Shard chef cooking up a reputation

At the age of 36, while most are still earning experience in the restaurant trade, Wang Fei has already taken the reign as the head chef at an upmarket Chinese restaurant in one of London's most iconic buildings.

Wang believes his solid culinary skills in Sichuan-style cooking convinced the restaurant owner he was able to take on the job at Hutong, located on the 33rd floor of The Shard.

"It was a random moment in 2017 when I heard Hutong needed a chef,I came over to give it a go," Wang said. "After a few cooking trials in front of the owner and regional managers, they decided to give me the job."

Born in Chengdu, the cradle of Sichuan cuisine, Wang had his first contact with cooking as early asage seven.

"When I started primary school, my parents were very busy and as a result, I was by myself most of the time after school, so I had to learn to be independent, including cooking for myself," he said. "After a while, I started to develop a strong interest in cooking."

He began cooking professionally at the young age of 16, after undertaking some work experience in a local Sichuan kitchen.

Upon discovering a natural flair for the craft, Wang began exploring the Sichuan style, learning about spices and traditional Chinese recipes.

He built his culinary career across China, starting at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine in Chengdu, before moving on to training at the Sichuan Hotel and Huayuan Hotel, followed by six years as head chef at Hong Yun restaurant.

Wang said he is inspired by diversity and is excited by the opportunity to introduce his Sichuan style to an international audience at Hutong.

Since opening in 2013, the high-end Chinese restaurant proclaims to serve unique northern Chinese cuisine, but the move to appoint a Sichuan cuisine chef to manage its restaurant, according to Wang, is an illustration of innovation in the restaurant trade.

"I am a trained Sichuan-style chef, and the theme of Hutong, as you might get from its name, is of a strong northern China character," he said. "I believe my job here is to combine the best of both northern and Sichuan cuisines. The combination itself is a kind of innovation which I hope will bring customers a unique experience."

On the landscape of Chinese food in London, Wang suggests that the opening of Chinese restaurants like Hutong resonates with the demand.

"In the UK, for a long time, traditional Chinese food has been dominated by the Cantonese-cuisine, but the British palate isgrowing, and people are becoming interested in new and interesting flavors," he added.

Wang is confident that Chinese gastronomy will further develop in the UK, especially Sichuan cuisine. "Because of its spicy and rich taste, it stimulates the taste budsand makes diners enjoy their food," Wang said. He does however concede that he needs to moderate the level of spice in his cooking to ensure it's to the liking of the British.

Throughout the menu, Wang has exercised his skill to artfully balance punchy and fiery flavours. A number of dishes now utilize the common frying technique that underpins much of Sichuan cooking.

He proudly cites Sichuan-style deep fried lobster as his signature dish, saying it offers,"an unusual, crunchy texture – crispy outside and tender inside – served with an abundance of red and green chillies and salty black beans to bring about the numb and spicy sensation in the mouth."