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Chinese chef with three stars in his eyes finds inspiration in Mediterranean cuisine
By Lu Feiran |
September 29, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI native Zhang Liqi said his ultimate dream is to become a Michelin three-star chef. Minhang is a step on that path.
Zhang, 33, has been a professional cook for more than a decade. He's now running Olger restaurant in Hongqiao Town with a friend, serving up Italian, Spanish and French cuisines.
Though he is officially listed as "consulting chef" at the restaurant and isn't there every day, Zhang designed the whole menu for Olger.
"I'm an expert in cooking Mediterranean food, Italian in particular," said Zhang. "I highly recommend our hand-made pizzas and patissière."
Zhang said 80 percent of the patrons at Olger are local expats or foreign tourists who seem to enjoy the food very much. Many praise its authenticity, he said.
Zhang started to study cooking at the age 20 in Shanghai. Except for some basic skills, he has always focused on Western cuisines.
"At the beginning, I honestly knew nothing about the kitchen," he said. "And then I gradually found it was not as hard as I thought, and I began to really enjoy cooking."
Zhang has studied under foreign chefs, but his interest in southern European cuisine meant he needed to visit the origins of the dishes he was making.
Several years ago, he visited Italy, staying in Turin for about a month, visiting local restaurants and taking a turn at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners.
"I learned skills, but more importantly, I was able to taste authentic cuisine in its home setting," said Zhang. "The culture there is not only about cooking and eating, but also about the decor and environment of restaurants, serving skills and the choice of fresh, local ingredients. All these elements combine to create satisfied customers."
Zhang said he learned the necessity of sticking to basics - choosing natural, fresh ingredients from the right suppliers.
"We import hams from Italy rather than using domestic substitutes," he said. "We want to achieve purity of taste."
Zhang is also a cooking instructor, teaching at a culinary school in the Pudong New Area. His students are from Chinese and other parts of Asia.
"It's funny that teaching foreign students, such as those from Malaysia, is actually easier than teaching Chinese ones," he said. "They seem to have a better understanding than Chinese students, maybe because they are more in contact with Western foods in their daily life."
Still, Zhang said he believes Chinese chefs have very bright future, even in the field of Western cuisine.
"Their skills improve day by day," he said. "In fact, many chefs in Western restaurants nowadays are Chinese, and I expect the proportion to grow."
Zhang said he personally prefers to eat Western cuisines.
"It is more of a concept thing," he said. "It's from the dining environment to the etiquette. That sort of the thing, which I appreciate a lot. I also think that Western cuisines are healthier than Chinese ones. They pay more attention to nutritional balance. Of course, I'm not talking about burgers and fries."
A celebrated chef, he said, is marked by his own particular style of cooking.
"I once ate at a Michelin three-star restaurant," he said. "So I know how far behind I still am. Top chefs always have a targeted theme for the food they serve. They know what to cook to go with wines that patrons love. Different seasons introduce different themes. Good chefs never use out-of-season ingredients."
Easier said than done. Zhang said he still has his work cut out for him if he wants to achieve his dream.
Zhang remains single and is now living temporarily back home with his parents. He seldom cooks apart from work. Maybe that's just as well at home. His parents, he said, still prefer Chinese food because that's what they are used to eating.
"My mother makes gorgeous Shanghai cuisine," he said, "especially braised pork ribs in soy sauce."
Zhang said he hopes someday to marry a woman who can appreciate his cooking and his views on food and culture. That won't be hard, he reckons. Young people today are much more receptive to new concepts and innovations.
Impression about Minhang:
My impressions are limited to the Hongqiao area, the Xinzhuang area and the Qibao Old Street. All these places are very nice.
Funniest experience in Minhang:
I can't think of anything, but that's not to say that life here is boring.
Favorite place in Minhang:
Qibao Old Street
Favorite cuisine:
Food seasoned with rosemary.
Suggestions for improving Minhang:
It needs more high-quality Western-style restaurants.
Advice for newcomers:
Work hard and remain down-to-earth.
Motto of life:
Treating patrons as you would like to be treated.
Zhang, 33, has been a professional cook for more than a decade. He's now running Olger restaurant in Hongqiao Town with a friend, serving up Italian, Spanish and French cuisines.
Though he is officially listed as "consulting chef" at the restaurant and isn't there every day, Zhang designed the whole menu for Olger.
"I'm an expert in cooking Mediterranean food, Italian in particular," said Zhang. "I highly recommend our hand-made pizzas and patissière."
Zhang said 80 percent of the patrons at Olger are local expats or foreign tourists who seem to enjoy the food very much. Many praise its authenticity, he said.
Zhang started to study cooking at the age 20 in Shanghai. Except for some basic skills, he has always focused on Western cuisines.
"At the beginning, I honestly knew nothing about the kitchen," he said. "And then I gradually found it was not as hard as I thought, and I began to really enjoy cooking."
Zhang has studied under foreign chefs, but his interest in southern European cuisine meant he needed to visit the origins of the dishes he was making.
Several years ago, he visited Italy, staying in Turin for about a month, visiting local restaurants and taking a turn at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners.
"I learned skills, but more importantly, I was able to taste authentic cuisine in its home setting," said Zhang. "The culture there is not only about cooking and eating, but also about the decor and environment of restaurants, serving skills and the choice of fresh, local ingredients. All these elements combine to create satisfied customers."
Zhang said he learned the necessity of sticking to basics - choosing natural, fresh ingredients from the right suppliers.
"We import hams from Italy rather than using domestic substitutes," he said. "We want to achieve purity of taste."
Zhang is also a cooking instructor, teaching at a culinary school in the Pudong New Area. His students are from Chinese and other parts of Asia.
"It's funny that teaching foreign students, such as those from Malaysia, is actually easier than teaching Chinese ones," he said. "They seem to have a better understanding than Chinese students, maybe because they are more in contact with Western foods in their daily life."
Still, Zhang said he believes Chinese chefs have very bright future, even in the field of Western cuisine.
"Their skills improve day by day," he said. "In fact, many chefs in Western restaurants nowadays are Chinese, and I expect the proportion to grow."
Zhang said he personally prefers to eat Western cuisines.
"It is more of a concept thing," he said. "It's from the dining environment to the etiquette. That sort of the thing, which I appreciate a lot. I also think that Western cuisines are healthier than Chinese ones. They pay more attention to nutritional balance. Of course, I'm not talking about burgers and fries."
A celebrated chef, he said, is marked by his own particular style of cooking.
"I once ate at a Michelin three-star restaurant," he said. "So I know how far behind I still am. Top chefs always have a targeted theme for the food they serve. They know what to cook to go with wines that patrons love. Different seasons introduce different themes. Good chefs never use out-of-season ingredients."
Easier said than done. Zhang said he still has his work cut out for him if he wants to achieve his dream.
Zhang remains single and is now living temporarily back home with his parents. He seldom cooks apart from work. Maybe that's just as well at home. His parents, he said, still prefer Chinese food because that's what they are used to eating.
"My mother makes gorgeous Shanghai cuisine," he said, "especially braised pork ribs in soy sauce."
Zhang said he hopes someday to marry a woman who can appreciate his cooking and his views on food and culture. That won't be hard, he reckons. Young people today are much more receptive to new concepts and innovations.
Impression about Minhang:
My impressions are limited to the Hongqiao area, the Xinzhuang area and the Qibao Old Street. All these places are very nice.
Funniest experience in Minhang:
I can't think of anything, but that's not to say that life here is boring.
Favorite place in Minhang:
Qibao Old Street
Favorite cuisine:
Food seasoned with rosemary.
Suggestions for improving Minhang:
It needs more high-quality Western-style restaurants.
Advice for newcomers:
Work hard and remain down-to-earth.
Motto of life:
Treating patrons as you would like to be treated.
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