Okra heads south
Updated: 2016-02-19 09:02
By Mike Peters(China Daily)
|
|||||||||||
![]() |
Sweet shrimp and tuna platter [Photo by Mike Peters/ China Daily] |
High-flying Beijing chef Max Levy tests the waters in Hong Kong with a proven approach, Mike Peters reports.
There is cod sperm on the plate in front of me, and I'm trying to look delighted.
Delight has been easy to come by this night: I'm in Hong Kong for the soft opening of Okra HK, the much-anticipated new outpost of Beijing-based chef Max Levy. Our opening nibbles of fresh mackerel reflect Levy's famous pickiness about seafood, a legacy of his early training in top sushi kitchens in Japan and New York. A beautiful platter with raw sweet shrimps and several cuts of bluefin tuna complete the picture of the best market offerings of the day.
We're sipping a terrific sake from Okra's extensive list as we nibble. As I eyeball the cod sperm I reach for a refill.
"Cod sperm? You're kidding, right?" I finally ask.
The New Orleans-born Levy, slicing a radish of some sort on a cutting board just a few feet away, grins at my naivete.
"You've eaten it many times in China," he says. "In Chinese restaurants when they say 'roe' they don't distinguish between male and female. You get both."
I defer to his expertise, but I'm pretty sure I've never eaten this brainy looking thing before.
But I do so readily, because like most fans of Levy's kitchen magic, I'm here for the surprise as well as the delight. This dish is chewier than I expect, but quite delicious. Naturally.
Related Stories
Chinese dinner in Spain 2016-02-05 11:21
Beijing chef seeks to create iconic Waldorf Astoria dish 2016-01-28 15:18
Yanqi Lake entices chef wannabes for a day in the kitchen 2016-01-22 08:33
Chef's dark side has never tasted better 2016-01-09 08:07
Sofitel Wanda gets new head chef 2016-01-08 13:30
Today's Top News
Stronger united Europe is 'in the interests of China'
Huawei to increase co-op with European partners
Turkey's Erdogan to fight forces behind bombing
Aston Martin to develop electric car with LeEco
Huawei bids to become 'Internet of Things' platform
Britain's Cameron defends EU deal
Sichuan opera proves a hit with UK audiences
WeChat to charge fees for digital wallet transfers
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|