High Life

品 72 #8 2017 年 5 月 “What we are trying to do here is elevate the traditional Chinese dining experience to another level, using fresh ingredients from around the world,” he explains. “Roasted suckling pig with foie gras is an example of that. The foie gras comes from France, yet the crispy suckling pig is very much Chinese. I combine the best of bothworlds to thrill the palate with various tastes and layers of textures. Food needs to be exciting, not boring.” The delicate pieces of Roasted suckling pig with foie gras are cut bite-size, sumptuously adorned with gold and flowers of various hues. It is, first and foremost, a feast for the eyes until the rich, creamy, melt-in-the-mouth foie gras and crispy suckling pig come together in the mouth and satisfy the palate with all its magnificent splendor. Up next is the Steamed crab clawwith golden egg white, a dish that makes the definition of umami come to life in a thrilling manner. “As you can see, the crab claw is extremely flavorful in itself with the essence of the sea, but I want to challenge myself to make the umami element even stronger, so the solution is to create a thick lobster broth and work it in with both the egg white and crab claw,” Chef Yap says. The milky, orange lobster broth is a wonder in itself. Together with the huge crustacean claw placed on top of it, the sight of the dish becomes unapologetically ostentatious, yet one cannot help but fall in love with the outrageously meaty and flavorful combination. It is a dish to die for and Chef Yap has indeed proven himself right to be a bit risqué in this particular case. Like he said, it is Chinese food, but let’s not be boring about it. HIGH LIFE #8 May 2017 73