For chef-owner Emmanuel Stroobant of one-Michelin-starred Saint Pierre, who has lived in Asia for nearly two decades, the classic Chinese New Year dish of yusheng holds a special place in his heart. He recalls eating his first yusheng with his wife’s family at Chinese New Year nearly 20 years ago, and the colourful dish and conviviality of the experience left a deep impression on him. Taking the symbolism behind every element of the traditional yusheng, the chef has created a starter of Sturgeon, New Harvest Oscietra Caviar, White Grapes for the 2018 MICHELIN Guide Singapore gala dinner.
What was the inspiration behind your dish?
The yusheng is something very personal to me. It’s a dish which I really enjoy because of the spirit of the dish. There is a kind of conviviality about it. So, we took all the symbolism behind every element of the dish and translated it into something different while keeping the symbolism.
The yusheng is something very personal to me. It’s a dish which I really enjoy because of the spirit of the dish. There is a kind of conviviality about it. So, we took all the symbolism behind every element of the dish and translated it into something different while keeping the symbolism.
What are some of the elements in the dish?
There are long green strings of cucumber which represent eternal youth; there are grapes which are sweet like the plum sauce in the traditional dish to represent smooth relationships. Instead of fish, we decided to go with caviar to represent abundance through the year. Finally, the crispiness from the golden cushions is represented by the cannelloni brick, and we dust it with a little bit of red on top.
What do you hope diners will appreciate about it?
At the end of the day, inspiration is an element, but a good dish is always a good dish no matter where it comes from, whether Chinese, Japanese or French. What I’m hoping is for this dish to be just that — a really good dish.
There are long green strings of cucumber which represent eternal youth; there are grapes which are sweet like the plum sauce in the traditional dish to represent smooth relationships. Instead of fish, we decided to go with caviar to represent abundance through the year. Finally, the crispiness from the golden cushions is represented by the cannelloni brick, and we dust it with a little bit of red on top.
What do you hope diners will appreciate about it?
At the end of the day, inspiration is an element, but a good dish is always a good dish no matter where it comes from, whether Chinese, Japanese or French. What I’m hoping is for this dish to be just that — a really good dish.
