Gourmet Gadgets: Beijing's Top Chefs and the Gadgets They Can't Go Without
Like any profession, cooking is defined not only by the talent of the individual (in this case the chef) but also by the tools of his – or her – trade. A chef’s tools are an extension of his skills and, more importantly, his style and cultural background. No self respecting Italian chef would be seen dead without his pasta machine (or at the very least, a well-worn rolling pin), a Chinese chef is nowhere without a perilously sharp cleaver, and any budding molecular gastronome should have a veritable arsenal of complicated gadgetry.
We called on some of Beijing’s top chefs to give us an insight into which bits of kitchen kit they couldn’t live without and where in the city we mere mortals can go to shop if we want to recreate a slice of their culinary magic. Just remember, anyone can buy a fancy knife or an espuma gun, but we can’t promise you’ll actually be able to cook with it.
Tools of the Trade
“To be honest, I don’t really have a favorite piece of equipment. Everything I use to make my food I see as a necessity to be able to operate in a fine dining restaurant. There is one exception: knives. I admit I have a knife fetish! Knives are the coolest piece of kitchen equipment, from carving perfect sashimi to breaking down a whole pig. Or simply throwing paper in the air and cutting it in half, because you can!” - Phillip Taylor, Chef de Cuisine, Aria Restaurant
“I love my vacuum pack machine. In a busy restaurant, it allows you to maintain consistent flavors and cooking temperatures. Not only that, it means you can extend the lifespan of seasonal products that are only around for three or four weeks.” – Jordi Valles, Chef de Cuisine, Agua
“For me, the most important thing is actually a good knife. I use Glestain knives, which are made in Japan. The knives are strong yet they don’t crush the fibers of the food when you cut, which is very important.” – Gilbert Wolfarth, Chef de Cuisine, Heritage
“I have a couple of gadgets that I really like. There’s the sous vide machine, the smoke gun for infusing flavor into dishes, and even a contraption that makes ‘spaghetti’ for desserts and appetizers without using starch.” – Davide Bacchi, Chef de Cuisine, Cèpe
“It’s got to be my trusty knife kit. I started cooking when I was 16 and I still have my first knife that my Mum gave to me. It may be 29 years old and a little worn, but it works a treat. Others have mentioned it too, but a good sharp knife makes cooking so much easier. There’s nothing worse than having to use a blunt knife.” – Rob Cunningham, Executive Chef, EAST Beijing
“My favorite tool, or at least the one I use the most, is the wok spatula (锅铲). It allows me to control the temperature and helps me to impart the unique “breath of the wok” or wok hei that defines many southern Chinese dishes. ” – Zhang Yu, Head Chef, Transit
Culinary Compendium
Don’t know your wan from your whisk? Use our handy guide to common kitchen equipment when shopping for your Beijing kitchen.
Knife – caidao 菜刀
Cutting board – qiecai ban 切菜板
Wok – chaoguo 炒锅
Whisk (traditional or electric) – shoudong/diandong dadanqi 手动、电动打蛋器
Grater – cacaiqi 擦菜器
Colander/sieve – louqi 滤器
Mandolin – qiecaiqi 切菜器
Crock Pot – diandunguo 电炖锅
Oven – kaoxiang 烤箱
Kit Out Your Kitchen
Beijing Hotel Equipment Corp
You might have a hard time fitting some of the equipment on offer here in your home kitchen, but it’s still a good place to source a wide range of equipment all in one place.
Daily 9am-5.30pm. 1 Kaiyangli Yije, Fengtai District (8355 9988)
北京酒店设备有限公司：丰台区开阳里一街1号
New Dongjiao Market
Dongjiao’s new location may be further away but it is a marked improvement on the original. Call by for everything from bakeware to imported wines and spirits.
Daily 8.30am-5.30pm. East of Wangsiying Qiao, South side of G1 Jingha Expressway, Chaoyang District (6729 8666)
新东郊商城：王四营桥东京哈高速路南
Taobao
Taobao is the natural choice for those who don’t fancy trekking to the further reaches of the Fifth Ring Road. Use Google Translate to get a basic idea of the name of the item you want, or, our favorite trick, look for it on the Ikea website first.
More stories by this author here.
Email: robynnetindall@thebeijinger.com
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Photo: Joey Guo
