NEW YORK—Times Square was filled with delicious-smelling aromas Thursday as 29 top chefs from all around the world fired up their woks in an ancient Chinese-style kitchen stadium. They were competing to be named the best chef of five Chinese cuisines.
Guests were able to taste the finest of Chinese food preparations at the Emperor’s Banquet, while passersby were mesmerized by the setting as well as the excitement of New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television’s Fifth International Chinese Culinary Competition.
“Amazing, amazing, amazing,” said Abie Maltz, owner of Nu Cafe 47 in Brooklyn who was one of the first to compete Thursday morning. “I heard the judges compliment my fish.” Maltz was educated at New York Restaurant School.
The competition requires participating chefs to prepare a self-selected dish and a required dish. On Friday, chefs who advance from Thursday’s preliminary round will join 14 others who advanced from another preliminary round held in Asia to a final round on Times Square. The lucky winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000.
Reviving an Ancient Tradition
NTD’s competition seeks to highlight the traditions of Chinese culinary culture.
“Chinese food is very good for the health. From the selection of ingredients, preparation, and cooking process, much attention is paid to the food’s effects on people’s health,” said chef Wang Xinping from Philadelphia, who has more than 20 years of experience as a Chinese chef under his belt. “For example, cooking over high heat can sterilize,” he added.
Unfortunately, the fast-paced modern life has resulted in the decline of the Chinese culinary tradition. Chinese food at takeout restaurants is often greasy, and artificial ingredients like MSG are used.
As for NTD’s competition, chefs can only use natural ingredients. chef Wang, an expert in the Szechuan cuisine, which is known for its spiciness, used natural fruit juice to sweeten his dish.
“It’s a good opportunity. We can carry forward the food culture of the Chinese people and introduce it to the rest of the world; NTD provides a great platform for us,” said chef Wang.
The competition’s kitchen stadium is designed to reflect a scene from the Tang Dynasty’s (618 to 907) ancient capital, Chang'an. “From paintings and poetries created in the Tang Dynasty, one can see that people were fond of having feasts outside,” said Wei Jane Chir, the stadium’s artistic director.
“Paintings portraying the royal life showed grand feasts in gardens, with musicians, dancers, and singers at the side to heighten the auspicious atmosphere, and we want to bring a scene like this to Times Square,” said Wei.
Chinese Culture, Food, and Virtue
In Chinese, the word food, or “shi” is made of two characters: person and goodness. That is to say, in the culture of one of the oldest civilizations, one first has to have a good character in order to achieve good cooking skills.
“Keep learning as long as you live. Never be arrogant. The more expertise you have, the more you should be aware of your own insignificance. Once you reach a certain level, in spite of your rich experiences, you feel your own shortcomings even more,” said master chef Zhang Hua, a gold winner three years ago and one of the judges of this year’s competition.
The Chinese cuisine is divided into five categories: Huaiyang, northeastern, Szechuan, Cantonese, and Shandong, which are named after the regions where they originated.
A comprehensive system of techniques is essential to master if a chef wants bring out just the right flavor.
The concept of Huohou, which means season of the state of fire, implies that constant adjustments to the heat may be required in order to compliment the readiness of the ingredients as well as the desired taste.
“Authentic Chinese has high requirements of everything,” said Kean Wong, host of the competition. “Everything needs to be right—the color, the taste, and the aroma.”
Fire Up the Wok
As the sunlight gave way to the bright lights of Times Square, four celebrity chefs with illustrious cooking backgrounds, but not in Chinese cuisine, were given the task of mastering Kung Pao chicken during the first annual Fire Up the Wok challenge.
“It is a surreal experience to be cooking in Times Square!” Maneet Chauhan, of the Food Network’s show “Chopped,” said, while showcasing her lightening fast cooking skills during the competition.
Celebrity judges Susie Fogelson of the Food Network, and chef David Burke watched as the chefs carefully crafted their dishes. The crowd cheered on the chefs as they attempted to perfect the complicated dish, which requires just the right balance of sweet and spicy.
“It is a challenge because there is no room for error,” Clark Fraiser, of “Top Chef Masters” on Bravo, said.
Julieta Ballesteros, one of New York City’s best Mexican chefs, took her time preparing her dish, delicately cutting the chicken, a key to evenly cooking the meat in the wok. The judges were wowed by her dish, with judge Burke saying, “This would be the dish I would go back to eat tomorrow.”
The winning recipe came from Antoine Camin, a French master chef whose unique European take on the Szechuan dish earned him the grand prize, an engraved (knife) made by a master swordsman.
All the winners received engraved bamboo chopsticks and the honor of being one of the few who can say they cooked up world-class cuisine in the middle of Times Square.
“Just to be invited to the challenge is huge,” said Malcolm Mitchell, a finalist in season eight of “Food Network Star.” “But I am going to win it next year!”
With reporting by Kristen Meriwether
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