db interview: Vicky Lau

db catches up with graphic designer turned chef Vicky Lau, owner and head chef at Tate Dining Room in Hong Kong, who was named Asia’s Best Female Chef 2015 in January at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards.

How does it feel to be Asia’s best female chef?

I’m very happy, surprised and honoured to receive this award. I never set out to win it, I just wanted to do what I love. I hope it leads to new opportunities and allows me to meet people that will inspire me and share their vision, leading to new collaborations in the near future.

How would you describe your cuisine?

An eclectic mix of French and Asian, both in terms of my cooking techniques and ingredients. As I’m so drawn to the creative aspect of any task, I like the idea of exploring fusions because I enjoy the freedom to experiment without any rules.

Who has been your greatest culinary influence?

Chef Sebastien Lepinoy. He led the kitchens at Cépage, where I worked for a year and a half after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu. He taught me cooking techniques, the importance of detail, and being aware of what was around me. His cooking philosophy is one that is shared across all art forms: simplicity is the key to perfection.

You studied graphic design in New York. Does your design background influence your work as a chef and the look of your dishes?

It definitely influences my approach. As I did so often when working in graphic design, when I cook I start with a theme, a narrative or a concept and build on it.

How important is the look of your dishes to you? 

Presentation is very important, but for me taste always comes before the aesthetics. The way a dish is presented should be thoughtful and smart so that you can tell the story you want to tell while making it easy for the diner to eat.

Has it been a challenge succeeding as a woman in a male dominated industry?

I feel that regardless of gender, the catering industry is a tough nut to crack. Aside from the pressure, you’re always striving for precision and consistency, which leads to long hours and sacrificing your personal life. I can’t think of any factor that would make this particularly harder for women, other than the fact that some people find it intimidating for a woman to be in charge. Some might also think it’s more challenging physically for women, but you learn to adapt.

Do French and Asian cuisines marry well? What can they learn from each other?

Studying the history of food has taught me that most cuisines are not invented; they evolve, and both French and Asian cuisines have done so. When we focus on certain cooking techniques the two have a lot of in common and marry well together. I’ve only recently started focusing on Chinese cooking and am especially excited about incorporating steaming techniques in my meat dishes.

Your aim is to create edible stories – can you tell me a couple of the stories behind the dishes? 

For me cooking unites the worlds of art, craft and science. I’m driven by my passion to tell a story. With my Edible Stories menu, each dish is inspired by a theme. The presentation provides the narrative where each ingredient is its own character and the interplay between the flavours, aromas and textures reveals the plot.

One of the first dishes I created was the Zen Garden, which I usually serve as the last course. Within it are a matcha opera cake, passion fruit marshmallow, jasmine macaroon and coconut dark chocolate. It’s presented as a mini garden that prompts self-reflection. The dish is a tribute to the masters of the Zen garden and the art of tea making.

What is the single dish you are most proud of?

One of my favourites is An Ode to Tomatoes, inspired by a poem by Pablo Neruda. It conjures a busy market scene and describes the life of the humble tomato, which is transformed into a panna cotta, confit, crisp, consommé and gelée, accompanied by mustard ice cream; a perfect flavour pairing for the fruit.

In what direction is Hong Kong dining headed?

With the increasing profile of celebrity chefs, the public are now paying more attention to who is in charge of the kitchen rather than just focusing on the food. Hong Kong’s restaurant scene has always been eclectic and vibrant – it changes in the blink of an eye and there’s no sign of this slowing down.

I’ve noticed that more restaurants are serving refined Chinese cuisine in a luxury setting. Single dishes are restaurants are also starting to pop up. One trend I really like is the embracing of quality local produce. The Hong Kong government has recently implemented a scheme to encourage more local farming, so hopefully this trend will soon gather speed.

Are we likely to see “multi-sensory” restaurants popping up in Hong Kong?

Definetely. I think it would be especially interesting to have a multi-sensory Chinese restaurant. Chinese culture has a long and developed history and a lot of lovely stories could be told via a multi-sensory experience.

And finally, which famous person would you most like to invite to dinner and what would you cook them? 

I’d very much like to invite Heston Blumenthal to dinner as I love his quirky story telling style. I would serve him some of my most powerful Asian dishes that have their own narrative.