By Aubrey Buckingham (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-30 15:08

Fans of global cuisine will find plenty more choices when sampling the international spread at Shangri-La Pudong's Yi Cafe this week.

The hotel is currently hosting a chef who it is touting as Canada's best-kept secret - Daryle Ryo Nagata, regional executive chef of Cascades Casino Hotel and Convention Center in Langley, British Columbia.

The 44-year-old Richmond native is in town until Thursday (November 2) to promote the use of Canadian ingredients in local kitchens. Representing Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, a government body that provides information and seeks to expand markets for Canuck products overseas, Nagata is hoping more Chinese will start using more Canadian beef and seafood.

Having spent the good part of a month in China already visiting cities in Guangdong Province, the chef of mixed ethnicity has seen for himself the differences in cuisine throughout various parts of the country.

"It's a lot like Canada. Take bannock bread for instance," he said, referring to the traditional pan-fried dish. "It's one dish, but it's prepared in different ways across (our) vast country."

"China is like that, but obviously much bigger (population wise) and is more diverse. For instance, contrary to popular belief, not everyone eats rice here."

Nagata, of Japanese and Scottish descent, describes himself as the typical Canadian. After World War II, many immigrants were lured to the beautiful country, leaving their war-torn homelands behind. The population boomed, increasing from about 10 million in the 1950s to 34 million as it stands today.

With the influx of foreigners of different ethnicity, the country soon became a melting pot for various cultures. One result is that the food evolved accordingly, without a single, dominant style being identified as being distinctly Canadian.

The beauty of Canadian cuisine, therefore, is in its ability to produce a lot of high-quality produce in their dishes. This view was pointed out by Nagata, and is shared by a number of top chefs from the Great White North.

The coastal regions enjoy some truly wonderful seafood, while the inner land areas are home to healthy bison. The environment is much cleaner than most other places, and as a result, livestock and plant life is much more vibrant.

Some Canadian chefs, such as Robert Clark who visited the city early last month, lamented that much of the top-notch produce was, until recently, exported to countries with greater purchasing power.

Nagata disagreed, however, claiming it to have been more of a problem of ignorance. "Some people (in Canada) would have had no idea what to do with something that cost C$25 (US$22.3) a pound (0.45 kilogram)," he said. "Sockeye salmon is great, but not everyone knows how to cook it properly.

"The fish doesn't have a high fat content, so it is more likely to dry out compared to farmed salmon.''

The issue was thus one that people abroad were willing to pay more money for such products. The solution to this, according to Nagata, was one of educating the people on the benefits and superiority of such products, and that was exactly what the self-confessed travel lover was in China to do.

Until Thursday (November 2), diners at Yi Cafe will be offered a variety of dishes that best represent these products.

The buffet features such items as fire-roasted sable fish, Dungeness crab and slow roasted sterling silver ribeye, among others. The usual buffet items will also be available.

Lunch is 198 yuan (US$25) and dinner 268 yuan. Prices are subject to a 15 percent tax.

Shangri-La Pudong's Yi Cafe 
Address: 2/F Fucheng Road
Tel: 021-58775372