Mediterranean muse

Chef Talib Hudda's creative plates include beef carpaccio, chicken globe with falafel and a strawberry semifreddo with chocolate cake. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Mediterranean muse Chef Talib Hudda finds a new home for his culinary art, without losing his old capacity to surprise, Mike Peters discovers.

Food historians say the exotic-sounding fassolatha has been around since ancient Greek times, but it's probably never looked so good. In this dense version of the soup, white beans cooked in pesto are nested in a kidney-bean puree with basil oil, charred avocado and premium caviar. Meanwhile, the deceptively simple-sounding "pork and parsley", a dish of roasted suckling pork belly, teases the palate with the richly flavored meat, tomato ragout, parsley oil and za'atar crisps.

Chef Talib Hudda seems to have the savory flavors of every Mediterranean port at his fingertips. The only debate among his fans may be whether to grab a fork or a cellphone camera when the first plate comes out.

In 2015, Hudda took over the kitchen at The Georg, a brand-new fine-dining spot in Beijing. It was his first gig in Asia, and a local magazine review was simply headlined "Food Porn", followed by mouth-watering photos of his dishes.

Today, the 28-year-old Canadian chef finds himself helming the established Mediterranean restaurant Sureno at Opposite House, and once again, every bite lives up to the visual promise.

Under previous chefs, the restaurant's menu has in turn been Spanish and Italian. Hudda's reach is as wide as the entire Mediterranean. The sea is clearly his friend: Salmon carpaccio is rich and smoky. Squid gets a hint of nutty flavor from manchego, a Spanish cheese made with sheep's milk. Scallops meld with cauliflower and romesco, a nut and red-pepper sauce with roots in the Catalonia region of Spain.

Expanding Sureno's culinary footprint across the Mediterranean region means forays to North Africa as well as Europe. Hudda's playful touch with flavors and textures means embracing harissa for his braised lamb leg, and injecting tamarind as well as pine nuts into a torchon of foie gras. Beef cheek meets potato puree and charred leek, with savory cumin butter tying the flavors together oh so nicely.

The bottom line is fresh perspective that preserves the flavors of the region's well-loved cuisines.