cafe TOO at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong will present diners with enticing flavours from Taiwan and Ningbo from 7 to 15 June and from 25 to 31 July 2014 respectively.
From 7 to 15 June 2014, Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei’s well-respected assistant director of food and beverage, Eddie Liu, will impress cafe TOO diners with celebrated Taiwanese specialities ranging from appetisers, soups, noodles and hot dishes to desserts, created live at one of cooking theatres. The delectable dishes include Double boiled mixed seafood soup (also known as Buddha jumps over the wall), Cherry duck smoked with sugar cane, Pan-fried baby oyster pancakes, Stir-fried sliced beef with Taiwanese barbeque sauce, Taiwan-style braised minced pork with rice and many more.
“I enjoy visiting different places to gather inspirations for my cooking as well as to make Taiwanese food known to different corners of the world,” said Eddie, “and I will be doing exactly that in Hong Kong by showcasing signature Taiwanese food which you may find in fine dining restaurants or night markets.”
Aside from overseeing Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei’s Chinese restaurant operations, Eddie is also a professional chef in his own right with over 40 years of culinary experience. He has won numerous awards and is widely recognised by many gourmet associations, such as the Commanderie des Cordons Bleus, of which he is the vice president for Taiwan region. He has also received the Star of Excellence from the Chaine des Rotisseurs in Hong Kong.
From 25 to 31 July 2014, a team of specialty chefs led by Chinese Executive Chef Fred Zhou from Shangri-La Hotel, Ningbo will bring in a profusion of Ningbo delicacies for cafe TOO’s inquisitive diners. Ningbo is known for its fresh seafood due to its geographical location. Its food focuses on preserving the fresh produce’s original taste using cooking techniques, such as frying, braising and steaming.
Some of the notable dishes available amidst the buffet are Braised squid with soy sauce, Assorted preserved seafood, Marinated mackerel, Deep-fried yellow croaker wrapped in crispy bean curd skin and Boiled glutinous rice balls filled with sesame paste.
“Seafood is something not unfamiliar to Hong Kong diners, but by preparing them in different ways with distinctive flavours, I hope to open up a new dimension,” said Chef Zhou.
Chef Zhou has over 20 years of experience in the kitchen. He was awarded the gold medal at Shangri-La Group’s Chinese Culinary Challenge in 2011, beating 55 Chinese chefs from Shangri-La hotels all over china. He is also an advocate in using the best possible produce and maintaining its original flavour.
“Taste and innovation come from the most basic elements of each dish, and I am excited to illustrate the complexity of flavours of Ningbo cuisine to local palates,” said Chef Zhou.