Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2013 - Chinese - (Page 106)

Dim Sum anD T hen Some From left: Chef Paul Lau puts the finishing touches on the Steamed Crab Claw dish in the kitchen of the Tin Lung Heen restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong; dumplings with egg whites and scallops; dim sum steamers. Updating classic cantonese cUisine, modern master paUl laU dazzles in Hong Kong. alexandra seno digs in PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHILIPP ENGELHORN Reinventing RetRo Every morning before 9 a.m., Paul Lau begins his hourlong journey to work. A serious man who nevertheless flashes a ready smile, he takes the subway to Kowloon Station and walks to the 118-floor International Commerce Centre. It is the world’s fourth-tallest building, and at 1,588 feet, Hong Kong’s highest. At the 102nd floor, the 49-year-old enters The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, ready to begin another 12-hour day as chef de cuisine at the hotel’s celebrated Tin Lung Heen restaurant. Lau changes into immaculate chef’s whites and high toque, and heads into the kitchens, where his team of some 25 staffers have been at work for hours, moving between the two main preparation rooms. One is a stainless steel-and-tile space organized around the metal woks essential to Chinese cooking. The other is dominated by bamboo steamers for making dim sum, the bite-sized dumplings and other small dishes that are a cornerstone of classic Cantonese food. After inspecting the produce that arrived just that morning and making sure the refrigeration units are at ideal temperatures, the chef samples a chicken and ham broth that his helpers have been tending since early morning. The stock serves as the base for Cantonese soups and for many of Lau’s signature dishes. “One big difference from Western cooking is that in Chinese food the soup is very important,” Lau says. “If the soup is good, the food is good.” Formerly the chef at the landmark Chinese restaurant Spring Moon, Lau opened Tin Lung Heen in March 2011. Less than a year later, it received a Michelin star — in large part because of Lau’s unique twists on Cantonese tradition. “People who know Cantonese food usually have a concept of what it should be,” Lau says. “And you can’t change the flavor too much, but I can try something new.” Indeed, his hargaw shrimp dumplings, a dim sum staple, are classically encased in perfect translucent rice-flour skins, each edge marked by exactly 12 pleats. The prawns are paired with just the right amount of sesame oil. The twist? A flake of gold leaf crowns the mini masterpieces. Another specialty is char siu, or honey-roasted pork — a Cantonese classic and one of Lau’s most popular dishes. The succulent delicacy is unbelievably tender; the fat dissolves in the roasting process, giving the char siu its juicy, melt-in-the-mouth quality. But Lau changes the whole thing up by using pork from acorn-fed Iberian pigs. 106 w w w. r i t z c a r lt o n . c o m http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2013 - Chinese

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2013 - Chinese
Contents
Contributors
Editor's Letter
President's Letter
Falling in Love with Beijing
Design
Technology
On the Boulevards
Shopping
Jewelry
Watches
Family
Local Knowldege
Outdoors
Puerto Rico
Montreal
Fashion
Culinary
Let Us Stay with you
Heritage

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2013 - Chinese

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