When asked what his source of inspiration is, Singaporean-born chef Aven Lau of the One-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant Épure in Hon Kong shares that there's no formula to creativity — he always finds inspiration for his culinary creations from his daily experiences, travels, and memories.
Take one of his classic dishes —smoked quail — as an example, it is an re-interpretation of his childhood memory. "The dish was created because I once had dinner with my family when I was younger. And they had this chicken dish that was a smoked chicken dish.” he shared. “I was twelve years old. And it’s still stuck with me until now.”
Fond food memories linger and were transformed and elevated into something of his own. In this dish, he debones the quail breast, brines it, molds it into shape, steams it, and then iced down. The legs and thighs of the quail are marinated overnight with spices to make the stuffing and the quail skin is turned into a secret spice powder. The meat is then grilled over charcoal and glazed with quail sauce before garnished with crispy croutons, chives and flowers.
The quail is deconstructed, and the diners are allowed to enjoy the whole quail of different layers of flavours in just one bite. Perrier-Jouët's Belle Epoque, with its floral notes, pairs perfectly with this dish without overpowering it.
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Other than unique flavor combinations, Lau also aims to create lasting visual memories with aesthetics elements when he creates a dish. The quail is surrounded by flowers and herbs, with smoke swirling around, complemented by the garnish of croutons and flowers on the quail, creating a vivid and lasting impression on the diners.
Lau shares that one of the great fulfilments that really what drives why he cooks is bringing ideas to life from scratch. “The whole point of me cooking was that it's nice to see something that you start, that you can finish. That means if you have an idea and you start working on it and to see it come to fruition, and to be able to put it on the plate, that's a nice feeling.”
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