Considering the skill required to extract rich flavours from basic ingredients, Chef Fei’s Canadian Geoduck with Seaweed soup is a masterpiece of simplicity. The grilled large saltwater clam’s sweet and briny taste pairs perfectly with the quality Fujian seaweed’s umami. “This dish strikes a balance between tradition and creativity in both cooking techniques and ingredients. With its exquisite plating, it adds visual delight to the aroma and taste,” he explains.
Not surprisingly, it was the diners’ favourite dish from his three-day Jiang by Chef Fei takeover menu at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore’s Cherry Garden.
One of the most celebrated chefs in China, Fei, whose real name is Huang Jinghui, hails from Chaoshan, Guangdong, and became an executive chef by the age of 20 despite only starting his career at 16.
For six consecutive years, Fei’s sublime Cantonese cuisine has earned two stars in the Michelin Guide Guangzhou. Since 2018, it has also received the Black Pearl Award Restaurant Guide Guangzhou One Diamond for seven consecutive years, with the latest in 2024.
At Cherry Garden, his takeover menu incorporated Southern Chinese influences from Fujian, Swatow, and Guangdong. Along with the soup course, other memorable dishes included Steamed Yellow Croaker with turnip, fermented soybean, and orange peel, and Black Truffle and Cucumber Puff.
Even though the takeover in Singapore has ended, fans can still visit Jiang by Chef Fei at the Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou, where the Roasted Wenchang Chicken with Flaxseeds is highly recommended. “We highlight an innovative take on the classic roast chicken using time-honoured Cantonese cooking techniques. Flaxseeds enhance the flavour profile of the juicy, tender chicken,” emphasises Fei.
Among the ingredients he cites as his favourites, basil stands out. “It enhances the flavour of a dish and adds an aromatic finish.” It can also be used in stir-fries and simmers or paired with ingredients in several dishes, including seafood. Fei uses it in a dish with Australian lobster and in another with blanched geoduck, chilli, and chicken broth at Jiang by Chef Fei.
“The fresh green adds visual appeal to dishes, embodying the essence of Cantonese cuisine in terms of colour, aroma, and taste.”
His speciality is Cantonese cuisine, but he enjoys French cuisine as well when he is not working. Fei considers it a work of art because of its intricate plating and attention to taste and texture. Spanish food is also appealing to him because of its communal dining style, whether it is seafood paella or tapas.
