FEATURED IN THE RITZ-CARLTON MAGAZINE

Two star chefs engage in a culinary showdown: same ingredients, different cuisines. It’s China vs. Japan. You be the judge — and the cook.

THE RITZ-CARLTON, SHENZHEN
THE RITZ-CARLTON, TOKYO

Shenzhen, China

Chef Chan ah Kin

PORK AND GINGER
Pan-fried pork, golden dried scallop
Chef Chan ah Kin gives us a deliciously meaty dish composed of chopped pork belly, mixed with fresh ginger and flavored with soy and oyster sauces, which then is fried atop thin slices of lotus root and served with slivers of golden dry scallop.
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TOFU
Seafood lute bean curd
Chef Chan, using soft tofu, showcases its remarkable dairy-like properties, by using it as the binding agent in an Asian equivalent of French quenelles — poached seafood custards — which are then finished in the frying pan. The ocean flavors of fresh scallops and prawns are balanced with the sweetness of corn and the bright green acidity of celery.
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Tokyo, Japan

Chef Hiroyuki Kurosu

PORK AND GINGER
Japanese-style ginger-flavored spare rib
Hiroyuki Kurosu, chef at the Michelin-starred Hinokizaka Restaurant, uses fewer ingredients and employs a pressure cooker to seal in the flavors of his pork spare ribs, supplemented with vegetables, sake and mirin. His ginger is served raw, as a sculpted garnish, both thinly sliced and julienned.
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TOFU
Tofu steak, pine nut sauce
Under the influence of Buddhism, Japan has been wholly vegetarian for centuries at a time, and the tradition of using tofu as a meal’s main protein persists. Chef Kurosu gently fries his tofu, and then in the last minute of cooking, he adds chopped pine nuts, shiso leaf, grated vegetables and a soy-mirin mix to create a sauce. Again, the cooked dish is finished with raw garnishes: julienned peppers and leeks and dried bonito flakes.
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