I believe that everything happens for a reason. Believe in yourself what you can do are always better than what you think. 💡 #lightcapturecafe #positivevibes #charging #cogitation #energy

The culinary bible by maestro Hirohisa Koyama (小山裕久) “Japanase Food Essence” 《日本料理神髓》is one of my favorite books. I’ve read volume one countless times, either over a cup of tea or during eating. The book is stained with traces of tea and sauces as a result. The book contains professional analysis and profound insight of culinary processes. There are life wisdoms behind every culinary step, often as a result of cogitation. It can be philosophical, that’s the beauty of the book. During the break after La Liste press conference, I approached the maestro requesting for an interview. It was impromptu – I didn’t have a list of questions, I had to think on my feet. I dug deep into the essence of his book from years of reading to derive my questions. Whenever I quoted this book, the master giggled hysterically. ☺️☺️ The article of this interview is written and published last year Dec on my weekly food column @appledailyhk. Here were my questions: 1. You mentioned “French cooking is about controlling heat; Japanese cooking is about controlling moisture” in your book. I can’t help but wonder, what do we control in Chinese cooking? 2. In your book, you said acidity can unleash the potential of taste in ingredients to the maximum. How did you discover this? 3. In your book, you wrote about why you make vinegar into jelly in your cuisine. Does it also relate to the reaction time of vinegar on the tongue? 4. What is your view on the evolution and innovation of kaiseki? #agnescheeinparis #impromptuinterview #hirohisakoyama #laliste #japanesefoodessence #japaneseculinarymaster #小山裕久 #日本料理神髄 #中菜是控制什麼 #與小山裕久大師對談 #evolutionofkaiseki #innovationofkaiseki #kaiseki #i stakaiseki #instajapan #paris #日本料理之父

My weekly food column @Hong Kong Economic Journal: 「The Originality And Inspiration Of The Gourmet World：Gargouillou」 In an article I wrote in other newspaper , I mentioned Michel Bras and @alain_passard – two “Veggie Titans” in French cuisine. Their innovative cogitation on vegetable dishes has brought far-reaching influence on the gourmet world. Time will pass but their thought-provoking ideology will continue to inspire future generations, hence their godly status. Michel Bras’s signature, Gargouillou, is indisputably one of the most influential dishes in the history of modern cuisine. The salad comprises more than 20 variety of leaves, roots, edible flowers and beans of different colours and tastes. Each ingredient is treated individually using different techniques, presented together as a “garden”. There’s no recipe for this dish. Chef picks what’s available in the garden and incorporates them into Gargouillou. Due to its seasonality, adaptability (based on season and geographic), technicality and high flexibility, the dish has gained much popularity in the western culinary world. Once you grasp the concept, you can create the dish - you don't have to work in Michel Bras’s kitchen. Back in 2016, I dined in a few restaurants in Taiwan, which specialized in creative cuisine. One of them was the newly opened (but famous) RAW. I noticed all of the salad dishes resembled Michel Bras’s Gargouillou. One of RAW’s creations was a salad composed of 22 vegetables paired with black garlic puree. The execution and plating were clearly inspired by Michel Bras’s salad dishes, but presented in a simpler form. #michelbras #lesuquet #gargouillou #piazzaduomo #enricocrippa #foodcolumn #foodcolumnist #instasalad #instafood #saladlover #originalityandinspiration #gargouillousalad