Cooking is often introspective, a continual exploration and internal dialogue, but it is also about expressing these thoughts to the outside world. It is going into new and uncharted territory, but it is also about looking back and finding one’s roots. It is about the emergence of new talents, but it is also about heritage and knowledge passed down from generation to generation.
As the MICHELIN Guide Taiwan enters into its sixth year, a new generation of chefs has been spotlighted in the 2023 edition, chefs who have cut their teeth in MICHELIN-starred restaurants and gone on to gain stars for their own establishments. Some of the most moving scenes at the award ceremony included seeing the pride of mentor chefs as they watched their proteges receive their distinctions, and as these newly minted star chefs expressed their thanks.
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When it was announced that Haili had received a new one-star distinction, chef William Kang strode down the aisle and when he came to two-MICHELIN-starred logy’s Ryogo Tahara, he bowed deeply before walking onto the stage. Watching his former sous chef accept the award, Tahara could be seen smiling and clapping vigorously. "It was a great honor and happiness for me, for the first time, to have a former chef from logy receive a Michelin star," he said. (left photo by Haili)
Kang had worked as a sous chef at logy for five years before deciding to open Haili in Kaohsiung. "The last time I saw Chef was when I was about to leave Taipei. I took my kids to see him and tell him that I was going to Kaohsiung," he says. "I had a thought in my heart then: I hope the next time I see you, I can be qualified to stand on the same stage as you."
Indeed, Tahara has not had the opportunity yet to visit Haili; and when he was in Kaohsiung at one point, Kang deferred from meeting with his former mentor. “At that point I felt like I had not accomplished anything yet and had nothing to show for it. I did not want to approach him before I had some achievements and could properly thank him.” The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony was the first time the two had met in over a year since Kang left logy.
"I'm very grateful to him. If he hadn't trained me and taught me so meticulously and shared his knowledge so freely with me, I wouldn't be where I am today. He was the one who gave me a firm culinary foundation." Looking back on his time at logy, Kang deeply appreciates his mentor’s openness in sharing the entire thought process behind and execution for every dish. He had gained at logy the knowledge, all carefully filed away to be referred to and retrieved at any time.
It wasn’t just culinary know-how that Tahara had imparted to Kang, the older chef would often regale him with tales of other illustrious chefs he’d met around the world, to inspire him to come into his own.
"Before, I did not have much ambition. I didn’t like to stand out and being independent wasn’t in my life goals. But I learned so much at logy that I felt confident that I could give it a try," Kang shares. "For the staff working at logy, I hope that they will gain a stronger sense of working at a Michelin-starred restaurant and will be able to take a big leap forward to the next stage.
However, on the other hand, we must always be aware of the origins of who we receive money from and for whom everything is working. First of all, "hospitality". We share that if we inculcate in our staff the idea of putting the guest first and then think about everything, we will have a better restaurant and better results," says Tahara.
Coming out of logy and setting up his own restaurant, comparisons were inevitable, but Kang has taken them in his stride. "If someone says that my style of cooking is like logy’s, I’ll take it as a compliment because to me, it’s the best in Taiwan. It’s an honor for me to be talked about with the best. And developing a personal style takes time. Cultivating it is like a good ferment, I’m not in a hurry,” he says.
Tahara agrees that it is not possible to completely erase the influence of Kang’s time at logy so immediately. “But your own creation begins when everything is empty, and I look forward to trying it,” he says, expressing deep confidence and high expectations for his protege.
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When it was announced to thundering applause that Latin American restaurant ZEA was the recipient of a new one-star distinction, one person at the side of the stage could be seen applauding chef-owner Joaquin Elizondo Hourbeigt excitedly – Ricardo Chanenton, chef of one-MICHELIN-starred MONO in Hong Kong, who happened to be one of the invited guest chefs cooking dinner at the MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2023 Gala Dinner. He had been halfway through preparing his dish when he came out of the back kitchens of the Mandarin Oriental Taipei to witness that moment. As Hourbeigt descended from the stage, the pair hugged each other tightly for a long time.
Before coming to Taiwan to open ZEA, Hourbeigt had worked as sous chef at MONO in Hong Kong for two years when it first opened during the pandemic. In that difficult season, he worked closely with Chanenton to develop business strategies for the restaurant, and the pair cultivated a strong camaraderie. “It’s not long, but it’s very intense. MONO has given me a lot, and I have given my best to MONO," he says, adding that the biggest takeaway from his time at MONO was resilience.
For Hourbeigt, the idea of expressing his cooking by tracing his roots really began at MONO. He and Chanenton shared similar backgrounds, having studied French cuisine and spent time in both France and Spain. Ricardo Chaneton hails from Venezuela and took up a prolific role as the right-hand man of chef Mauro Colagreco at the three-starred Mirazur. Moving to Hong Kong, he spent further time at one-MICHELIN-starred French restaurant Petrus. On the other hand, Hourbeigt hails from Argentina and worked briefly in Spain before moving to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Paris and later crossed paths with Chaneton at MONO. At MONO, the duo reinterpreted the flavors of Latin America with modern cooking techniques. It was also during his time at MONO that Hourbeigt discovered the interconnectedness of Latin American and Asian cuisines. Together, the two rediscovered and found new appreciation for the rich culinary traditions of their native land.
Chaneton shares that for several years, he cooked dishes that were not necessarily his own. “But when I opened MONO, I realized I have to do something that makes the most sense to me and take the risk – it’s a cuisine that didn’t exist in Asia before we opened MONO.
He goes on to say that when leading the team, he always tries to make them understand the meaning behind what they do. He explains how the word "restaurant" comes from the root word "restore", and so it is their job to bring restoration to their guests when they walk into the restaurant, both physically and mentally. His emphasis to his team is always to pursue work that brings meaning to them.
Hourbeigt also recalls that fine dining in Argentina just 15 years ago would have been all about imported ingredients and that when people thought of the local cuisine, they only thought of the street food. But now, young and talented chefs are emerging from the country in large numbers, presenting a new Argentinean cuisine injected with fresh perspectives. To him, ZEA is like an extension of MONO's history and philosophy, with the two restaurants both promoting Latin American cuisine in Asia, boldly and distinctively.
Chanenton himself has visited ZEA twice, and up to today, the two chefs still chat nearly daily, not just about work, but about life, as friends. Each is an endless source of support for the other. To his protege, Chanenton says emotionally: "Keep pushing, be happy, never forget where you came from, and always know that Mono is your house and we’re your family too.”
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The article is written by Hsieh Ming-Ling and translated by Rachel Tan.
Read the original article here.
