Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou Presents the Grand Finale of the Four-Hand Culinary Series 2021

Yu Yue Heen at Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou will present the grand finale of the four-hand gastronomic series 2021 from November 25 to 27 in collaboration with Jin Sha at Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake. The two award-winning chefs, Chef Mai Zhi Xiong of Cantonese cuisine and Chef Wang Yong of Jiangzhe cuisine will co-create an eight-course tasting menu that takes guests on an indelible journey to unveil the essence of Chinese culinary art.

Chef Wang Yong, Executive Chinese Chef of Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake has been the mastermind of Jin Sha for the past decade. “Refuse to be complacent and repetitive,” and “always looking for a change” are two pertinent assessments of Chef Wang from his colleagues and counterparts in the profession. Each year Chef Wang produces more than a dozen special set menus. When it comes to refreshing the a la carte menu, more than 100 courses are generated and refined before they make their grand presence. Given such frequency in the change, some guests can still recall vividly the taste of certain dishes that have long been replaced. The memory of the palate remains present and prominent, and yet guests continue to anticipate the new updates of Chef Wang’s transboundary culinary concept, novelty combinations of ingredients and new palatable experiences.

Chef Wang will present three courses for this episode to initiate an exciting culinary master dialogue that explores the dynamics between conservation and innovation. For the appetiser, Chef Wang pairs snow crab meat marinated in Japanese vinegar with water shield, an unmistakable ingredient of West Lake. The savoury crab meat packed with refreshing vinaigrette offers the right kick to open up the appetite. The second dish is his recent experiment with 5J Jamón. The fun part of this course is to pour the sizzling hot consommé from a teapot, allowing the soup to cook the thin slices of Jamón while releasing a rich flavour along with the rising smoke. In this dish, Chef Wang integrates dashi, a method common in Japanese cuisine to develop an extra layer of Jamón flavour. He first soaks a cube of winter melon and the Jamón bone in the chicken soup produced in traditional Chinese cuisine. Then he heats it with medium temperature, letting the Jamón flavour slowly permeate the dish. The soup is taken out, rest, seeped and is ready for serving. The third course brought by Chef Wang is a classic in Eastern China: Shanghainese braised pork with abalone in a sweet soy sauce with sugar and yellow wine. Like the more traditional Dongpo pork, the wine breaks down the fat to make the braised pork belly flavoursome, succulent and give it the tender “melt in mouth” texture. It is so tender it can easily be separated into small pieces with chopsticks.

Chef Mai Zhi Xiong, Executive Chinese Chef of Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou, takes the lead to create the momentum for this set menu with his home-field advantage. With more than 30 years of experience in Cantonese culinary arts and nearly 10 years managing Yu Yue Heen, Chef Mai is known for his adherence to traditional cooking techniques. Discipline and confidence derived from the strong heritage of Cantonese cuisine has become a distinctive style of Chef Mai.

Responding to Chef Wang’s braised pork belly, Chef Mai chooses a Cantonese classic, barbecue pork belly, which locals often rate a restaurant on the taste and texture of this dish. Chef Mai selects dark skinned pork for its beautiful marble. The process goes through meticulous steps of cleaning, poaching, marinating, air-drying, then it is ready for barbecue in high heat. The last step is to take down the heat to force the excessive grease out to make it crispy on the skin and succulent in the meat. Along with the equally crispy roast goose, this Cantonese classic creates a nice contrast with the tenderness of the braised pork belly; the two work to showcase the unique character of the equally reputable cuisines. In between Chef Wang's soup and red meat, Chef Mai cleverly arranges steamed Boston lobster with Inaniwa udon. The fresh and sweet lobster echoes the crab meat appetiser; the inviting golden sauce made of seafood and pumpkin juice plays a key role in continuing the momentum. Following the braised pork belly is poached pea leaves in fish broth. This simple home-cooked dish popular in winter in the southern Guangdong region serves well to usher in the epilogue. Its gentle flavour aptly tunes with the lingering sweet taste while the vegetable works to dissolve the fat of the pork and prepare the guest for the dessert.

In terms of flavour and texture, the four-hand menu reflects Chef Wang's innovative and enterprising character Chef Mai's modesty and sincerity. Both chefs introduce their ingenious production in a simple presentation. The menu has a solid structure that conveys diversity in texture and a smooth flow in flavour. As the grand finale of the four-hand gastronomic series 2021, the two chefs successfully raise expectation of the 2022 series.

Amuse Bouche

• Marinated cherry tomato, Linan walnut, mayonnaise

Appetiser

• Snow crab meat, vinegar jelly, water shield, basil seed

Barbecue

• Roasted Magang goose, Kaluga caviar
• Roasted pork belly with yellow mustard

Soup

• Double-boiled winter melon soup, 5J ham

Seafood

• Steamed Boston lobster, Innariwa udon, pumpkin abalone sauce

Meat

• Shanghainese braised pork belly, fresh abalone, sweet soy sauce

Vegetable

• Poached pea leaves in fish broth

Dessert

• Poached pear with jasmine flower, coconut pudding

About Yu Yue Heen

Yu Yue Heen, located on the 71st floor of Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou, offers authentic Cantonese cuisine with unsurpassed views of the city’s skyline and the Pearl River within a tranquil space. It has been awarded a Michelin-star every year since 2018 when the guide was first launched in Guangzhou. The restaurant design features an interplay of traditional colours and contemporary décor, creating a haven of relaxed Chinese elegance with magnificent views of Guangzhou. Yu Yue Heen creates authentic Cantonese cuisine using the freshest and finest seasonal ingredients; favourite signature dishes include the Barbecued Pork Belly, Marinated Chicken with Deep-fried Minced Ginger as well as the Sliced Lamb with Sesame and Soya Sauce.

About Chef Mai Zhixiong

Chef Mai Zhixiong joined Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou in 2012 as a member of the pre-opening team. Chef Mai is a strong advocate of creating dishes with fresh seasonal ingredients. The authentic Cantonese cooking style emphasises light on seasoning and sauce, works exceptionally well for Chef Mai to bring out the best flavour of every dish through his culinary skills and creative presentation.

About Jin Sha

Jin Sha at Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake offers outstanding traditional Zhejiang flavours expertly prepared. The restaurant is treasured for its boundless innovation, finest tea, premium wine selection and Chinese yellow wine (huangjiu). A traditional architectural style and a lively ambience with stunning landscape garden provides harmony between human and nature.

About Chef Wang Yong

With nearly 20 years of culinary experience, Chef Wang Yong is a culinary mogul of Zhejiang and Shanghainese cuisine. Under his leadership, Jin Sha has become the only restaurant in Hangzhou to be awarded the prestigious Four-Star award by Forbes Travel Guide for five consecutive years. The chef, though, is quick to point out that all the honours that recognise Jin Sha are not solely his to claim, but belong to his entire team. On top of receiving many accolades, he is also the recipient of China’s “Chef of The Year” by GQ Magazine (2017).