgettable.

Paired with peanut butter powder with a buttery brioche, and not a piece of toast, it created a novel flavor. It was magic paired with Chateau Doisy-Daene, and the chemistry between the two sweet tasting substances was incredibly addictive.

Dadulfalza's Gorgonzola cheese parfait is also astonishingly delicious. I never expected that one could make such a wonderful dessert out of Gorgonzola cheese. The taste was distinctively unique and extraordinarily delicious.

He comes to Beijing after serving as chef de cuisine at Dining on the Rocks, the signature restaurant at Six Senses Hideaway, a luxury hotel and resort based in Koh Samui, Thailand.

In 2008, Thailand Tatler gave the restaurant the second best rating in the country. The following year, it climbed to number one.

Last but not least, Grill 79 on the 79th floor of the imposing China World Summit Wing has the most amazing views, looking west to the Forbidden City, and north to the Bird's Nest.

Standing in the corner of the very posh dining room, I enjoyed chilled Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc with stunning views of the city laid out in front of me. It was sensory satisfaction at its best.

For more food reviews, click here.

Recommended special: Feasts and dreams

Berry gorgonzola parfait. Photo provided to

Roasted goie gras at Grill 79 provideds a novel flavor. Photo provided to

Chocolate desert. Photo provided to

For more food reviews, click here.

Recommended special: Feasts and dreams

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Orignal From: Honestly good

Mario Batali's take on steak

Carnevino delivers high-quality steaks in a warm ambience aided by marble, leather and wood. Photo provided to

It's not hard to guess a new Italian steakhouse from chef Mario Batali and business partner, Joe Bastianich, serves. The award-winning steakhouse from Las Vegas, Carnevino (carne - meat; vino - wine), has opened in Hong Kong in the heart of Central delivering its own dry-aged steaks in a warm ambience aided by marble, leather and wood.

The restaurant is in the same building as Lupa, another Mario Batali restaurant, but each has its own distinct charm and personality. Carnevino is a steakhouse where you can enjoy good food made from high quality ingredients and not feel like you need to be rolled out the door after your meal.

To start, the crudos - pesce crudo (raw fish) and carne cruda (raw meat) - are delicately flavored and light. The pesce crudo included geoduck clam with lime and espelette, which was sweet with a hint of citrus and spice. The Wagyu crudo with Apician spices is made with M-9 Australian Wagyu thinly sliced and evenly marbled, served with a mix of fresh herbs and dry spices. This is a unique dish with very soft texture and bold flavor.

I like radish a whole lot better now that I am an adult, and the sweetness of cooked daikon and the slight spiciness of cherry radishes are now welcome at any meal. Carnevino serves a radish salad made with a variety of fresh and pickled radishes, braised daikon, and dressed with a warm guanciale vinaigrette. Guanciale is an unsmoked Italian bacon made using pork jowl. When the salad is brought to table, the server grates some fresh horseradish on to it, which adds the familiar heat, but also some sweetness to the dish. Don't wait too long to eat this dish as the horseradish becomes bitter when exposed to air and heat.

We also had a dry-aged New York strip, which was simply seasoned with fresh rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. The meat was tender and flavorful, having been dry-aged for about 70 days.

We also enjoyed our steak with a few side dishes including the guanciale mashed potatoes, charred long beans with salmoriglio, and creamed corn with lime salt. The mashed potatoes are made with brown butter and served with a soft-poached duck egg. The butter gives the dish a bit of a nutty flavor and the duck egg adds richness, making it a decadent version of one of my favorite side dishes. The beans and corn offered a bit of crunch and freshness to the meal.

The meat and the wine here are serious business. The wine is handpicked to complement the steaks and the sommelier is knowledgeable and more than happy to talk to you about what sort of pairing is ideal for the meal.

For more restaurant reviews, click here.

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Orignal From: Mario Batali's take on steak

Nothing but the whole crab

The challenge of getting into the crab makes it taste even better. Photos by CJ Henderson /

The seasonal menu at Yu Restaurant is designed around crab dishes, including these delicious dumplings.

It's that season again, and for the uninitiated, having a meal out now can be quite a hairy adventure, as CJ Henderson finds out when she dons some gloves and dives into her first hairy crab taste experience.

The executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton's Chinese restaurant, Yu, has designed a special six-course set menu around the hairy crab, taking advantage of the crustacean's brief two-month season. We went for lunch on a cold and cloudy day, and the warm green, white and wooden interior was very welcoming.

"These are special crabs. They are smaller than the Australian and Alaskan King crabs, but they are a delicacy we enjoy in this small window of time. They are a very aromatic crab; their flavor is not like any other."

Chef Ku Chi-fai went out to Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, personally, to choose the perfect crabs for his restaurant. The trick, he says, is to steam and smell them. Quality hairy crabs give off a fragrance that tells you you've got the right product.

While the menu is designed around crab dishes, Ku wanted more. Using seasonal ingredients, Ku has aimed for a perfect balance within the six-course set menu he has designed for a real autumn feast.

Our meal began with an appetizer selection featuring a variety of small morsels to titillate our taste buds, including enoki mushroom and Chinese yam, which provided a little window into the things to come.

Next was the double-boiled seafood and tofu soup, thick and hearty and full-flavored with prawn, tofu, and mushrooms in a rich chicken broth. We found ourselves savoring every last mouthful.

When I asked Ku for his favorite dish, he recommended the baked turbot with American almond. A standout in the lunch, the almond coating was crunchy and light, the fish tasty and fresh.

A selection of dim sum followed. One bite of the crabmeat bun sent a delightful squirt of juices dribbling down my chin, as I rushed to slurp up every delicious morsel.

And then the main event: Steamed Yangcheng Lake hairy crab.

The angry looking crustacean seemed to be eyeing me off from the plate, daring me to try to get inside its well-armored body. Luckily I had the help of special tools.

"The challenge of getting into the crab makes it taste even better. It is definitely worth the effort!" Chef Ku says, watching me struggle to crack into it. He was right.

While the white meat from the legs and claws was fragrant and tasty, the real delicacy came in one golden mouthful of roe. Velvety, rich, almost sweet. The texture stayed in my mouth like nothing else, sticking to the roof of my mouth and delighting my palate.

The crab was served with a vinegar-based sauce that set off fireworks on the tongue, certainly a different experience to the butter sauce I would have with crab or lobster at home in Australia.

Ginger tea was served as the after-crab beverage, good for the stomach, and for fending off that changing-seasons cold that has been going around. It warmed me through after the "cooling" yin of the crab.

The mark of a well-made fried-rice is that each grain of rice has a golden coating of egg. The fried rice that made up the penultimate dish for the day was truly the work of an expert. Every single grain had a golden crust and all topped with a saucy chicken, prawn and vegetable mixture.

Dessert was a trio of sweet little creations. An almond and egg-white tea jelly, a deep-fried crispy taro pastry puff, and, my favorite, a chilled mango sago cream with pomelo. Tart, sweet, and creamy, this dessert was like a holiday from the cold weather outside - tropical and fresh.

The crab menu will be running until the end of November, when the season ends. Get into these hard-shelled monsters while you can.

Contact the writer at callie@. Bi Nan contributed to the story.

Baked turbot with American almond.

 

 

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Orignal From: Nothing but the whole crab

Texture, color, flavor

Charcoal grilled minced chicken /Photo provided to

Salmon and soy marinated burdock. [Photo provided to ]

A good Japanese chef takes a lot of care incorporating a tapestry of textures, colors, and flavors into a meal, making it a feast for both the belly and the eyes. How it looks is often as important - and in some cases we would actually argue more so - than how it tastes.

Shiro, which means "white" in Japanese, is located in Hysan Place and is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Formerly located in Pacific Place in Admiralty, Shiro is now on the 13th floor of the building that has replaced Hennessy Centre in the heart of Causeway Bay.

Shiro has gorgeous high ceilings with a color palate that does not stray far from white. The textured lamps above the dining bar are made from an amalgamation of individual silk cocoons that help to show off the white quartz bar. Mirrors are used conspicuously to give diners a feeling of spaciousness - a welcome change from the usual compactness of most Japanese restaurants.

The signature Y-shaped sushi conveyor belt near the entrance of the restaurant is always crowded. The food here looks good and thought has definitely been put into the presentation of the dishes.

The spinach with sesame sauce is a personal favorite and is an interactive dish - meaning you are provided with tools to grind your own toasted sesame to release the nutty oil and aroma, to which you add sesame sauce. Then you dip the cold spinach rolls in. It's a traditional dish that Shiro has made fun to eat.

A few signature dishes include the salmon garlic sushi served with soy marinated burdock and radish carpaccio roll salad, seared scallop with cod roe sushi, tiger prawn tempura with green tea salt, charcoal grilled minced chicken on skewers, and the Shiro ramen tonkatsu served with roasted pork and vegetables in a thick milky pork stock.

The garlic and salmon combination is not common in Japanese cuisine and was a refreshing departure from plain salmon sushi.

Minced chicken skewers were delicately seasoned with a nice crunchy grilled exterior and a soft and tender inside.

The milky pork stock the ramen is served in is the heart of the dish. Shiro's chef, Tatsuya Iwahashi, has used a family recipe that was passed down to him when he was 8 to produce the rich and flavorful soup. If you are a ramen fan, then this one is definitely worth a taste.

sundayed@

Shiro Interior [Photo provided to ]

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Orignal From: Texture, color, flavor

Dining out for Thanksgiving

Indulge in the all traditional American festival with turkey, traditional stuffing, cranberry, red cabbage, chestnuts, pumpkin soup and pie, Louisiana pork ribs, Angus roast beef and free flow of American wines.

30% discount for university teachers and students (subject to student card presentation) Parties above 20 guests receive 4 free dinner buffet vouchers valid for 1 year.

Price: RMB 238 net per person.

Date: 22 November 2012 （Thursday）

Time:18:00 – 22:00

Tel: +86-10-5993 8271

Address: No.106 Zhichun Road, Crowne Plaza Beijing Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing

Five minutes walk from subway line 10 and 4.

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Orignal From: Dining out for Thanksgiving

Best tasting charcoal in Beijing

Nobu Flower Pot is a deceptive illusion full of sunny flavors. Fan Zhen / For

It is simply called the Nobu Flower Pot, and it's made from charcoal. Bamboo charcoal. And not just any bamboo charcoal, because this one is edible and comes flavored with salty butter.

Related: Nabe at nobu

As the little pots arrive with a tiny sprig of mint planted in each, we looked at them warily, unsure whether to admire them or eat them. The first teaspoon removes all doubt. The charcoal may be charcoal, but it's the best tasting charcoal in Beijing.

In fact, it tastes more like Oreo cookie crumbs, but even better.

When you dig deeper into the pot and uncover the snowy, sunny flavors that lie beneath, the silky layers of cream and passion fruit pudding light up the mouth like a brilliant ray of sunshine.

Dining at any Nobu around the world is a decadent treat. From the sumptuous decor to the deferential service, it is an experience that lets you, for the duration of the meal, escape into a world where you are royalty at the table.

Nobu in Beijing is no different, although in this most imperial of cities, the rich and able can find plenty of places to be pampered.

So it is all the more important that the extra touch, that human element, is manifested in dishes that reflect the nature of the chef.

Nobu Beijing has Karu Wedhas, an all-American boy who graduated from the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, honed his skills in Italian, French and American contemporary cuisine in southern California where he grew up and worked in Nobu Las Vegas absorbing the Nobu culinary legacy.

And his personal touch is beginning to show in dishes like this flower pot dessert, a creation of artifice so nicely executed that it beats some Chinese chefs at their own game.

Karu tells us he is eager to explore more of Beijing and its food, and we have a date to go to market. In his barely four weeks in Beijing, he has been busy settling into his new restaurant, a world away from Las Vegas, his last stop. Already, he is thinking of a dish using salmon collar, that tender triangle of meat that is sure to appeal to the Chinese palate.

Nice. Welcome to Beijing, Karu. You'll fit right in and we look forward to more.

paulined@

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Orignal From: Best tasting charcoal in Beijing

Nabe at nobu

Oyster Soy Milk Nabe has the lightest flavors and should always be enjoyed first. Provided to

The Beijing winter gets misty with the steam of hotpots cooking all over the city, but there is one style that is very different from the others. Fan Zhen explores the fusion surprises from Nobu in the imperial city.

Chefs who grasp the essence of food know it is more than just food. It should not feed just the body but inspire the mind and please the soul. The newly appointed executive chef at Nobu Beijing is clearly one of the enlightened ones and he proves it with a selection of seasonal, simple but theatrical hotpots.

Related: Best tasting charcoal in Beijing

"The biggest difference between Chinese and Japanese-style hotpots is that we really try to keep it complex but light and elegant at the same time," Karu Wedhas says.

The traditional Chinese way is to cook different sliced raw ingredients in a steaming pot of basic broth over gas or charcoal. Japanese hotpots, or nabe, are not random, but are carefully put together, ingredients paired with the appropriate broths.

"We try to accentuate each individual flavor, with none overpowering the other, but everything being complementary so it all comes together. We look for balance," he says.

Everything is orchestrated, and every detail is looked into. Every flavor is a play on texture, while every texture suggests a flavor. That's how the chef tempts our taste buds.

The first nabe on the table is the lightest, with fresh juicy oysters barely blanched in an ivory-colored savory soy milk accentuated with bright orange baby carrots and fresh green sugar snap peas. Little squares of smoky seared silken tofu sit in the broth while plump oysters are the hidden delights just waiting to be discovered.

And, it is the soy milk that binds all together in this light, tasty prelude as we wait, an expectant audience, for more nabe.

Next on stage is a washi paper hotpot that comes with a sweet-and-sour broth that brings out the seafood flavors of shrimps, scallops, salmon and seared cod - the main characters. The supporting cast is a bouquet of broccoli, bokchoy and more sugar snaps. This pot is for the seafood lover who enjoys the sharper tang on the taste buds.

The star of the show, however, is the kiritanpo nabe with chicken. It comes steaming to the table with its base of dashi stock supporting a perfect cornucopia of lightly grilled chicken fillets, Japanese rice rolls - the kiritanpo - grilled and cut diagonally to sit beside the chicken.

The rice roll and chicken stay miraculously crisp while their bases simmer in the broth, full of the sweetness of bonito and konbu, the Japanese kelp used to introduce umami.

Related: Biangbiang Shaanxi street food

The first hint that everything is not what it seems is a tiny floret of coriander in the hotpot. In traditional Japanese cooking, hardly any coriander is used, but this is Nobu, following a tradition where Peruvian flavors had fused into traditional Japanese.

The fusion adventure expands in the meat dish that follows - a spicy beef toban anticucho cooked with a South American chili pepper. Its hot and sour accents wake up a palate lulled by the hotpots, and prepares us for another surprise that comes to table to end the meal - the Nobu Flower Pot.

With passion fruit and mint blooming in our mouths, we reluctantly leave the table, happy to have experienced a really good production of flavors and textures, and an introduction to yet another hotpot option to warm hungry tummies throughout winter.

Chicken Kiritanpo Nabe is the signature nabe at Nobu Beijing. Fan Zhen / For

Please contact the writer at fanzhen@

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Orignal From: Nabe at nobu

Food fresh from the middle plains

The classic Henan dish brown-braised lamb is very popular in North China, especially during the cold season.[Photo by Ye Jun / ]

Yuxiang Yuan may not be well-known among expatriate diners in Beijing but it is a restaurant that deserves to be bookmarked if you want to experience what Henan food is like.

The restaurant is on the second floor of Henan Dasha, where the provincial administrative offices in Beijing are located. That is normally a good indicator that the cuisine will be authentic.

Dubbed the "middle plains", Henan is often cited as the cradle of Chinese civilization, and where Chinese culture started, including food culture.

Just like the other major branches of Chinese cuisine, dishes from Henan have become part of the repertoire of every Chinese kitchen. They have become the basics of Chinese cuisine in general.

For me, the restaurant offered a nostalgic trip down memory lane, where I found some food from childhood.

Hulatang (pepper hot soup) is sour and spicy soup made with lamb broth, bean curd slices, starch noodles and dried day lily buds.

It is a breakfast favorite, usually accompanied by shallot cakes and fried dough fritters. The soup dates back to at least the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), and it is also a popular part of breakfast in my hometown in northern Jiangsu province.

Another Henan dish is steamed vegetable slices coated in flour. Radishes, carrots and edible chrysanthemum are sliced and coated in steamed flour, which gives them added texture. It is a dish my mother, who is from Hebei province, made frequently when I was a boy. It just goes to prove how widespread Henan cuisine is in North China.

The main course, dahuicai, is a combinatioin of cabbage, bean curd, shiitake mushroom and slices of pork belly, all served in a heated pot.

The restaurant's menu gathers dishes from many different areas of Henan. Brown-braised lamb is from Xinxiang. Potted chicken is from Kaifeng. Tiny fried dough fritters are from Nanyang, and "iron pole" mountain yam is from Jiaozuo.

The brown-braised lamb is another classic Henan dish, very popular in North China, especially during the cold season.

For staples, the restaurant serves diaolu shaobing, hanging furnace sesame cake, served with preserved turnip slices to stuff inside the cake. Baked the traditional method, this is a surefire reminder of the good old bad old days.

Lamb soup noodles is a good way to wind up a meal at Yuxiang Yuan, another simple but classic Henan favorite.

On the first floor of the same building, there are shops selling regional specialties from Henan, such as the "iron pole" mountain yam, known for being nutritious, and Xinyang "furry tip" green and black tea.

yejun@

The southern barbarian

Super foods: facts & fiction

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Orignal From: Food fresh from the middle plains

Smart preparation keeps beef grill's prices low

 

One of Kanpai's signature dishes is the short ribs. Provided to

Many Chinese know Kobe for its great beef. It is said that Kobe cows are raised in luxury: listening to music, drinking beer and enjoying massages, which results in the beef's marbled patterns, great taste and texture.

Two Chinese-Japanese spent more than 10 years studying meat at a top beef grill restaurant in Kobe, Japan. Now they've come to Beijing to realize their dream - opening a grilled-meat restaurant of their own: Kanpai.

They found that most grill restaurants in China depend on top-quality imported meat, making them really pricy. So they are trying a different approach: to deliver quality at a lower cost without the super-premium labels of beef.

Their method is to marinate excellent beef in clay jars with more than 10 seasoning ingredients, including Japanese soy sauce, sake and fruit juice. It's then grilled over white charcoal.

When served, the meat is paired with Japanese grilled-meat sauce, miso sauce and a special sauce that looks like bean curd. Short ribs marinated in the jars is one popular entree. But there are many other good choices, such as fried chicken and assorted vegetable starters.

Kanpai has nine imported beers and 40 different drinks to choose from. The restaurant serves Asashi beer on draft.

Customers who can finish one jar of beer within 20 seconds can get a free meat platter with five different products, such as beef tongue, beef rib and short ribs.

The interior decor is designed in Japanese style: There are ordinary tables as well as tatami rooms and a Japanese-style bar.

Tables have an inset grill so that customers can do their own grilling, but they can also have their meat grilled for them. It is a great place for lovers of quality meat and beers.

yejun@

 

Tea column chapter one:

Big red robe on the cliff

Get a noseful of that old black magic

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Orignal From: Smart preparation keeps beef grill's prices low

Hokkaido, next door

The fresh oysters taste bright and salty, with firm and clean flesh. A ponzu sauce helped them go down very easily. [Photo by Fan Zhen / ]

The grilled salmon head comes on a black ceramic platter. [Photo by Fan Zhen / ]

One of the hottest dining spots among Beijing's young executives these days is an unassuming eatery tucked away in a side street off the Third Ring Road. Pauline D. Loh slurps up the soba and enjoys the sea urchin.

The chopped spring onions were bright green, fresh and cleanly cut. The sesame seeds were perfectly whole and still a little shiny from being just toasted. By their side, a fresh quail's egg sat, its top chopped off for the diner's convenience. The soba was cold, and neatly coiled into two piles on a bamboo platter.

I was mightily impressed by the knife work, the careful attention to details and the presentation. Cold soba is a simple dish that appears on almost every Japanese restaurant in Beijing, but this was quite the best I have tasted.

The warm and artistic ambience helped impress. Just outside our little cubicle, samples of the lady boss's calligraphy decorated the wall. Inside, two rows of simple hooks let us hang our winter jackets up, a thoughtful detail that made us more relaxed simply because we did not have to share space on our chairs with heavy coats.

As soon as we sat down and flipped through the menu, the seduction began. Almost every item made us pause and debate if we wanted to order. But just being four people, and not very heavy eaters at that, we had to settle for just a dozen or so dishes. Well, maybe we were hungry eaters.

For starters, we had the fresh sea-urchin-roe sashimi. It was also the most expensive dish of the meal, but the sea urchin was very fresh, with none of the dark veins that would taint the roe with a natural fishiness. We cleaned the bamboo platter in just a few minutes.

We also ordered fresh oysters, one each. The flesh was firm, clean and the oysters tasted bright and salty. A ponzu sauce helped them go down very easily.

Sometimes, the simplest dish is the best test for the chef, and at Hokkaido Restaurant Xunxian, he passed with flying colors. The cabbage salad is usually a side served with a tonkatsu cutlet set or maybe the oyako donburi chicken set, but here, it is proudly presented on its own, accompanied by a fragrant thick sauce which the waitress described as a cross between a sesame and a Thousand Island dressing.

Snowy Landscape [Photo by Fan Zhen / ]

The soba is cold, and neatly coiled into two piles on a bamboo platter. [Photo by Fan Zhen / ]

The owners' lyricism comes into play here: The dish is named Snowy Landscape, alluding to the mini mountain of icy crisp thinly shredded cabbage.

Our sushi choice was the avocado and soft-shell crab long roll. This was one of the prettiest dishes on the table, with glistening pearls of golden salmon roe on top. Unfortunately, the wasabi cream that accompanied it was a bit too strong for me and I started tearing.

We saw several fish dishes, but decided on a grilled salmon head that came on a black ceramic platter. The fish was grilled to perfection, cooked but with none of the charred skin and watery flesh that mars the same item at other places.

For our mains, we also ordered what many young female bloggers have been raving about - the curry soup rice. It was a fragrant bowl of curry sauce with chicken, grilled eggplant and carrot batons. The bowl of rice came topped with black sesame. It was spicy, a bit sour and very tasty.

Then we had two bowls of rice in tea, one with salmon flakes, and the other with the Japanese sour plums or ume.

Hokkaido Restaurant Xunxian has no English name, and the signboard is in Chinese and Japanese. I extracted the name from the lady boss, whom I contacted online. She tells me that she will go to Hokkaido this month to bring back more konbu, the kelp that flavors a lot of their dishes. She's originally from Beijing and her husband is a Hokkaido native.

That explains the connectivity to the land that makes their food so honest. I sincerely hope they preserve this crucial ingredient, and I hope to sample the konbu-flavored soba the lady boss promises to add to the menu soon.

Contact the writer at paulined@.

Sea-urchin-roe sashimi [Photo by Fan Zhen / ]

The avocado and soft-shell crab long rolls [Photo by Fan Zhen / ]

Rice in tea [Photo by Fan Zhen / ]

Calligraphy on the wall [Photo by Fan Zhen / ]

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Orignal From: Hokkaido, next door

Doing a number on beef

1515 West Chophouse & Bar's signature dish is Wagyu prime rib specially imported from Queensland in Australia. Provided to

The restaurant is named for the original address of the hotel, but that's the only thing local about it. Instead it offers Australian Wagyu, French oysters, Maryland crab cakes and a chef from Kentucky. Pauline D. Loh reports from Shanghai.

It is all old wood and bluegrass music with a honky-tonk atmosphere reminiscent more of the American Deep South than old-time Shanghai. The only things missing are the crunch of goober shells underfoot and the blue haze of cigarette smoke floating above the tables.

The unmistakable aroma of grilled beef sets our noses wuffling like bloodhounds as we settle, but we manage to get distracted by the appetizers that quickly arrive.

Australian oysters from Tasmania from the Raw Bar appear perched on ice shards and garnished with lemon and red vinaigrette. They are fresh, sweet and salty from the sea. As we quietly lick our lips, the next platters arrive filled with French fin de Claire oysters.

A basket of baked hot rolls is served with saucers of tapenade, and we fall silent, succumbing to the temptation of fresh bread and pungently savory olive paste.

Our first taste of beef appears as carpaccio, air-dried and sliced fine as paper. The slightly smoky, slightly chewy wafers almost make us forget that it is mostly raw while the slices of hard cheese that decorate the plate made a very good contrast in both flavor and texture.

The beef carpaccio is served with crunchy slabs of garlic bread as well, which we demolished in spite of the small voices in our heads that warned us to reserve some space for what's to come.

There is some movement behind us and we turn to discover that a trolley had silently appeared laden with a huge rack of beef. This is 1515 West's famous Wagyu prime rib, specially imported from Queensland in Australia.

The restaurant's other import from Queensland stands behind the trolley, eager to introduce diners to the fine slab of meat that had come from his station on the east coast, Down Under.

The butcher expertly slices a huge rib that will be shared by our table of eight and disappears back into the kitchen, but not before the eager food bloggers gathered at 1515 West had gotten him to take photographs with them. Some even take turns wielding the lethal looking butcher's knife that he had used to carve out the slab.

As the excitement of carnivorous anticipation dies down a little, our turf is complemented by surf - perfect crab cakes that announced "Maryland!"

Chunks of sweet white meat are barely held together in a breaded crust and they fall apart under our forks, only to be quickly scooped up into mouths. The little pile of micro greens on top of the crab cakes was just what we needed to refresh the palate, along with the dollop of gaucamole.

It's hard to do a good crab cake and harder to create a great one, and it does take a true-blue chef from the southern States to pull off a crab cake that silences even the most finicky of food critics.

And then the main attraction reappears - a huge platter of prime rib thoughtfully cut into cubes that will make enjoying it so much easier. Grilled corncobs slathered with butter leaned against the pile of meat, while a separate, equally gargantuan platter of whole baked potatoes gleamed in their foil jackets.

It is always a treat to eat Wagyu, especially when you know it comes from a source known for good practices in farming.

The beef was rich and needed a minimum of flavoring from salt and pepper. I would have liked my meat a little more pink, but I realize that many Chinese diners do not share my preference.

It does seem a shame to cook a good thick slice of Wagyu till it's brown and firm when it can be so juicy and oozing with flavor.

No meal is complete without some liquid lubrication, and the 1515 West Chophouse & Bar lives up to its name with a really good selection of New World reds, as well as a selection of white wines, champagne, vermouth and sherry.

If in doubt, sommelier Jerry Liao is ready with recommendations.

For those who want something a little more fancy, bar manager and resident mixologist Dario Gentile will mix you some unique concoctions while you sit at the bar and muse on history and ambitions as you gaze out the window and look over the compound of the former residence of Mao Zedong in Shanghai's famous Jing'an district.

Trifles with truffles

Cafe with a mission

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Orignal From: Doing a number on beef

Stop when you're hungry

The pork tenderloin set meal is a speciality of Saboten Japanese Cutlet at Parkview Green in Beijing. [Photo by Ye Jun/]

Customers often pack Du Hsiao Yueh during lunchtime for its braised meat rice sets. [Photo by Ye Jun/]

 

Parkview Green offers some tasty stops when you are tired from shopping, Ye Jun reports.

Parkview Green is the latest hangout for many of the capital's fashionable young people. Just opposite the west side of The Place on Dongdaqiao Lu, the complex is a mixture of office building, shopping mall, art center and hotel.

Besides many eye-catching artworks in the building, there are a few high-quality restaurants worth visiting on the underground second level.

Din Tai Fung, known for its steamed buns, set up a new branch in one corner. It's less spacious than its other restaurants, but the interior design is compact and comfortable, with warm lighting. Wooden frames divide booths with soft seats, for four people, and even for two people.

Some foodies say the crab-roe steamed buns in Beijing, a signature dish, is even better than that in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Singapore. With its abundance of rivers, the Chinese mainland's river crab roe is fresher and therefore taste better.

Another delicious variety is steamed buns with black-truffle stuffing. Biting open the buns, you can see that the stuffing is black with truffle, and the aroma is apparent. Black truffle pairs well with pork, both in steamed buns, and in jiaozi.

A new stuffing is Korean kimchi, which tastes a bit spicy. The kimchi helps to chase the grease of pork buns.

At Din Tai Fung, there are so many other good choices apart from the buns. The cold dishes look and taste delightful: bean-curd slices and vermicelli, sweetened river shrimps, and delicate tea-tree mushroom. The beef soup is loaded with very tender slices of beef. Sour and spicy soup tastes even better than at some classic Shandong-style restaurants in Beijing.

For a discovery, try black sesame buns, beef noodles and fried rice with eggs and pork slices. These offer a high quality matching that of the steamed buns.

Another two restaurants are both the first branches of famous fast-food joints in China. Established in 1966 in Nishi Shinjuku, Saboten Japanese Cutlet has 500 branches in Japan, according to the restaurant manager.

The restaurant offers a beautiful pork loin topped with tender, tasty egg. But I prefer the very crispy pork tenderloin chops. Both come in a set meal with rice, miso soup, cabbage slices and several saucers of appetizers. The rice, soup and appetizers can be refilled.

Du Hsiao Yueh features danzi noodle, those sold on a carrying pole, which has a history dating back to 1895 in Taiwan. The secret of the noodle is diced pork to give it flavor, along with mashed garlic, coriander and shelled shrimp.

The manager asks customers to first stir in the diced pork evenly, and then smell and drink the soup, before digging in for the noodles. The noodle is a snack known to every household in Taiwan. The restaurant also offers rice, and vermicelli versions with the diced-pork sauce, along with a delicious marinated egg, a bowl of shrimp-head soup and a saucer of spicy brined cabbage.

Du Hsiao Yueh is so famous that the restaurant sees a full house quite often during lunch.

The restaurant provides a few small dishes, too, besides its famous noodles. They offer an excellent cuttlefish meatball, and a very tender golden bean curd.

Quite a few high-end shops have opened or will open soon at the shopping mall. If you are into shopping, it is worth a trip down to Parkview Green. It's a pleasant opportunity to discover some good food at the restaurants there.

Crab-roe steamed bun (below) is a signature dish of dumpling specialist Din Tai Fung. [Photo by Ye Jun/]

[Photo by Ye Jun/]

( 03/16/2013 page12)

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Orignal From: Stop when you're hungry

Oysters make spring sing for diners in Beijing

Beer battered fine de Claire with roast garlic sour cream. Photos by Ye Jun / for

Fine de Claire with arugula and chipotle salsa.

It is spring, and time to give yourself a boost of energy. That's why Grange Grill at The Westin Beijing Chaoyang offers a special oyster menu for the months of March and April, according to executive chef Liu Wei.

One other apparent reason is that the Chinese believe a lot in natural aphrodisiacs - and the oyster is a famous one. The Chinese often say oyster is "a man's gas station", and "a woman's beauty station".

The restaurant serves oyster in nine different dishes, three cold, two soups, and four hot. There are five kinds of oysters: French belon, French fine de Claire, Japanese kumamoto, Canadian Fanny Bay and Australian Pacific gigas.

Asians are likely to prefer the silky, milky texture of the Japanese kumamoto oyster. But the French belon has a metallic smell of the shell, which some people will consider a fresh sea smell. The Canadian Fanny Bay and Australian Pacific gigas are somewhere in-between.

So customers can order all the oysters and taste the difference. Or they can just order what they like.

Chef Liu says he tries to pair the oysters with ingredients of the same region. For example, kumamoto is paired with tobiko salad and ginger ponzu. Belon is served with lemon frisse and Champagne vinegar.

The side ingredients are designed not to taste stronger than the main ingredient of oysters. Moreover, many alcoholic drinks are used in the dishes, to enhance the flavor, and to help with digestion.

Vodka is used for a gazpacho of lime-marinated fine de Claire. Fanny Bay is paired with chardonnay bearnaise and garlic spinach. Brandy and beer are served with hot oyster dishes.

The vodka gazpacho is outstanding, and the fragrance of chilled tomato helps to make the oyster taste even better, while the celery works to limit the sea smell.

In the hot dishes, the oysters are baked with cheese, grilled, poached and deep-fried with batter. The chef uses stronger tasting ingredients such as garlic and cheese to cover up any possible sea smell caused by heating.

"The best oysters should still be enjoyed fresh," says the chef.

He admits the hot oyster dishes are tailored for those who cannot deal with the sea smell. Some Chinese customers prefer not to eat seafood raw, for health reasons.

Grange Grill Restaurant is an American-style place designed for family gatherings. Meats here are grilled to make the most of their intrinsic flavor. Oysters at the restaurant are imported and prepared fresh, within a week's time.

Because it's springtime, the restaurant has paired some vegetables for the oyster dishes. Eating light is suitable for the season.

yejun@

Hokkaido, next door 

Stop when you're hungry 

( 03/24/2013 page13)

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Orignal From: Oysters make spring sing for diners in Beijing

Nobu’s passion and pride

Nobu Matsuhisa [Photo by Fan Zhen/]

He's one of the richest chefs in the world, with 26 restaurants to his name, but success came only after he had faced flames and failure. Nobu Matsuhisa tells Pauline D Loh how he keeps his zeal, and how he passes it on.

Nobu knew what he wanted to be after visiting his first sushi restaurant as a child. By the time he was 24 and managing his first restaurant, he realized it would be a lifelong vocation. That is why at 64, he is still constantly on the road visiting every one of his 26 restaurants by turn, traveling the United States from coast to coast, to Greece, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, Italy, Russia, Africa and lately, to China – where he has Nobu Hong Kong and Nobu Beijing.

His life has been full of ups and downs, so filled with drama that it seems like a ready-made Hollywood script. And, it just so happens, two of his main partners in the Nobu chain are Robert de Niro and Meir Teper. Filmmakers are risk takers but when de Niro and Teper invested in Nobu, they took a gamble which more than paid off.

De Niro waited three years to convince Nobu to go into business with him, but the chef was hesitant because he had been burnt before, literally. The first restaurant he owned in Anchorage, Alaska went up in flames 50 days after it started operations and Nobu had to work almost eight years to pay off the debts.

Still, de Niro kept asking him, and Nobu figured out that if his friend had such faith, he should honor the compliment. They opened their first restaurant in New York in 1994. Now in 2013, Nobu is mulling the location of his next restaurant in Singapore, which may be his 27th.

The chef has collected his share of Michelin stars. In fact, he has three, but the Nobu name can already stand on its own without any augmentation.

Nobu-san has a kind of stage presence that is almost physical. At the elegant dining room of Nobu Beijing, we could sense his entrance before we were actually introduced. He walked up briskly, greeting every diner with a friendly but brief hello as he approached our table. You got the unmistakable sense that this man has no time to waste.

As he settles down and our film crew pins a microphone on him, we present him with a little birthday present, a packet of organic sour jujubes harvested from the Beijing hills. He seems pretty chuffed, and asked how we knew he'd just had a birthday. He smiles as we reply: "We do our homework".

Indeed we did, and we knew Nobu is very particular about using the best ingredients in his restaurants. It was this passion for the fresh which caused him to leave his first overseas job in Lima, Peru, because there was a quarrel over the cost of ingredients.

Similarly, it is this obsession with freshness that makes him incorporate local products into his cuisine, and it was in Lima again that he slowly fused Peruvian elements into his food, creating what would later become the Nobu signatures.

As a young chef in Japan, he had to clean fish and other ingredients, and while others complained about these inelegant chores, Nobu valued them as an intimate education on ingredients. The education is always ongoing.

That is why when we tried to explain about the sour jujubes, he tells us: "Don't give me too much information. I want to experiment with it myself."

What are the secrets behind Nobu's success? A food philosophy that believes you must cook from the heart, and a commitment to pass on this philosophy to every chef in every Nobu restaurant.

It seemed an enormous task.

Related video: Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa with Pauline D.Loh

Nobu Matsuhisa [Photo by Fan Zhen/]

Nobu Matsuhisa [Photo by Fan Zhen/]

"It starts from teaching my chefs, mentoring them like sons. Then they go out to the restaurants, and they start teaching the other chefs. It is like that with my Beijing restaurant. The current executive chef worked with me in Las Vegas, and now he is here to build up his team."

"It is not just skills, it is attitude. It is heart."

Related: Nobu's Bento Box 

Nobu sketches the process like it was an easy task, but it must have started early with his first restaurant in 1994 and is happening to this day. The chef does not loosen the reins, hence his globe-trotting inspection tours.

But even as he travels almost non-stop, there is one restaurant he regards as "home" – the original Matsuhisa he started in Los Angeles, where his partner is his wife. The three Matsuhisa restaurants belong to the family, unlike the Nobu global chain, which is already expanding into hotels, with the first just opened in Las Vegas.

Nobu leaves the interview with a message for Chinese food producers. Quality cannot be compromised if you want to go out into the world, and he happily points to the example of caviar produced in China.

"Every year, we create little luxury gift items for hampers during Christmas. Last year, we sold more tubs of Chinese caviar than chocolates or truffles."

Many Nobu restaurants in the chain use caviar from China now, and it is because a Nobu chef from Hong Kong had taste-tested it and paid visits to the farms to verify the quality. He found the farmed Chinese caviar as good, if not better, than those produced elsewhere. Now, Chinese caviar is used regularly in Nobu restaurants worldwide.

Now that is best testimonial you can get.

You can contact the writer at paulined@

 

Nobu Matsuhisa [Photo by Fan Zhen/]

Nobu caviar [Photo provided to ]

Nobu caviar [Photo provided to ]

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Orignal From: Nobu's passion and pride