'A kingdom of plants' on a plate

"A traditional Tengchong snack is deep-fried dough sticks served with pea porridge and seasoned with garlic, chili oil and pepper oil," he says.

"My version is fried buckwheat chips with pea porridge."

Shi says more of his customers are younger and have different dining expectations.

He's accommodating them by incorporating Western and Cantonese cooking and plating methods.

"But we stay true to Yunnan flavors," he explains.

"Most of the province's seasonings and sauces use fresh ingredients like lemon and pepper. So, my kitchen only has salt and soy sauce besides fresh sauces. We don't use any other processed ingredients."

Yunnan is celebrated for its mushrooms, and Shi has sampled dozens of varieties during his travels.

Matsutakes have remained the most popular type in the past several years. Shi serves them as sashimi or flash-fried with butter.

"Mushroom season is coming," he says.

"So, we're creating new dishes according to this year's offerings."