The meticulous and dedicated work that goes into creating a chef's table menu sets the standard for culinary excellence. Julian Tan suggests some of the best seats in the house.
It was in our December 2006 issue when we last featured the chefs’ tables. When I was assigned to reopen the food files and write about the elite tables for this issue (while working up an appetite), I immediately emailed my esteemed colleagues and contacts who had had the privilege of sampling the creations by some of the top culinary masters. The brief was to find chefs’ tables offered by hotels in their restaurants, which are available to the public all year round.
After researching further (some other hotels offer private tables for their corporate clients or special menus by guest chefs for a limited period), we managed to shortlist seven hotel restaurants in five North Asian cities, including the food mecca of Tokyo. The next time you think of inviting your business partners to a meal or rewarding that well-deserving secretary, a chef’s table is just a phone call away.
BEIJING
JAAN, RAFFLES
Dining at Jaan, which means “dish” or “bowl” in Sanskrit, is a grand affair. It is glamour in the form of crystal chandeliers, a century-old Bösandorfer piano and timber sprung dance floor evoking 1920s indulgence. Guests take their seats in the spacious elegant French restaurant on the ground floor of the beautifully restored hotel, built circa 1917 originally as the iconic Grand Hotel. French windows provide views of Chang An Avenue, the setting of the city’s eventful past – notably, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and public memorials for the late Premier Zhou Enlai in 1976. Seating capacity is 38 in the main dining room, while two private dining rooms can accommodate 10 and 12.
WHO’S COOKING? Chef de cuisine Guillaume Galliot, who trained under three Michelin-star celebrity chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel. Need we say more?
TASTING MENU: Chef Galliot’s cooking style is described as “light and innovative”. A sample six-course menu includes Foie Gras Terrine with Autumn Truffles, Carpaccio of Matsutake Mushroom and Pink Garlic Emulsion; Purple Artichoke Soup and Goat Cheese Hazelnut Ravioli; Roasted Brittany Scampi, Artichoke Barigoule with Orange Butter; Slowly Pan-Fried Australian Lamb Chops, Potato Purée with Onion and Speck, Artichoke Millefeuille, Morel Cream with Foie Gras; Affinage Cheese Plate; and Jaan dessert. French and New World wines are stocked in the tall glass wine cellar.
PRICE: CNY788 (US$113) per person for dinner without drinks.
OPERATING HOURS: Lunch starts from 1200 to 1400 daily; dinner is from 1830 to 2200. Chef’s table is available for dinner.
CONTACT: 33 East Chang An Avenue, ground floor, Beijing 100004, China, tel 86 10 6526 3388 ext 4186, www.beijing.raffles.com
HONGKONG
ONE HARBOUR ROAD, GRAND HYATT
Recreating the grace and charm of a Taipan’s Peak mansion from the 1930s, this 200-seat Chinese restaurant commands some of the best views of the Victoria Harbour. A recent refurbishment has improved the look of the duplex restaurant, replacing the metal beams on the glass ceiling and metal window frames with Santos rosewood timber. Other enhancements included refitting the fountain at the lower dining area with distinctive glass mosaic, new handmade custom carpets, new chairs, new sofas and new draperies.
Diners will be able to glimpse at the workings of the kitchen passing through the Wok, Dim Sum and Roast sections, feel the intensity of the kitchen through a TV monitor, marvel at the chef’s rare dried herb collection and enjoy the attention from him.
WHO’S COOKING? Chef de cuisine Li Shu Tim who started his career in the food and beverage industry at age 16, and a veteran of Grand Hyatt since the hotel opened in 1989. His food is home-style Cantonese – “No foreign influences, no nouvelle nuances; just traditional dishes lovingly prepared and graciously presented,” he says.
TASTING MENU: Selection of Crispy Roasted Goose, Pea Shoots and Pumpkin Scallop Rolls; Stir-Fried Prawns with Runner Beans and Preserved Olives; Casserole of Chicken with Assorted Onions in Chinese Wine Sauce with Ginger Fried Rice; and Diced Jelly with Red Bean Cream in Young Coconut are just some specialities.
PRICE: A minimum charge of HK$4,000 (US$513) for lunch and HK$8,000 (US$1,026) for dinner, subject to a 10 percent service charge. Prices are for up to 12 persons in a dining room.
OPERATING HOURS: Lunch starts from 1200 to 1430 Monday to Saturday and 1130 to 1430 on Sunday; dinner is from 1830 to 2230.
CONTACT: 1 Harbour Road, 8/F, Hongkong, tel 852 2584 7938, hongkong.grand.hyatt.com
ANGELINI, KOWLOON SHANGRI-LA
This Italian restaurant features a contemporary design with a wood veneer ceiling, Murano glass pendant lights, Venetian stucco, white-marble top teakwood tables, cherrywood wine racks and wood accents, complete with unobstructed views of the Victoria Harbour – even more stunning in the evening when the city lights up. The brainchild of Giovanni Angelini, Shangri-La’s top man, the 90-seater offers semi-private dining areas with booths or long tables. In a corner of the restaurant is the chef’s table for up to eight persons, next to an enclosed grillroom, where diners can peek through the windows (big enough for the plates to be go through) and watch the meal being prepared. Interaction between guests and the chef is encouraged.
WHO’S COOKING? Chef Vittorio Lucariello, an Italian native (Naples to be exact) with 20 years of culinary experience.
TASTING MENU: Angelini’s à la carte lunch and dinner menu selections range from antipasti (the Crispy Oyster with Chickpea Flour on Tuna Tartar with Cucumber Salad and Flat Sardinian Bread got our thumbs up!) to pastas and risottos (like Homemade Flat Small Pasta with Farm Raised Squab Sauce and Moro Cheese), to seafood (like Sea Bass Fillet with Spiced Roman Broccoli), to meats (like Poached Veal Round with Tuna, Capers Sauce and Pickled Vegetables, and Stone Grilled Wagyu Beef Striploin with Herbs on Roasted Potato and Sicilian Sea Salt). The menus change every three or four months incorporating seasonal ingredients.
PRICE: A three-course meal starts from HK$218 (US$28), but no minimum charge is required. Guests can have food prepared as they wish courtesy of Chef Vittorio and also order from the regular menus.
OPERATING HOURS: Lunch starts from 1200 to 1500 daily; dinner is 1800 to 2300.
CONTACT: 64 Mody Road, mezzanine level, Kowloon, Hongkong, tel 852 2733 8901, www.shangri-la.com
SEOUL
MOMOYAMA, LOTTE
Thirty-eight floors from the bustling streets below is Momoyama, an upscale Japanese restaurant comprising a main hall, sushi counter, eight private rooms and three private tatami rooms and seating 101 guests. Its chef’s table is serviced by the head chef and manager in a private room with views of downtown Seoul and Bukhan Mountain (the national park is popular with hikers and provides a respite from the urban life). And the price tag to dine at Momoyama’s top table? A hefty one million won (US$954) per person. As they say, it is an exquisite dining experience that is tailored to the taste of every guest.
WHO’S COOKING? Chef Ahn Jungho, a 27-year veteran of Lotte Hotels.
TASTING MENU: An authentic kaiseki (multi-course meal) is prepared using the freshest seasonal ingredients available, taking each customer’s taste into consideration. A sample menu includes amuse bouche, an appetiser, soup of the day, assorted sashimi, a broiled dish, braised dish, fried dish, chef’s creation, vinegared dish, steamed rice, soy bean soup and dessert. Sake lovers will be delighted to know that the restaurant houses a collection of 120 varieties and sake specialists who will please and pamper.
PRICE: 1 million won (US$954) per person, excluding VAT and service charge.
OPERATING HOURS: Lunch starts from 1200 to 1500 daily; dinner is from 1800 to 2200.
CONTACT: 1 Sogong-Dong, 38th floor, Jung-Gu, Seoul 100-070, Korea, tel 82 2 317 7031
TAIPEI
SILKS HOUSE, GRAND FORMOSA REGENT
Cantonese cuisine is what Silks House (formerly Lan Ting Shanghainese restaurant) specialises in and a sleek ambience sets the mood for a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Those who are here for the chef’s table at this Four Seasons hotel will be ushered to the VIP room located at the restaurant entrance, which has a private restroom. The room, which can accommodate up to 24 guests, boasts a large round table, a Chinese calligraphy character mural, a wall of bamboo sticks and Chinese poems, and plush sofas, as well as views of Taipei city through its French windows. Nine other VIP rooms and a dining area are also available at the restaurant catering to over 200 guests.
WHO’S COOKING? Executive Chef Wu Hongchen of Hongkong, who leads a team of 30 chefs in Silks House and has served (presidents included) for over 20 years. His cooking style: “light but not bland, fresh but not common, tender but not raw, tasty but not greasy”.
TASTING MENU: A meal may consist of Fish Roe with Sliced Lobster for appetiser, Premium Shark’s Fin and Crab Meat Served with Clear Broth, a main of Grilled Beef Steak with Chef’s Sauce plus a side dish of Braised Wild Mushroom with Bamboo Pith Rolls, Steamed Shrimp Dumpling, and finally, Sweet Bird’s Nest with Almond Milk for dessert. Other choices include Steamed Chicken in Wine Sauce with Yunnan Ham and Japanese Mushroom, Steamed Minced Pork with Squid and Water Chestnut, and Pan-Fried Rice Noodles with Dried Shrimp.
PRICE: From NT$5,980 (US$193) per person. Regular à la carte items range from NT$70 (US$2.25) to NT$6,000 (US$193). In the VIP room: lunch starts from NT$1,080 (US$35) per person and dinner is from NT$1,580 (US$51) each.
OPERATING HOURS: Lunch starts from 1200 to 1430, afternoon tea from 1430 to 1600 and dinner from 1800 to 2100.
CONTACT: 41 Chung Shan North Road, 3rd floor, Section 2, Taipei, Taiwan, tel 886 2 2521 5000 ext 3236, www.grandformosa.com.tw
TOKYO
SIGNATURE, MANDARIN ORIENTAL
This restaurant with a one Michelin-star chef serves French-inspired cuisine. Its chef’s table is an exclusive ritual in a private dining room next to the kitchen and caters to as many as 10 guests. Through a window, guests can watch the chef at work. Also at your service is chief sommelier Fumihiko Kamo, who is skilled in rare vintages and biodynamic and organic wines in Signature’s over 400 bins. In 2000, he became the first Japanese chef sommelier of the two-star Les Clos de la Violette restaurant in Aix-en-Provence.
Signature also has a main dining area overlooking Otemachi district, the Imperial Palace and Shinjuku, and a semi-private space with views across Tokyo Bay and Ginza on one side and Otemachi on the other.
WHO’S COOKING? The 36-year-old bespectacled Chef de cuisine Olivier Rodriguez hails from Toulouse. His CV includes commis of the two Michelin-star Le Chantecler at Hotel Negresco in Nice, section chef of both the two-star Les Jardins de l’Opera Toulouse and three-star Enoteca Pinchiorri Firenze, and chef at Enoteca Pinchiorri Tokyo.
TASTING MENU: Chef Rodriguez’s signature dishes include Steamed and Pan-Fried Foie Gras and Beetroot, and Toasted Scallops and Stewed Vanilla Turnips with Lemon and Walnut Condiment.
A ¥25,000 (US$238) dinner comprises Abalone Salad with Spring Vegetables, Coral Dressing and Ossetra Caviar; Warmed Lobster Medallion Basil Perfumed with Glazed Celeriac and Cacao Sauce; Foie Gras and Red Apple: Steamed and Roasted with Cardamon Flavour and Spicy Brioche; Chard-Wrapped Scorpion Fish Filled with Dried Tomato, Marjoram Scented Artichoke “à la Nage”; Lightly Smoked Fillet of Beef with Red Wine Scented Beets Cannelloni and Chickpea Tart; French cheese selection; Macaron Filled with Mint-Flavoured Strawberry Tartar, Caramelised Strawberry and Wild Strawberry Sherbet; and coffee and petits fours.
PRICE: Chef’s Special Recommendation of the Day starts from ¥25,000 (US$238). The room charge for private dining is an additional ¥10,000 (US$95).
OPERATING HOURS: Lunch starts from 1130 to 1430 daily; dinner is from 1730 to 2200.
CONTACT: 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, 37th floor, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0022, Japan, tel 81 3 3270 8188, www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo
HEI FUNG TERRACE, THE PENINSULA
The Chinese chef’s table provides front-row seats to the kitchen, with a window overlooking large flame stoves and another window serving as a “fish tank”. Designed by Henry Leung of Chhada Siembieda Leung – who was also behind the decor of The Peninsula Beijing’s Peninsula Suite (most recently featured in our Renovated Hotels supplement in April issue) and Huang Ting restaurant – the restaurant features a Suzhou garden theme (the famous Imperial Gardens are near the hotel) and a tranquil atmosphere. It has 81 seats in the main dining area and three private dining rooms, two of which have views of the Imperial Gardens.
WHO’S COOKING? Chef Tang Chi Keung started his career with The Peninsula in 1986 and was previously from sister restaurant, Spring Moon Chinese at The Peninsula Hongkong. (His XO Sauce is a well-liked and versatile recipe for zesting up dishes and costs ¥5,888/US$56.)
TASTING MENU: Braised Sliced Pork with Dried Bamboo Shoots in Sweetened Soy Sauce, Fried Prawns with Fresh Mushrooms in Cream Sauce and Taiwan-Style Stewed Chicken with Shallots and Basil Leaves in Spicy Soy Sauce are some of Chef Tang’s signature dishes.
PRICE: For up to six people, lunch is from ¥88,880 (US$846) while dinner is from ¥188,880 (US$1,799). There is no room charge for chef’s table.
OPERATING HOURS: Lunch at the chef’s table starts from 1130 to 1430 daily; dinner is from 1800 to 2200. Like all chefs’ tables, advanced notice is required.
CONTACT: 1-8-1 Yurakucho, 2nd floor, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan, tel 81 3 6270 2738, tokyo.peninsula.com
THE CREATIVE CHALLENGE
Two of the chefs take us behind the kitchen scene
MANDARIN ORIENTAL'S CHEF DE CUISINE OLIVIER RODRIGUEZ: My most creative project so far is the collaboration of my food and the selected bio (organic) wines. Our chief sommelier, Mr Fumihiko Kamo, who was trained at a two Michelin-star restaurant, and his team are good at recommending each best-matched wine by the glass to each plate in the course menu. It was challenging having to select the best-matched wines from a limited collection of bio wines. Our guests really enjoyed the perfect harmony of tastes through the special food course.
RAFFLES BEIJING'S CHEF DE CUISINE GUILLAUME GALLIOT: The idea of a chef’s table is to prepare the menu in front of the guests, with few products (on hand to experiment with), and not make any dish from à la carte. The challenge is to show diners how it all works at the back of the house during a busy service. To use the fresh products that we don’t serve à la carte and start last-minute preparations in front of the guests. The whole process takes a bit of time but the guests will be able to see how chefs get down to work and put a nice meal together.
