For foodies in Beijing, this one-night only event on June 8th at the Hilton Wangfujing is sure to cause major salivation and near-lust. In a joint effort with the executive chefs of the Hilton WFJ, three 3-star Michelin chefs (Heinz Beck, Annie Féolde, Heinz Winkler) and U.S. celebrity chef (David Burke), will all be in our capital city to design the ultimate six-course dinner with wine pairings provided by Master of Wine Dr. Ron Georgiou and Hilton's resident Sommelier Peter Teng.

To make some sense of the Michelin-star system (yes, the same company as the friendly Michelin Man), you should know that stars are awarded based on five criteria:

·    The quality of the products
·    The mastery of flavor and cooking
·    The "personality" of the cuisine
·    The value for the money
·    The consistency between visits

Restaurants receive stars based on their cooking, regardless of cuisine style, and do not take into consideration the décor or quality of service. The stars are awarded very sparingly, and there are exceedingly few establishments with three stars. In fact, there are only 72 restaurants in the world who have achieved three star status; therefore, 4% of the world's purveyors of three-star establishments will be in one place, cooking at one time.

During this evening, each chef is given his or her own course to handle. Celebrity pioneer chef David Burke, known for his heavenly New York City hotspot, davidburke townhouse, will bring his Culinary Institute of America-trained skills to the dinner plates here in China. Three-star chef Heinz Beck, one of Italy’s most famous chefs, was born in Germany, and his famed restaurant La Pergola is now housed in the Roman Cavaleiri. Three-star chef Annie Féolde, the first woman outside of France to be awarded three Michelin Stars, has a biography like a fairy tale: a young girl who grew up in the south of France only to go to Tuscany and make it into her culinary kingdom. Three-star chef Heinz Winkler, one of the youngest chefs ever to receive 3 Michelin Stars, now owns his own restaurant and hotel in southern Germany.

Our Jennifer Ying Lan recently had an opportunity to talk with Chefs David Burke and Annie Féolde about how they run their kitchens and what they are expecting at this star-studded event.


 
When did you learn to cook? Who was your first teacher?

David: I learned to cook at the Culinary Institute of America.  I had many great teachers there, but I would say my first “real” teacher was Waldy Malouf when I worked for him at La Cremaillere.

Annie: I didn’t know much about cooking before coming to Italy. I was born into a hotel-owning family and brought up with an education of good food, wines, and nice settings in the dining room. I didn’t go to any schools but I did buy books. I started the “Enoteca Pinchiorri” as a pure wine-bar, without any space nor ideas to add anything to eat. My career, here in Florence, I was supposed to stay just for one year, but that was 40 years ago!! I don’t regret it though.

How did you get started in the restaurant business?

D: I started as a dishwasher as a young boy.

A: I understood quickly that drinking wine would be much better if accompanied by some food, and we went from there!

Are you familiar with Chinese cuisine?

A: Never enough, especially since it changes from area to area, but I love it!

When was your previous trip to China?

D: I was last here in August 2001.  I stayed at the Intercontinental, and I was looking for restaurant locations and inspiration.

A: I have visited China with my husband quite a few times on holiday. I nearly opened a restaurant in Beijing. We have always loved the country, its atmosphere, its cooking, and its people. All of our best compliments!

What is your signature dish? 

D: I have several signature dishes – The Angry Lobster, Pastrami Salmon, The Swordfish Chop, Cheesecake Lollipops – just to name a few.

A: I don’t keep anything for a long time because I want to renew myself all of the time.

If you could pick what to eat for your ultimate meal, what would it be? 

D: First course: Caviar & Scrambled Eggs
Second Course: Alaskan King Crab
Third Course: A big piece of foie gras with salt and marmalade
Fourth Course: A salad with bacon, goat cheese and walnuts
Fifth Course: Dover Sole
Sixth Course: “Peking” Pigeon
Seventh Course: A 55-Day Dry Aged Ribeye
Eighth Course: Sorbet
Ninth Course: Hot apple tart with ice cream
Tenth Course: Hazelnut and Chocolate Dessert and Cheesecake Lollipops

A: A big amount of caviar…of the best quality, of course.

Any ingredients you can’t do without? Any ingredients you hate?

D: I couldn’t cook without eggs – they are my favorite ingredient.  I hate fiddlehead ferns.

A: I love herbs, garlic, and spices. There is nothing that I hate in the kitchen.

Any funny stories in the kitchens? 

D: We were serving a huge party in one of my restaurants and the showpiece dessert was a huge floating island. The floating island collapsed right before we were about to serve it.  So, we took a pile of dirty laundry, covered it with a tablecloth and then layered it with crème anglaise. We quickly walked it around the party so people could see the “island’ and took it back to the kitchen immediately. When we served the guests, we served the broken pieces as mini floating islands in ramekins to all of the guests.

A: There are so many, because the kitchen is like a theatre, full of surprises, happiness, and tough moments!

Are you interested in opening a restaurant in Beijing eventually?

D: Yes!

A: Why not?! In Italian we say: mai 2 senza 3, which means: never twice without a third time!!

Are you excited about the Michelin Chef Hilton Wangfujing event? What are you expecting?

D: Yes, I’m looking for inspiration. It is exciting for me and I’m really looking forward to it. I will certainly be asking questions of the other chefs.

A: Of course, it’ll be a real pleasure to work with my colleagues and friends; it won’t be the first time and in this case, it’ll be even better because it’ll be for the “American Academy of Hospitality Sciences” which selected me as one of the finest chefs worldwide and honoured me with the “Five Diamond Star Award.” I hope to see a very beautiful and well-organized evening with high-class guests.

“An Intimate Dinner with the Stars” promises to be a culinary night to remember on June 8th, 2009. Limited seats are available at RMB 1,900 + 15% per person. The cocktail reception starts at 6:30 pm at the Lantern Ballroom. Reservations can be made at +86(010) 5812 8888 ext. 8402.

First course
David Burke
www.davidburke.com
Leek & watercress flan with smoked salmon and caviar

Second course
Yu Xiang Gu
Executive Chef @ Hilton Beijing Wangfujing
http://www.hilton.co.uk/Wangfujing
Carpaccio of Bacalhau, slow cooked sea cucumber with fresh masutake mushroom and millet sauce

Third course
Jorge Rausch
www.criterion.com.co
Pan fried scallops with chorizo, a sweet corn veloute

Fourth course
Annie Feolde
www.enotecapinchiorri.com
Risoni alla carbonara

Fifth course
Heinz Winkler
www.residenz-heinz-winkler.de
Mille feuille of bresse pigeon in truffle sauce

Sixth course
Heinz Beck
www.heinzbeck.com
Apricot gelatine with bergamot ice cream and flowers