Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/867995
It continued to thrive even after the Qing dynasty was replaced by a Republican government in 1911; indeed, by the 1930s, it was a celebrity magnet, as stars scrambled to be seen there, sampling cooking that so artfully combined the southern flavors of Tan's home province with local ingredients from in and around Beijing. Eventually, the family shuttered its restaurant and the Beijing Hotel's kitchens became the base of training in Tan cooking. It was there that chef Liu apprenticed; almost six decades later, he is Tan cuisine's undisputed master. "The 'art of balance' is key to Tan cuisine—we need to balance the ingredients and soup, for example, as well as the skills of controlling heat and time," he says. "It's an honor for me to have had the chance to learn and keep passing on this Chinese art." Liu's reputation spread beyond China when the country opened up to the West in the 1970s; it was further enhanced when Wynn brought him to Macau in 2009 as the head of all Chinese culinary operations. He now works there at Golden Flower, a new outpost to preserve and promote this precious part of China's culinary history. Its elegant setting is an integral counterpart to the cooking, notes cookbook author Phillips. "It's not just the food, it's the whole experience—this came out of an official's home, so you should be eating somewhere that looks very tradi- tional. It's just like the French Laundry in California, where they're giving you something for the eyes, too: the perfect silverware, an immaculate plate…and there's a fanatical attention to detail. If you're having fish, it will be the absolute best fish to the nth degree. That's what they're aiming for." It's a credo both chef Liu and Tan would endorse. 京花軒大廳外面是清幽 迷人的花園景緻。 Golden Flower's main dining room looks out at an enchanting garden. 87 PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUSSELL MACMASTERS 與海鮮、乾貨海味與海鮮、南與北之間取得完美的平衡。這正是中菜烹飪裡的 陰陽哲學之道。」 清代末期局勢動盪，譚宗浚的兒子譚莊清心生一計，在家開了一家僅限邀請 的私房菜，繼續發揚由父親發明的各種菜譜，座上客都是北京城中的名門望族。 私房菜的生意一直火爆，即使到1911年辛亥革命推翻清朝政府，時勢不穩的情 況下仍是客似雲來。直到20世紀30年代，這裡都是名人聚集的熱門地，名流們 挖空心思爭取機會參加宴席，一嚐這種把南方味道與北京食材精妙地融於一體 的烹飪藝術。後來譚氏家族關閉了私房菜館，北京飯店的廚房成為了譚家菜的 烹飪訓練基地。劉師傅當年就在那裡開始學徒生涯，並在近60年後，無可爭議 地登上譚家菜大師的地位。「烹飪譚家菜的關鍵，是掌握平衡的藝術，比如平衡 食材和湯之間的比例，還有控制火候的功夫等等，」劉師傅說，「有機會學習這 種中式烹飪藝術並把它傳承下去，是我的榮幸。」 20世紀70年代中國開始向西方世界打開大門，劉師傅的名聲逐漸遠播海 外。2009年他擔任永利澳門中菜部行政總廚，聲譽更勝往時。如今他主要掌管 京花軒，繼續不懈地努力傳承和推廣中菜烹飪的珍貴精華。 Phillips在書中提到，京花軒典雅奢華的裝潢與譚家菜的氣質一脈相承： 「譚家菜的精髓不僅僅在於食物，還在於整個用餐體驗 —這種源自朝廷命 官家中的菜式，用餐的環境也應該是非常傳統經典和精緻的。就像開在加州的 French Laundr y高級法式餐廳，以精美的純銀餐具、無暇的餐盤和對細節品質 的狂熱堅持，為顧客帶來視覺上的獨特享受。如果你點了一道魚料理，那條魚絕 對在方方面面的質素都是最好的。這也正是譚家菜大師們的目標。」這個原則， 無論對於譚師傅還是劉師傅來說，都是最值得堅持的。