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Chefs find a way to keep food authentic
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WESTERN restaurants sometimes encounter Chinese customers who question the authenticity of their food. In most cases, the customers don’t realize they are being served authentic food because they received poor information from some TV shows.
Experienced chefs can find a resolution. Spanish chef Juan Jesús Salvador is a good example. He says a local woman complained the paella was not authentic because the rice was “a bit raw” even though she had never been to Spain. Salvador then asked waiters to ask local diners how they want their rice done to avoid any future problems.
He says this provided an educational moment as they could explain how Spanish paella is prepared while giving customers the option of having it the authentic way or something more suitable to their own tastes.
Salvador is the owner of Casa Aurora. He and his parents opened the restaurant after the family operated restaurants in Spain for half a century. They started Casa Aurora in the scenic Siyanjing area months ago.
Salvador’s parents were initially confused by the different dining habits of Chinese customers, who are eating ice cream in the middle of a meal, and changing plates frequently.
After Salvador explained that Chinese people like to order more courses and share so they can try more food, his parents liked the idea.
“People can taste more and it gives the restaurant a chance to cook more for customers,” Salvador says.
Today the family still insists on making traditional authentic Spanish food, but will make a more watery paella for locals upon request, while also providing salads and main courses at the same time.
Food here is traditional and hearty. A thick 350-gram steak costs 198 yuan (US$36.8), salmon salad 68 yuan, and paella (enough for two) is 178 yuan.
The family uses the same brand of Spanish olive oil, rice, olives, and seasonings that they use in Spain. They buy vegetables and meat at the nearby grocery market.
Casa Aurora has done so well that they are opening a new branch at Xihu Intime Department Store in October.
Night and Day Restaurant is another Western restaurant deserving a try. It serves everything from pizza and paella to salads and steak.
Chef and owner Lu Wei says he uses only olive oil, mostly organic vegetables and eggs imported from Japan. While the food is authentic, Lu admits he has made some changes to suit locals. Tables are close together, portions are small, steak is cut into small pieces for sharing, and dessert is served whenever customers want.
“Most customers of Western restaurants in Hangzhou are Chinese people, especially young people,” says Lu, who has 30 years of experience working in Western restaurants in star hotels. “So this restaurant serves authentic European dishes, but in a way they can share courses with each other. Or they can eat and drink beer individually at the Japanese counter while relaxing and watching TV.”
Lu, 49, travels to Europe and Japan several times a year. While in Europe, he studies different cuisines. He learns about advanced kitchen management on his Japan trips because Japanese restaurants always serve “food that is extremely fresh.”
The chef says he started as a cook at a Western restaurant in Shangri-La Hangzhou when he was 19 years old. He was a disciple of chefs from Italy, France, Germany, Spain and other countries.
Lu also serves Japanese cuisine and describes his restaurant as a “Western-style izakaya.” There’s also a fusion of European and Japanese styles, like sauteed shrimp in Japanese mayonnaise and the Western-style grilled ox tongue with teriyaki sauce. It has a firm texture at first, but the flavor of fat lingers and is really nice with beer or wine.
The German sausages (68 yuan), served with sauerkraut and mashed potato, are juicy and yummy. Lu says only Night and Day serves these sausages since he signed an exclusive contract with a sausage factory.
A steak cooked at low temperature (78 yuan) is also worth trying. Though thick, the meat is extremely tender and does not stick to the teeth. It is cut into large cubes so people can share it. Other excellent dishes include pizza (38 yuan), mussels (38 yuan) and an assorted Italian hors d’oeuvres platter (55 yuan).
Casa Aurora
Address: No. 256, Siyanjing, Hupao Rd
Tel: (0571) 8602-0750
Night and Day Restaurant
Address: 4/F, No. 1 Building, Queen Park, 277 Wulin Rd
Tel: (0571) 8822-1299
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