In the bustling kitchen of The Chairman in Hong Kong, a talented chef meticulously prepares one of the restaurant’s renowned dishes: steamed flower crab with aged Shaoxing wine and chicken oil. The crab is beautifully adorned with swirls of pink and purple. Chef Solo Wu skillfully chops the crab into parts, arranging them on a platter with ginger, spring onion, and golden chicken fat to enhance the flavors while it cooks. He then covers it with a delicious broth made from clams and Shaoxing wine before steaming the dish. Amidst the lively atmosphere and the sizzling sounds of wok burners, other chefs work with focused precision. One carefully scales a large fish head, while another skillfully slices spring onions. Meanwhile, pots of fish stock and congee bubble on the stove, and the aroma of pigeon meat fills the air from the stacked steamers.
After a few minutes, the crab, now a subtle pale pink color, rests in a pool of silky sauce, gently thickened with egg yolks and glistening with golden oil. It is served alongside delicate folds of fresh rice noodle, resembling a garment elegantly slipped off. The succulent flesh of the crab, pulled from the shell, is incredibly juicy, and the sauce is rich and tantalizing with a delicate hint of bitterness from the wine. The Chairman, established in 2009, has achieved a remarkable feat by topping Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2021. This achievement is even more impressive considering the restaurant’s unassuming nature, family-style service, and absence of marketing or public relations efforts (in contrast to many other ranked restaurants that heavily rely on elaborate tasting menus and PR-driven strategies). The Chairman’s dedication to perfecting their culinary craft has cultivated a devoted following and has made it exceptionally challenging to secure a reservation at this esteemed establishment.
While Cantonese cuisine is arguably the most globally recognized Chinese regional cuisine, it has undergone transformations as it adapted to cater to the palates of foreign diners in trading enclaves like Macau and Canton (now Guangzhou) where Cantonese cooks began modifying their recipes to suit Western tastes. The ubiquitous Cantonese dish, sweet-and-sour pork, is said to have originated from this period to appeal to foreigners residing in Guangzhou during the 19th century. Cantonese cuisine also played a significant role in the creation of hybrid Chinese cuisines developed by Chinese diaspora cooks in the United States and other countries, particularly those hailing from Cantonese-speaking regions. These cooks faced social exclusion and racial discrimination, and their food was intentionally designed to be affordable, approachable, and alluring to skeptical Westerners. However, while these adaptations helped popularize Chinese cuisine abroad, they often deviated from the nourishing broths, whole fish, fresh vegetables, and nuanced textures that are fundamental to authentic Cantonese cooking. Instead, these adaptations resulted in generic and Westernized dishes like chop suey, chow mein, boneless meats, deep-fried snacks, and a limited selection of savory sauces. These simplified versions were well-received by foreigners, but they failed to command the same level of respect accorded to other cuisines.
In recent years, there has been a growing appreciation for Chinese cuisine on an international scale. Regional restaurants specializing in diverse flavors, from the fiery delights of Sichuan to the delectable hand-pulled noodles of northern Xi’an, have emerged, and proper Cantonese dim sum has become increasingly popular. However, Cantonese cuisine has lost its dominance in many Chinatowns worldwide, with trendy hotpot and bubble tea establishments slowly replacing traditional Cantonese restaurants. Despite this shift, the irony lies in the fact that the true excellence of authentic Cantonese cuisine remains underappreciated in the Western world.
In China, Cantonese cuisine holds a prestigious position as one of the four Great Chinese Cuisines, renowned for its exceptional ingredients and precise, delicate cooking techniques. Favoured ingredients include a wide variety of fish, seafood, pork, and poultry, as well as dried sea delicacies like abalone. Classic seasonings such as ginger, spring onion, soy sauce, and dried mandarin peel are subtly incorporated to enhance flavors. Cantonese cuisine encompasses distinct local traditions, such as the roasted meats showcased in restaurant windows, nourishing broths infused with medicinal herbs, steamed seafood, vibrant stir-fries, rustic claypot stews, and the delightful bite-sized treats known as dim sum. It also incorporates the unique culinary practices of sub-regions like Shunde, with its distinct dairy-based dishes, and Chiuchow, characterized by its independent style.
Cantonese dishes strive to showcase the natural qualities of the ingredients, and their seemingly simple appearances often belie the technical sophistication behind them. For instance, the classic “white-cut chicken” requires the use of a yellow-skinned bird over 120 days old. Instead of applying direct heat, the chicken is repeatedly steeped in hot water to achieve a slightly raw and succulent texture. This technique, akin to artisanal sous-vide cooking, results in tender flesh, taut skin, and a layer of delectable jelly beneath. Cantonese cuisine is also renowned for its emphasis on textural experiences. The dumpling skin of ha gau, for example, must be supple yet firm, while the shrimp filling should be juicy, springy, and even slightly crunchy. The Cantonese delight in the slippery texture of fish maw and sea cucumber, as well as the intricate process of separating bones and skin while savoring a braised goose foot. Cantonese speakers even have onomatopoeic phrases to describe different “mouthfeels.” Above all, freshness is an essential aspect of Cantonese cuisine. In Hong Kong’s Wanchai wet market, lively seafood stalls offer an abundance of live crabs, lobsters, prawns, and various types of fish. Frogs, chickens, and other ingredients await their turn in cages and nets. On huge beds of ice, fresh sea bass, pomfret, and numerous other fish are skillfully displayed, some even still displaying signs of life.
Discontent with the misrepresented perception of Cantonese cuisine abroad was the driving force behind Danny Yip, the owner of The Chairman, entering the restaurant industry. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Yip pursued studies in economics in Canberra during the 1980s. During his spare time, he worked as a waiter and a chef at Chinese restaurants, which left him disheartened by the subpar quality of the dishes served. These establishments relied on affordable ingredients like chicken, pork, and prawns, often rinsing them under the tap and adding MSG before freezing them. Each night, they would defrost the meat, stir-fry it, and smother it in heavy sauces to create dishes like sweet-and-sour pork. Yip observed that the true essence of Cantonese cuisine was being lost in translation due to the low-quality ingredients and techniques employed in many restaurants. Determined to rectify this, he opened The Chairman, free from the constraints of commercial pressures. Instead of creating an opulent establishment capable of hosting grand wedding banquets, Yip’s vision was to challenge prevailing notions of fine Cantonese cuisine by offering refined versions of home-cooked dishes. He deliberately departed from the trappings of traditional haute cuisine, eschewing luxury ingredients such as shark’s fin and abalone, as well as high-end foreign imports like foie gras and truffles. Even the “superior stock” made from whole chickens and ham, commonly used by chefs to enhance flavors, was removed from Yip’s recipes. His goal was to elevate the essence of good home cooking.
From the very beginning, Yip went above and beyond to source premium ingredients. He employed two ex-fishermen to handpick the best catches at the seafood market every morning since The Chairman’s inception, ensuring a daily supply of the finest seafood. Additionally, he assigned someone to wait in line at the top tofu shop in Hong Kong every two days, as they only sold their products in-store. Yip takes pride in curing his own meat and using fresh seasonal produce to deliver exceptional flavors and quality to his customers.
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