A Chinese take on Western cuisine

Editor's note: China is divided into as many culinary regions as there are different ethnic groups. Its geographical diversity and kaleidoscopic cultural profiles contribute to an unending banquet of flavors.

Daniel Boulud opened his house of fine dining in Beijing in 2008 and it closed five years later. Perhaps he was just a little before his time, but his arrival was significant in that it opened the floodgates for a procession of celebrity chefs from the West.

They have had varying success but, more important than that, they brought about a revolution within China itself, gestating a new generation of local kitchen talents.

These Chinese chefs were like the pioneers of the past, bravely taking up the call of the Wild, Wild West. They moved out of their comfort zones within Chinese cooking and learned the layout of a whole new mise en place.

Mars Liu, executive chef of the boutique Grace Hotel in Beijing's 798 Arts Zone.

Many of them are rising to the challenge, equipped with an intimate knowledge of local gastronomic preferences, the lay of the land and the vast choice of seasonal and regional ingredients.

Mars Liu, 39, a native Beijinger, is part of the young pack and typical of the determined Chinese chefs eager to explore the Western kitchen.

He cut his teeth in some of the most traditional Chinese kitchens in Beijing but found his real calling when he became sous chef to the Swiss executive chef in an upmarket small hotel.

Now, as executive chef of the boutique Grace Hotel in Beijing's 798 Arts Zone, Liu has found an excellent platform to further learn, experiment and perform.

How do you reinforce your position as a creative Western chef in China?

My understanding is you have to keep learning. For me, I like to build on tradition, find the connecting points between East and West and create based on my own understanding of traditional classicism and ingredients.

You need to be brave enough to imitate, to learn from the master chefs, and to find out the raison d'etre behind their signature dishes.

From there, it is then up to the chef to find his personal balance in combining his own special skills, his grasp of local ingredients and to consider terroir, tastes and temperature of his creations.

Modern logistics supply a wide spectrum of ingredients, but do you use ingredients available only in China in your Western menu?

Absolutely. There is such variety of ingredients available in this country, where different provinces and regions have their specific local and seasonal ingredients.

Fresh vegetables, fruits. ... The different regional specialities. These all inspire chefs to break with tradition and create some spectacular Western-style cuisine.

Take for example the Yunnan chef's love of flowers. This inspired us to create an elegant Western banquet based on flowers this year.

We paired golden cassia flowers with steak, and used locust flower scented oil as a dressing for Canadian oysters.

What element or which mentor has influenced your cooking style most?

For me, it is a constant journey to learn, literally. I feel the need to travel, to see more, to learn more, to absorb different experiences in food and wine. I find my inspiration from these journeys.

Among the Chinese chefs, I admire Chef Andre Chang, and earlier in the year I managed to book a table at his restaurant, Andre, in Singapore. We met and I was happy to be able to talk to him after the meal. He was truly inspiring.

But it is my ex-boss chef Christian Hoffman who has helped me most in my career as a Western chef. We started working together in 2006 and he was my mentor, my friend, my family. He taught me how to live, to work and, in my eyes, he is the almost perfect chef who helped me mature from just another man in the kitchen to a full-fledged chef.

What are the crucial elements of success for you?

It sounds simple really. All you have to do is buckle down and work, step by step. Spend the time and effort with a quiet heart dedicated to the task. If you do that, you see the rewards.

Chefs these days often interact with their diners. Do you do that?

There are two sides of the coin in mingling with your diners. Of course, interacting with diners is promoting your own skills, propagating the personality cult. But to do that, you need a very strong team in the kitchen that you can trust to deliver the quality that is your brand. Without a strong team, you have a messy kitchen and an even messier reputation.

On the whole, Chinese chefs are more reticent, and not as bold and gregarious as a Western chef.

Finally, what contributed to your success?

A quiet heart, a willingness to travel and learn as much as possible, a willingness to practice and experiment, a habit of recording every dish - and just a little bit of luck.

paulined@chinadaily.com.cn

Chef Liu's platters of East meets West

Roasted Crispy Icelandic Cod with Creamed Green Wheat, Fennel and Cherry Radish Salsa with Raspberry Vinegar Caviar

Green wheat, fennel and cherry radishes are familiar ingredients in the Beijing kitchen. When paired with a fish like Icelandic cod, they turn into a fresh-tasting platter of new flavors. Here, too, the chef playfully adds a touch of molecular gastronomy by turning raspberry vinegar into a spoonful of caviar.

Thyme Scented Slow-cooked Pork Belly with Roasted Spicy Cauliflower, Hazelnut Carrot Puree and Dijon Mustard Pork Rillete

The chef shows off his understanding of local ingredients by sealing milder-flavored Chinese pork belly with thyme and slow-cooking it, sous-vide style, for 48 hours. The meat is then finished off with a high heat searing to crisp the edges and render the oil, and served with a side of roasted spicy cauliflower and a hazelnut carrot puree. For a final touch, a second element of pork comes in a deep-fried rillete seasoned with Dijon mustard.

Home-made Yogurt Mousse with Bergamot Sherbet, Blood Orange Cream and Mixed Citrus Salad

This is Chef Liu's signature dessert. He is a devotee of home-cultured natural yogurt, which he turns into a barely sweetened mousse. He pairs the mousse with something else that is again homemade - a sherbet he makes from fresh bergamot. The citrus profile is enlarged with blood orange cream, and more orange segments in a salad, highlighting the fermented tartness of the yogurt with the tangy sweetness of fruit.