Gourmet central

Michelin maestro wields his magic in Chinese capital

The latest celebrity chef to make his mark on the Beijing dining scene is one of the most renowned names in the industry, a three-star Michelin recipient who presides over the kitchen of the famed Meurice hotel in Paris. Yannick Alleno's new operation S.T.A.Y., located in the Shangri-La hotel, is proving to be a popular spot with the Chinese capital's growing band of gourmands. Although Alleno is famed for his fine-dining cuisine - the Meurice restaurant in Paris is one of the poshest and priciest spots in a city with a wealth of upmarket options - S.T.A.Y. is a less formal operation, with the emphasis on quality food served in a casual atmosphere.

But it is still most definitely a special-occasion restaurant, a place where people go to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and deal-sealing. To ensure standards remain at his notoriously high levels, the chef has been flying to Beijing every other month. After listening and learning about local preferences, the decision was made to adjust the menu and dining style.

"We plan to introduce more private dining after we realized just how much people like that," he says. "I want to give people what they want. We are also starting a brunch with champagne.

"I think people in Beijing understand what we are trying to do. They appreciate that we are taking care of them and introducing food they may not have tried before. We always share the food first and try it with our staff and see whether people locally can appreciate it. Beijing is not the easiest place to work, but I love a challenge, and things go very fast here."

Indeed they do. Until four years ago there was only a smattering of gourmet restaurants operating outside the city's luxury hotels. Now Beijing has fine dining options galore, including S.T.A.Y.

One factor that made the culinary big boy decide the time was right to open in the capital was the increased availability of quality meat, fish, vegetables and herbs. Another reason, of course, was the evergrowing numbers of affluent Chinese who are keen to sample Western fare at its very best.

"I was surprised to find good vegetables and good fish - you can find shellfish easily now from Dalian and the caviar is exceptional," says Alleno, who was recently in Beijing to check on the Shangri-La hotel operation.

The acronym S.T.A.Y. stands for Simple Table (by) Alleno Yannick. All the tableware is made specifically for the restaurant, including a special extra-light tray, designed personally by Alleno, that is meant to be ergonomic, allowing service staff to carry food more easily.

One of the main restaurant features is a communal table, where diners are served dishes from a customized menu. There is also a pastry library - another Alleno creation - where diners can create their own desserts and choose their own toppings.

The main courses include Alleno's signature dishes such as lobster fine tarte with baby spinach salad, black codfish in seaweed butter with clams meuneire and soft potatoes, and duck a la royal with buttered tagliatelle.

They are the creations of a chef who slogged for many years in the gourmet kitchens of Paris restaurants to perfect his art, ultimately becoming executive chef of the Meurice, a five-star hotel located in the historic heart of the city, across from the Louvre. Under Alleno's supervision, the restaurant notched up two Michelin stars before earning the ultimate prize, three stars, in 2007.

"When I got three Michelin stars, the pressure was lifted, as before that I spent every single day making that my target," he says. "I got the stars when I was 36. I said to myself that if I didn't get them by the time I was 40, I would change direction.

"The third star was my dream and the result of 23 years of work, passion and a desire to be the best at all times. More than ever, I want to progress and perfect my work in order to offer our clients real consistency and a true gastronomic signature.

"I have created more than 200 dishes during my time at the Meurice. I push myself. I work about 15 hours a day. I am never satisfied with my day. I always want to do something different. I love to be an entrepreneur and I love to create things. The detail is very important."

He has certainly achieved his dream of becoming an entrepreneur in a major way, acting as consultant to 17 different restaurants worldwide. For the Beijing operation, Alleno imported his own trusted chef, pastry chef and restaurant manager and sent a senior local Chinese chef to observe the way the 70-plus chefs work in the Meurice kitchen.

The Paris hotel is known for its exquisite food - at gasp-inducing prices. A typical menu features braised sole with stewed carrots and watercress ($143, 116 euros), langoustines with ravioli ($166, 135 euros) and thinly sliced duck breast ($120, 97 euros) with roasted mango.

It operates seamlessly, allowing Alleno to jet around to his other operations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and China. Spending time with local chefs in the Shangri-La hotel and trying out different Chinese restaurants in the capital city has proved to be instructive for the always-inquisitive Alleno, who is always incorporating different techniques and ingredients into his cooking style.

In fact, future dishes at the Meurice are likely to be influenced by the head chef's spells in China. He was intrigued by the Chinese way of rinsing prawns thoroughly to enhance the texture, and also fascinated by the intricate way dumplings are constructed. On his next visit, Alleno plans to investigate the way classic Peking duck is prepared and roasted.

For work, the chef creates elaborate dishes such as seared duck foie gras with sweetcorn reduction, and spit-roasted saddle of lamb with rosemary and black cod in seaweed butter. But when he heads home for the evening in Paris, dinner is likely to be a simple roasted chicken, accompanied by a fresh salad and a decent bottle of wine.

No matter whether it is plain food or elaborate gourmet fare, Alleno insists on sourcing the very best ingredients available, and prepares the dishes with care and pride.

He adds: "If you put something in your mouth you want to make sure it is good.

"Even if it is fast food, you want to do it well and not put bad food inside the sandwich."

For China Daily

(China Daily 08/17/2012 page29)