All you can eat and drink

"Chinese cuisine is not about large, wholesale reinventions or novel inventions. Most of the culinary innovation takes place on a smaller, humbler scale," he says.

One example of creativity on this scale, says St Cavish, is seen in how chef Wei Yi offers a twist of the Shanghainese staple of white cut chicken by using goose instead. Wei then uses the goose fat to create noodles that have made him famous in the city.

But should Chinese chefs snub the Western perception of creativity and stick to their guns?

Zhao thinks that embracing the sort of creativity that is valued outside of China could help better promote Chinese cuisine on the world stage. That being said, doing so would require time.

"Traditionally, most chefs in China view themselves as workers, not culinary artists. They don't bother much with being innovative. They just want to perfect their dishes."

The situation, though, has been changing, with several chefs pushing the boundaries with modern renditions of Chinese classics in recent times. Zhao says that one of his favorite dishes is the drunken chicken from the now defunct Whampoa Club, a high-end restaurant along the Bund that was helmed by Singaporean chef Jeremy Leung.

Unlike the original dish where the chicken is served on a plate filled with Shaoxing wine, this modern rendition comes in the form of a martini glass with chicken paired with granita made from Chinese wine. Another chef who Zhao identifies as a pioneer of the modern Chinese culinary movement is Tony Lu of Fu He Hui, a Michelin-starred restaurant that has received plaudits for its refined vegetarian creations.

Other types of modern Chinese fare have also been gaining traction outside of the Chinese mainland.

Mo says this is due to the growing number of young, open-minded Chinese chefs who are taking their modern interpretations of Chinese cuisine around the world.