The New Wave of Fusion - Chef Kerry Hui of Chao Restaurant

For more than 20 years, Kerry Hui has been honing his skills in the kitchen, and is now whipping up Fusion dishes in Chao, an open-concept restaurant that serves French-inspired fusion dishes. Agenda met up with Kerry to find out where he learned his chops.

When did you first start cooking? I began cooking at the age of 13, and then in 1991, when I was 18, I began my career as a chef. Back then, I trained to be a chef at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Clubhouse, which is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong founded to promote horse racing. I then ended up working in Hong Kong as a food consultant for many years before coming here to work at Chao.

What is your favorite part about working at Chao? My favorite part about working at Chao is that the kitchen is so great. Since the kitchen is set up in an open style, I have plenty of time to communicate with guests and know their specific needs and tastes. Once I know how much time it takes the guests to eat their food, then I know when to bring out their next dishes.

How would you define your cooking style and how does Chao’s menu bring that out? I have my own philosophy when it comes to cooking: stick to what tastes good. So many chefs now modify dishes to make them healthier, but I never follow their lead and add less salt or less sugar. Personally, I think the most important thing is that it tastes good.

Where do you get your inspiration for recipes? The inspiration for my recipes comes from going to the market every day. There I am able to find many new ingredients, which allow me to create new dishes for people to taste.
You know, sometimes simple foods are really the best. In my lifetime I have tasted many foods from around the world, but still the most amazing food I have ever eaten in my life was a spicy duck that my friend made. It was very simple but impressed me greatly.

What are some of your favorite things to do and places to go to have fun around town? My two favorite things to do in life are enjoying sunshine at the beach and drinking beer. Right now I am thinking about writing a book about food. I have already written two books, Confessions of a Chef and Simple Desserts 2008, and I’m constantly finding inspiration for new book ideas.

Besides your restaurant, where else do you love to eat? Being from Hong Kong, I enjoy eating Hong Kong cuisine. Most of the time, I just walk around in Chaoyang Park and go to the Hong Kong Café to enjoy their BBQ. I like the simple decoration and the authentic flavors there.

What’s your favorite food related proverb? This quote by Alfred E. Neuman says it all: “We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.”

Can you teach us a quick and easy recipe we can make in our tiny Beijing kitchens? Sure why not. This dish is pretty easy, and you don’t need a big kitchen to make it, although you will need an oven. You start by sautéing some white button, shitake and porcini mushroom, and cooking them until all the water evaporates. Then you add some feta cheese and slowly allow it to melt. Once that has happened, you add breadcrumbs, season it with salt and pepper, and allow it to cool. Then you take five sheets of fillo dough and layer them on top of each other and brush them with melted butter. Add the filling to the pastry, fold in the corners and then roll them. It’s similar to making a Chinese spring roll, although a little tricky due to the nature of the dough. While you’re doing that, preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Bake the pastry for ten to 12 minutes until it is golden and crisp, and serve immediately with a side salad.

Chao. 11am-11pm. RS-17, Bldg 11, SOLANA 6 Chaoyang Park Road, Chaoyang District (5905 1778) 潮 朝阳区朝阳区朝阳公园路6号蓝 色