Taian Table Shanghai chef Christiaan Stoop on Chinese cooking, fine-dining, Hong Kong
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The Dutch chef is known to serve tasting menus that blend French technique with global influences, such as pairing Hokkaido scallops with Iberico pork, and infusing delicate desserts with
Chinese teas . He was awarded two knives, signifying 'world class' status, at The Best Chef Awards in 2024.
On the tasting menu (HK$2,888/US$370) in Hong Kong will be signature dishes such as sea urchin on
sourdough with brown butter; torched Carabinero prawns with sea asparagus and kumquat kosho, a Japanese seasoning; as well as confit toothfish with scampi and wild fennel in bouillabaisse sauce.
It is a menu that speaks to his background in Michelin-star restaurant kitchens across Europe, such as De Librije and Restaurant Vermeer in the Netherlands, as well as big names like The Fat Duck in the UK.
A dish of sea urchin on sourdough with brown butter. Photo: Taian Table Shanghai
The award-winning chef credits the inspiration for his personal cooking style to his time at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris. 'When I was a sous chef at Robuchon and working several stations for very good cooks, I saw maybe five different ways how someone cooks a lobster, and from that you can make your own decision,' he says. 'Like OK, of those five ways, which one do I pick? Which one works the best for me?'
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