A flirtation with flavor

Some dishes are also familiar in disguise. One example is "the tofu blooms". A bite will bring the taste buds home right away, for it is, in fact, an everyday Chinese dish called pidan tofu (tofu with preserved egg).

"It's actually an innovation based on tradition, thanks to the creative use of preserved egg yolk as the salad sauce," D'Cruz explains.

The Vietnamese Hainanese chicken rolls are another example of traditional tastes presented and served in a modern way. The collaboration is a concentrate of the best of the two worlds-all the flavors of Hainanese chicken rice, served in the form of Vietnamese spring rolls-it's easy to eat and great to share with loved ones.

D'Cruz likes to eat in the neighborhood when he visits a new place. "I like to eat snacks from the food stands at the roadside. That's how I get inspiration."

He has designed an appetizer named Sichuan pepper crispy fried chicken, which is an inspiration from the traditional Sichuan snack, spicy crispy peanuts that he accidentally ate in Beijing.

"I want to keep the traditional flavor of the food while being creative with the presentation or cooking," D'Cruz says.

He has noticed Chinese diners' preference for eating meat with staple food together, so when he brings his Peranakan-style pork belly, braised in tao jio (soy bean paste), he serves it with fried mantou (steamed bun).

Both D'Cruz and Justus insist on using local ingredients to make their food, and the variety of fresh ingredients that they can have access to in Beijing gives them more possibilities to create new dishes.