Catering sector bounces back from shutdowns

Ingredients impress

Canadian-born chef Talib Hudda, who has lived in China for seven years, is impressed by the variety of the nation's ingredients. From Liaoning grapes to Chinese chestnuts from Beijing's Huairou district, Hudda is putting his discoveries on the autumn menu at Refer, his restaurant in the capital.

Located in Sanlitun, Refer has become a new destination for the city's most discerning diners since it opened in 2020. Customers need to book two weeks in advance for a table.

As occasional outbreaks of COVID-19 add to uncertainties over deliveries, one difficulty Hudda faces this year is changing his menu to accommodate the ingredients he can obtain each day.

"Cooking a new dish, or introducing it to the customers, is a challenge for the chefs and the waiters," he said.

In May and June, dine-in businesses in Sanlitun were shut down due to the pandemic, but Hudda said custom has gradually recovered since July.

Even though he faces difficulties this year, Hudda does not want to abandon his goal for the restaurant, which is to create an eatery in Beijing specializing in Northern European cuisine, where diners can enjoy international-level food and service.