A chef's fantastic feast fit for television

Yellowtail fillet with Japanese natto. [Photo by Ye Jun/China Daily]

The marriage of Chinese traditional food with Western cuisine presentation has inspired many new dishes among Chinese chefs in Beijing. But it demands great experience and knowledge in both Chinese and Western cuisine, as well as flexible, creative thinking.

Liu competed against a team of Italian chefs in Milan, Italy, in August. Some of his winning dishes, now presented at the Eclat, were orange-smoked yellowtail fillet with Japanese natto, Beijing-style lamb spatzle, Angus-beef tenderloin with Sichuan pepper sauce and dark-beer sorbet.

Hotel Eclat Beijing's general manager Wessel Krauss says the general principle of the menu is to prepare distinctly Chinese foods in a Western fashion, making it easy for both Chinese and Western customers to appreciate the dishes.

Liu's dishes perfectly reflect that methodology. Smoked fish is a traditional Huaiyang-style dish with a sweet flavor. But the chef gives it an orange flavor, a Western approach. The orange and fish matches well. At the same time, it is a beautiful presentation.

Lamb soup spatzle is probably inspired by dough-drop soup and Shaanxi-style shredded flour cake in lamb soup. But Liu's presentation looks better than both, while tasting as good as any.

Pairing mushroom with goat cheese, and Angus-beef tenderloin with Sichuan pepper sauce, was both innovative and delectable.