"Since entering the industry, the hardest work is in the more than ten years of Fu Linmen, before many guests were very demanding, other masters were often not brave enough to take orders, I volunteered to take it to boil, boiling, and finally many familiar customers, also used to the taste of my cooking, at that time even Mr. Liu Luanxiong ordered most of the dishes, most of them are also responsible for me." Chef Liu Guowei, in the new restaurant box where he has been in office for several months, recounts this young past.
Master Liu Guowei
In his early forties, in the fu lin men of the so-called one of the earliest "rich canteens" in Hong Kong to the second chef, the craftsmanship of the famous and discerning rich man Liu Luanxiong appreciated, the resume is bright, but has been lonely, recently he in Wan Chai in charge of the new store "Why He Must Hall", is also very low-key, no hype.
Opened in Wan Chai's Why Pavilion
"Many of my partners also know that I actually hid in the kitchen from morning to night, no one knows my real name, and those who know me usually only call me a boy, because my father is 'big brother Cheng'." Chef Wei's father, "Big Brother Cheng", is the former Chef Liu Zhaocheng of Hong Kong Island Fu Linmen, who enjoys a prestigious reputation in the Cantonese cuisine industry, joined Fu Lin Men in 1972, became the chef in 1989, and during his tenure he took the two Michelin stars for the restaurant, until his retirement at the age of 68, he has been in charge of the chef of Fu Lin Men. "When I was a child, I had no intention of learning, and after school, because I took advantage of the poop, I went to my father's kitchen to play, helped my brother wash vegetables, and carried the head and tail everywhere."
Fu Linmen, which was once very popular
Although he was associated with the rich canteen since he was a child, and there were people in the DPRK who were good at doing things, he did not rely on his father's shadow until he entered the industry at the age of 17. Outside, I went to Xiang Man Lou, Zhou Jiazhuang and other veteran Cantonese cuisine scholars, then started from the miscellaneous, crouched in the corner of the kitchen, soaked in abalone wings, spent more than ten years, waiting for the opportunity to stay at the edge of the pot.
At this time, his father let him work with him and recommended him to enter the Hong Kong Island Fu Linmen to start from a low level. In fact, when he entered the Fu Linmen, the eldest brother Cheng did not take special care of it, and was also instructed by other brothers. The only thing he said was that he told me not to make small circles, to focus on my work, people are diligent, they must be more diligent than others, people start work early, you have to open earlier than others. Master Wei said that Dad was clear about public and private, and father and son never talked in the kitchen, and over time, like other guys, they changed their mouths to call their father "big brother Cheng".
At that time, Fu Lin men Cantonese cuisine, exquisite and ingenious, unique, like the highest-selling fried chicken of that year, from the soaked chicken, pickled, peeled, air-dried, dried, dried oil, you have to learn from scratch. "Each step is also very important, from the first time the raw chicken is drizzled, then dried and cooled, into the oil pan to fry, fried chicken should be practiced to know how to 'listen to the oil and look at the fire', listen to the change in oil temperature, soak the oil to a certain degree of heat, and then start to use the boiling oil to drizzle the chicken, so that the chicken skin will be crisp."
In the first three or four years, after hitting the board and complaining to the guests, insisting on it finally got the approval of colleagues, and Dad slowly reassured, entrusted the kitchen with important tasks, arranged by hand, and helped by him. Father and son marched to 2016, when the management of Fu Linmen changed generations, Dad chose to retire in honor, and Master Wei also left together to plan for himself.
"In fact, at that time, I did not expect to work at Mr. Liu Luanxiong's house, but at that time, Liu Sheng said that he missed the taste of Fu Linmen in the past, so he arranged for me to go to the door to make a meal, who knew that the next day, Miss Chen (Gambi) asked me when I could go to work." Unexpectedly, he left Fu Linmen but became Liu Luanxiong's home cook. At that time, his father and insiders did not look favorably on him serving Da Liu, believing that he would not survive for three months. "In fact, Liu Sheng is just very good at eating, but also like to eat, he will continue to try other different dishes, such as Western food, a variety of provincial local dishes, he will also ask me to try to make him eat, when you meet the requirements, he will continue to force you to progress, the result is finally in Liu Sheng's home, also did two years, but in a short period of time also learned a lot of things."
Leave, because you are young, have a strong heart, and still want to break through the sky. "Liu Sheng heard me say that he wanted to see outside, in fact, he was also very supportive, he said to me, he is facing the outside, if he is doing hard, not doing well, or the personnel relationship is complicated, he can also come back to work for him at any time. Master Wei Wan'er Said. Later, he also returned to the mainland, working as a catering consultant for a famous restaurant, with a high salary and a relaxed job, but in the end he still felt that he was in charge of the cooking, which was the most satisfactory.
At the beginning of this year, he opened a small pavilion in the Wan Chai Commercial Building, which was elegantly decorated and reunited with siblings who used to be in Fu Lin Mun. "In the past, the partners of the old days, the old scattered things, today everyone can get together, whether it is the kitchen production department, the hall colleagues, in fact, they have known each other for twenty or thirty years, and many old guests have helped each other, and they feel like the old Fu Linmen."
For example, two cooking chefs, before coming to the Guofu Building of the Murray Hotel in Central, they made a big red suckling pig, quite a standard, that is, called instant burning, slowly boiling in the oven, baking brown and transparent, and then carefully slice the skin, eat with the dough, the pork skin is thin and crisp, let people eat non-stop! Another example is the dim sum department, which is also from the Fu Ji faction, and the corner of the bean sand apple leaf of the Fu Lin Men signature dim sum has also been reproduced, the glutinous rice skin is smooth and does not leave a mouth, the bean paste filling is fragrant and moist, plus the apple leaf fragrance, the taste is delicate and exquisite.
Crab cinnamon flowers fried shrimp shreds
The small stir-fry dish is controlled by Master Wei and a few brothers of the same disciple, like a crab cinnamon fried shrimp shreds, because the previous guests are tired of shark fin, thus frying osmanthus wings, an old dish that evolved. Crabs and shrimp are boiled in water, shelled and fleshed, torn by hand, and scrambled with tender buds and eggs. "In the past, when I was in Fu Linmen, I would often cook this dish, and at least three or four dishes would be fried every night to produce today's effect, and when I ate it dry, I would not come out of the water, and the egg shreds, crab meat and shrimp would have a gentle and light taste, and to achieve this effect, it was necessary to go through thousands of hammers and hammers and hone it out." Master Wei said.
The location of the new store in Wan Chai Luo Ke Road is also quite meaningful, the restaurant is opened near the restaurant of the brothers of the same door, Fu LinMen, Family Heirloom Seven Blessings, Guo Fu Lou, each of which is famous. "Challenge yourself!" Because I always carried the reputation of big brother Cheng before, guests often said that this was the product of big brother Cheng's son, in fact, he himself had come to dinner, but he did not have any opinions to me, just to see if my craftsmanship was out of style, he just smiled and said after trying, almost the same as before. ”
Tiger father no dog, asked about Master Wei, has ever wanted to surpass the father, he touched his head, thought about it and said, "Don't say super not transcendent, I think at least someone must first agree, keep a normal heart, do their part, hope that every guest comes, even if the food is cheap and good, the expensive price is good, the side dishes are good, the abalone wing belly is also good, the guests feel at home, satisfied to leave, so that I am satisfied." ”
Shop Name: Ho HoiKan
Address: 4th Floor, BoHui Building, 54-62 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai
Access: MTR Wan Chai Station Exit C, about 3 minutes on foot
Interview: Hu Xiyu
Photo: Kwan Wing Ho