IN culinary terms, the United States lacks a singular, deep-rooted cuisine culture found in France, Italy and other countries.

Quite a few American chefs tend to emphasize their French culinary foundations over a national food culture.

Jeremy Harris, 31, executive chef at the Renaissance Shanghai Zhongshan Park Hotel, is an exception. He is also one of the youngest executive chefs.

"I am proud of being a US chef who's more multi-culturally influenced," says Chef Jeremy who grew up in the state of Michigan.

He sees general food similarities between the US and China: both have vast territory with different climate conditions enabling the production of a great variety of ingredients and numerous regional cuisines.

"In the US, California cuisine based on fresh fruits and seafood is totally different from Houston cuisine featuring barbecue, just as Sichuan and Cantonese cuisines are different in China. This gives US chefs great inspiration in using ingredients," he says.

Besides, due to its ethnic diversity Americans have more exposure to plural global food styles, from Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Middle Eastern to French and Mediterranean.

While he was growing up, the future chef already had tasted flavors and dishes.

Born talent

Some people are said to be natural musicians with a good ear and natural sense of pitch. The same is true for cooking. Although he started working in a kitchen when he was age 15, he already had natural talent.

"I have a sensitive palate, which can taste the food correctly, identifying most of the ingredients and seasonings used," says Chef Jeremy.

Tasting a cookie, he can tell whether there's almond in the recipe and what kind of cocoa powder is used. He's usually correct. He's always been naturally attracted to restaurants, whether casual or high end.

"Unlike those focusing on their dining experience, I pay more attention to how the restaurant is executed, how the food is served. It's more from a chef's point of view, although at that time I didn't know what the word 'chef' meant exactly."

His first culinary experience was working in a pastry kitchen and it was an important beginning from which he learned discipline that he integrated later into his management philosophy.

"Making soufflé is different than cooking pasta. If 10 chefs make the soufflé according to the same recipe, the final flavors are identical, while one pasta recipe, cooked by 10 chefs, develops 10 different flavors," the chef says.

That's because there's more flexibility in cooking than in making pastry, which is exacting. In his own kitchen, discipline is essential to ensure quality and consistency and thus he doesn't bend it.

He admitted he's not a patient executive chef. In other words, being his sous chef and line cook are challenging.

When he was 18 he attended The Culinary Institute of America in New York State, studying classical cooking.

"It was a turning point in my life. From then on, I realized there's nothing left in my life but being a chef," said the chef.

Melting pot

Many chefs don't like being a hotel chef since their food ideas often cannot be expressed completely.

Selection of ingredients is probably limited by budget constraints while dish flavors should satisfy the largest number of customers, says Alan Yu, executive chef at Otto e Mezzo.

However, Chef Jeremy is passionate about the hotel industry.

"I agree that being a hotel chef is not as free as being a restaurant chef. But there are other things which I care about, especially the international working experience," the chef says.

Over the years he has worked at the JW Marriott Houston in US, Miri Marriott in Malaysia and the New World Saigon Hotel in Vietnam.

Although the kitchen culture of international hotels tends to be similar, ingredients and seasonings in different cities vary.

"My food scope has gradually expanded through the past years working in Asia," says Chef Jeremy.

His concept is multi-culturally driven. Salmon is his favorite ingredients due to its versatility.

"It's a kind of universal ingredient. I can make it either in California style (searing it, with side salad), the European way (pan-searing with classical French sauce) or the Japanese way (sashimi)," chef explains.

He has seen differences in dining culture. Before coming to Asia, the chef rarely saw breakfast buffets in the US. Most guests in American hotels prefer ordering a la carte but in Asia, buffets are very popular.

"I found this difference very interesting. Probably it's because of different food thinking. Westerners put much focus on the quality of a single dish, while Asians focus more on variety," he says.

He is open to new tastes from different food cultures, no matter how seemingly odd.

The temptation of street food is irresistible and the chef says it's a quick, simple and direct way to understand local cuisine.

"When I travel to a new place, the first thing to do is find street food. In Singapore, I tasted delicious chili crab while in Shanghai, I am addicted to its yangrou chuan (grilled lamb) and shengjian (pan-fried dumplings with pork filling)."

The conventional wisdom, and that of food critics, is that the most delicious food under most circumstances is not found in the fine dining restaurants but on the street.

"For a street vendor, his whole livelihood is based on one dish. He has to dedicate all his passion to it, using the best ingredients and proper cooking skills or he will be beaten by other vendors. But for restaurants, there are too many dishes that need attention," he says.

Inspired by his personal food preference, chef recently launched a Friday and Saturday buffet (188 yuan/US$29.84 plus 15 percent) featuring Asian street food popular in Vietnam, Malaysia, India and Shanghai.

Jeremy Harris

Executive chef of the Renaissance Shanghai Zhongshan Park Hotel, from the United States

Q: How do you define your career?

A: Cooking and developing flavors with passion.

Q: Is there a dish you'll remember forever?

A: A pot of steamed mussels at my favorite restaurant in San Francisco.

Q: What do you usually cook for yourself?

A: Simple dishes that can be cooked in one pot or one pan.

Q: What's your food philosophy?

A: Using the best ingredients, practicing proper cooking skills, knowing how to taste and enjoy food.

Q: Your favorite restaurant in Shanghai.

A: Mi Thai, an authentic Thai restaurant on Anfu Rd.

Q: Is there something important that people never ask you?

A: I am a chef but also with wine knowledge. I hope to share information about food and wine pairing with customers.

Q: Your ideal food and wine pairing?

A: Champagne with oysters.

Q: What's your dream?

A: Having my own restaurant.

Ingredients:

Blue swimming crabs (or flower crabs available in Shanghai) 4pc; tamarind pulp 15ml; shellfish broth 150ml; 1 onion, sliced; ginger (minced) 1pc; red chilies (sliced) 3pc; green onions (sliced) 2pc; tomato paste 10g; sugar 5g; corn starch 10g; coriander (chopped) 1 bunch.

Steps:

1. Boil crabs in boiling water for approx 2 min. Until about half done. After 2 min remove and strain as much water out of crabs as possible. You can either cut crabs into pieces or leave them whole. To me it depends on the size of the crabs.

2. In a smoking hot wok, add a small amount of vegetable oil and immediately toss in the crabs. Stir fry for approximately 2 min and remove the crabs. At this point the wok has cooled slightly.

3. Add ginger, onions and about half the red chilies into the wok, stir fry for approx 30 seconds.

4. Add the tamarind pulp, sugar, tomato paste, dark soy sauce and crabs. Stir fry for approx 3 min over moderate heat.

5. Take shellfish broth in a medium-sized bowl (can use water) and with fingers mix in the corn starch until there are no lumps. Add this mixture into the wok where the crabs are still cooking. This will thicken fairly quickly.

6. Keep cooking the wok until the sauce is perfect in consistency. The crabs will finish cooking at the same time.

Serve and garnish the crabs with the green onions, coriander leaves and the rest of the sliced red chilies.