Consultant Head Chef of Yauatcha India, Chef Wang Yixuan has spent most of his culinary journey working at renowned restaurants and hotels across China, such as Guangzhou Yalongge, Yuexiu Tian'an Mansion, Haerbin San Diego Hotel, and Wuhan Optical Valley. He is a dimsum expert and specializes in adding exquisite dishes to the menu. He firmly believes in a strong culinary foundation and takes pride in giving a new makeover to Cantonse dishes, without compromising on the flavours. Here are excerpts of an exclusive chit-chat with us.
India's rendezvous with international food began with Chinese cuisine. Where does it stand its chance now, after India's exposure to global food?
Chinese food has been in India for years, and was one of the first foreign cuisines to be tried by the otherwise conservative Indian palate. When it comes to awareness about Chinese cuisine, not too many people know about its diversity. For most people, Chinese food is 'Szechaun noodles' or ' Chicken fried rice', but Chinese food has a rich, vast cultural background and recipes are thousands of years old. Even now Chinese cuisine is sometimes mistaken with pan Asian cuisine. Authentic Chinese food is still an unexplored territory here as it is about hundreds of cooking styles and techniques.
Have you ever tasted Indo-Chinese? What is your take on it?
Yes I have tasted it. It's a good after drink food, to fill the stomach. Though there are no particular flavours that stand out, it's the spiciness and heat in the dish that makes it tasty. I have noticed that no attention is given to the finesse of the dish. It is made to satiate the spicy taste bud of Indians.
What distinguishes Pan Asian cuisine from others ?
Yauatcha is known for it's modern Cantonese cuisine, which comes under Chinese category which further comes under the pan- Asian umbrella. The basic ingredients, spices and the style of cooking sets the cuisines apart. Pan Asian cuisine involves dishes from Malaysia, China, Burma, Indonesian etc. Cuisines have evolved basis the availability of three elements. In these countries you will find a lot of rice fields, hot spices, citrus fruits and hence the pan Asian cuisine will have a heavy influence of these ingredients, and they will overlap with each other. Similarly other cuisines like Mexican and Japanese, use ingredients that are easily available to them.
What are the few ingredients that Chinese cuisine cannot do without?
Soy sauce, Sichuan peppercorn, mushrooms, rice or noodles, bean curd, vinegar and for some dishes Chinese wine.
Many people have started avoiding Chinese because it is believed to be high on MSG. What is your take on the fact?
At our restaurant, we do not add MSG to our food. We take our Food Safety Policy very seriously, and hence follow guidelines. I am sure all responsible restaurants do so.
Which is your favourite cuisine and why?
Since I come from Guandong, which is the heart of Canton region, I personally like Cantonese food, especially dim sum. I learnt cooking from my family, and have grown up eating dim sums, and I have some very fond memories of those days.
Name a Chinese/Pan Asian dish that is a weight watcher's delight?
All steamed dimsums are light to eat and are packed with meat and vegetables that are fresh. For example the Vegetable chive dumpling or the Crystal dumpling or even the Har gau at Yauatcha are super healthy.
Salad cakes are hugely becoming popular. Are they really healthy?
Salad cakes are a fad that started in Japan, and just like any other fad, it will generate some curiosity and then fizzle out. I don't see it picking up in India.
Japanese Raindrop cake is the latest fad. Does it taste really well?
I haven't tasted the Raindrop cake, but it looks beautiful, and I would love to try it someday.
One food trend that you do not endorse.
Molecular gastronomy and molecular cocktails, is a forte which only some chefs can master. But due to its popularity, it has gone to small cafes who lack the finesse of doing it. Presentation has taken precedence over flavours, which saddens me as a chef.
What is the best thing about being a chef?
It gives me a chance to explore my creative side, experiment with various textures and ingredients, and more importantly, I get to feed people which makes me immensely happy!