Chef Tam Kwok Fung is synonymous with Cantonese cuisine, having won many accolades for his culinary skills.
The executive chef at Wynn Palace Cotai in Macau opened Chef Tam's Seasons in October 2023. It's a conceptual restaurant inspired by the 24 solar terms of traditional Chinese wisdom that govern minute changes in temperature and humidity.
"My culinary philosophy is to be true to traditional Cantonese cooking techniques, though with an open mind. I like using high-quality seasonal products; it's all about the cuisine of my style, which is Cantonese cuisine through the marriage of seasonal ingredients and finely balanced flavour profiles," says chef Tam. "I can best describe my cooking as Cantonese spoken in an intentional language."
At the restaurant, he revitalises Cantonese cuisine by matching global ingredients with contemporary culinary techniques, which earned him the distinction of becoming the first chef in Macau to be named Chef Of The Year at the 2023 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide.
"In today's world, things change so fast. We cannot just stand at one point. We can all say this is a recipe from 200 years ago, but in reality it doesn't work. The food sources itself, in terms of quality. Plus, changing lifestyles add to it. As a restaurant operator, as a chef, you have to provide people with the latest of everything, be it service or food. The only thing that cannot be changed at the end of the day is having a service mind," says chef Tam of his restaurant, which is known for menu changes every two weeks.
Steamed shrimp dumplings with bamboo shoots.
"In the beginning, we discussed having a new dish from time to time, much like other restaurants. But since we are not that big a restaurant and do only 70-80 covers, we can be brave and more attentive; have a more tailor-made menu. So we told the world that we follow the traditional Chinese solar system, which means that the menu changes every 15 days. We keep learning and form our menu with up-to-date seasonal products.
"This is the restaurant's signature, that the menu changes all the time. That's number one. Number two is that as a Cantonese person, I provide the dishes that are seasonal offerings of what's the absolute best in the market. That's our goal." Serving seasonality on a plate is also difficult given that we live in a world defined by climate change. However, the chef says it is easy, due to technology.
"Today everyone has a mobile phone and a computer. I have at least 20 group chats related to produce and seasonal products. Some food suppliers are extremely good at updating their lists online. Our purchasing team updates us every week and some producers update us every two or three hours about the future produce using material food sources," says chef Tam.
Chef Tam's menu prep is planned four weeks in advance. "I don't change just a few dishes. In Cantonese cuisine, the seasonal produce have their own character. In our vegetable showcase, we already have more than 10 items that are seasonal, so I can play around with the different produce, using different techniques and different seasonings. This means that the changes in the menu can be endless," he says.
Crispy bean curd with bird's nest.
However, dishes are repeated during the seasons and are brought back to the menu.
"I do use dishes that I have served before. Though I have a consistent menu, we also have a micro seasonal menu. I don't stand at one point. We are what I would describe as 'transitional Cantonese philosophy'. We have hundreds of years of philosophy and lifestyle passed down through generations. For example, during the winter we eat more turnip and green leafy vegetables, in the summer we eat more squash in various forms -- from appetisers to soups to braised and even stir-frys and desserts," explains chef Tam. "Since the beginning Cantonese cuisine has never stopped changing. The market and consumers are different. Today's generation are used to consuming more spicy dishes. We, as chefs, automatically change little by little. Before even the produce was localised compared to today, where we are using beef from Argentina, US and Japan. Today if we look for beef, there will be around 100 types to choose from. As a chef, you have more produce to try out. This reflects on our cooking, which also offers more variety.
"My inspiration for cooking has also changed, but the technique doesn't change and the way of seasoning doesn't change. I blend Eastern and Western influences and introduce modern concepts and techniques, infusing traditional Cantonese dishes with new vitality."
Double-boiled pork shank with conch, American ginseng and dendrobium.
Baked chicken puff with spring onion.
