HOWARD'S WAY

A high-flying experimental chef has brought his trademark scientific approach to contemporary Chinese cuisine with his new Beijing gourmet eatery. Li Yingxue reports.

"A free-range chicken, marinated for three hours with rosemary, minced garlic, honey, pepper and rock salt, and then roasted in an oven at 140 C for 16 minutes and 100 C for five more minutes ... I couldn't wait to rip off a leg and eat it while it was still hot - it's just too delicious."

This is how a typical micro blog post by Howard Cai reads. It shows his quest to apply his knowledge of chemistry and science to improve and perfect his own cooking techniques, while allowing him to show off his characteristically creative approach to interpreting Chinese cuisine.