Award-winning chefs from Hong Kong eateries reveal their approach to crafting menus, considering factors like seasonal influences, ingredient accessibility and quality, along with personal preferences.
Enjoying a remarkable meal is akin to experiencing a symphony where flavors collaborate to produce something more beautiful than each ingredient individually. However, these separate dishes collectively form a larger spectacle known as the menu. At top-tier eateries, particularly those offering tasting menus, the entire culinary journey—from appetizers like amuse-bouches through to concluding sweets such as petit fours—is characterized by a seamless and cohesive progression.
Although it seems magical to diners, crafting a menu depends heavily on thorough preparation, trials, and careful choices. Chefs must understand their target audience and anticipate guest preferences, all while having a distinct vision for what message they aim to convey via the menu—such as highlighting local flavors, showcasing a particular culinary technique, or emphasizing fresh seasonal produce.
Chef Liu Zhen, who leads the kitchen as head chef at
Ningbo specialist Yong Fu
, meticulously selects every item from the menu to create a “harmonious gastronomic experience.”
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He notes that ‘a superb menu goes beyond just having standout dishes; it adheres to a core concept such as seasonal ingredients, focus on seafood, or crafting experiences designed for both first-time and returning visitors.’
Uwe Opocensky, who serves as the executive chef at
Restaurant Petrus
The individual overseeing the six additional culinary concepts at the Island Shangri-La Hotel employs a seven-step method for crafting new menus. At Petrus, they utilize this approach to introduce a fresh menu quarterly, aligning with the seasonal shifts in their predominantly European and Japanese produce.
He characterizes the ingredients as “crucial” within the Petrus kitchen. “With top-notch quality ingredients at hand, very little manipulation is needed for them to stand out. Hence, understanding their origin plays an essential role and forms the basis of our cooking philosophy.”
He begins his menu development by pinpointing the seasonal items he wishes to incorporate. Next, he picks a primary component for every dish and decides on suitable accompaniments for this key element. In the third phase, he embarks on a quest for top-notch ingredients through his procurement process.
He and his team then conduct multiple rounds of testing and tasting. When he has the dishes largely finalised, he considers the flow of the menu and portion sizes. The last step is then focused on making final – hopefully at that point minor – tweaks.
LoIc Portalier, who took over the reins as executive chef at contemporary French restaurant Louise last year, also starts with the seasons as his guide, but includes Australia in his product-sourcing map along with Europe and Japan.
“I always seek the most flavourful products available,” he says. “Once we have identified these, we strive to come up with something fresh and unique that sets us apart from other restaurants in Hong Kong. I believe an attractive menu must have its own identity.”
For Silas Li, who serves as the executive chef at Hong Kong Cuisine 1983,
His menu planning is primarily influenced by the restaurant’s identity—contemporary Chinese, specifically at his present location in Happy Valley—but he also incorporates many of his personal tastes into it.
“When developing my menus, I consider themes as inspiration, but ultimately, it’s about selecting dishes and ingredients that appeal to me personally,” Li shares with us. “In my role as a chef, I believe it’s crucial to enjoy the food I serve. I prefer giving traditional ingredients and techniques a modern spin, aligning with our East-meets-West philosophy. However, it’s equally vital not to go too far since we remain dedicated to Chinese cuisine.”
At Yong Fu, the challenge many chefs face involves striking the perfect balance not between local and international flavors or tradition and modernity, but rather between the culinary traditions of northern and southern China.
Yong Fu takes pride in serving Ningbo dishes—a style of cooking originating from China’s Zhejiang province famous for its expertise in preparing seafood. However, Liu, who spent over twenty years at the first Yong Fu location in Shanghai prior to launching the establishment in Hong Kong in 2019, mentions that their creativity draws from various gastronomic influences.
“To fully encapsulate the spirit of Ningbo’s culinary art, which hinges on meticulous ingredient handling and superior cooking techniques, genuine regional produce is crucial,” he explains. “Nevertheless, depending exclusively on Ningbo-specific items in Hong Kong presents difficulties like procurement issues, logistics hurdles, and climatic effects. Crafting recipes using high-quality local materials emerges as a vital approach.”
Liu mentions that he frequently interacts with nearby chefs to enhance his knowledge about Hong Kong’s ingredients. He also visits local markets to tackle supply challenges, which often leads to new cooking ideas.
The development of cooking methods depends on adhering to traditions while constantly exploring new possibilities. Genuine advancement stems from creativity—combining tastes, integrating techniques with regional products, or reinventing Ningbo components using modern approaches. Various procedures uncover novel dimensions within the same element, much like how a single method can reshape multiple elements,” he states. “In Hong Kong, Cantonese expertise and native supplies enrich this inventive journey.”
While designing my menus, I consider themes as inspiration, but ultimately, it comes down to selecting dishes and ingredients that appeal to me personally.
Culinary offerings like crunchy chicken paired with Sichuan pepper sauce, roasted oysters topped with dried bamboo shoots puree, and stewed abalone in luxurious golden chicken broth exemplify the blend of heritage and creativity found at Yong Fu.
Although many high-end restaurant chefs aspire to utilize premium ingredients and serve an array of dishes packed with top-quality produce, a significant factor in crafting menus has become increasingly challenging: costs. This element puts considerable stress on chefs nowadays.
“Today, in the world of commerce, menu pricing has grown significantly more crucial because of shifts in consumer behavior,” according to Portalier.
Flexibility is crucial for restaurant staff, primarily since chefs mention that securing dependable suppliers—particularly for premium, specialized items—is often difficult. Additionally, customers are frequently making reservations spontaneously these days.
“Experience, adaptability, and flexibility are crucial because we ensure we can adjust recipes with various available ingredients,” explains Portalier. “Sometimes, we may need to ask fellow chefs for loans of certain items until our next shipment comes through. Nonetheless, we strive to plan according to our resources so as to minimize these occurrences since constant alterations result in uneven outcomes.”
Unpredictable supplies of ingredients can lead to wastage, which Ms. Li aims to reduce: “From an environmental perspective, we focus on managing waste through tracking inventory levels and predicting requirements; our aim is always to minimize wastage and maintain freshness.”
The continuing issue of staff shortages also means that chefs need to design menus that are manageable for the entire team to produce.
The challenges chefs currently face when designing menus are formidable indeed. Liu’s advice is to keep in mind the ultimate goal.
“At its core, the menu is about the guest. A truly memorable dish should spark nostalgia or surprise, creating a personal connection,” he says. “By listening and adapting, we refine the menu while staying attuned to changing tastes and trends.”
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The article initially appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), which serves as the premier source of news covering China and Asia.
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