“For those who have been touched by the cuisine of Yuji Wakiya and have always wondered how his dishes are created, the master of Haute Chinese cuisine reveals how he does it and gives others the chance to gain perspective through the art of his cooking with his unique perspective. Beautiful images, great insight and his techniques are laid out for those to create his style of cuisine.”
(c) Images courtesy of KODANSHA INTERNATIONAL
TITLE: HAUTE CHINESE CUISINE FROM THE KITCHEN OF WAKIYA
AUTHOR: Yuji Wakiya Forewords by David Bouley and Nobu Matsuhisa
PUBLISHED BY Kodansha International
PAGE COUNT: 196
Beautiful photography, scrumptious dishes and giving fans of Yuji Wakiya’s cuisine a chance to see how the master of Haute Chinese cuisine sees creates his dishes.
Secrets of Haute Chinese cuisine is revealed in “HAUTE CHINESE CUISINE FROM THE KITCHEN OF WAKIYA”, a book that goes into Wakiya’s history as a person who became fascinated with food, learned from various cooks as an apprentice, became a sous chef but once becoming an executive chef and fascinated by Chinese cuisine, he developed a multi-course menu that consisted of eight relatively small portions. So, instead of selecting one major dish, customers to the restaurant can enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes without worrying about quantity.
Nouvelle Chinoise is what it’s called in Japan as Wakiya plates food in individual portions and serves it like French cuisine. And by testing so many techniques and recreating new, or putting a new spin on previously known dishes, some that are painstakingly difficult and some that are simple, Wakiya was able to craft delicious food which would be known worldwide.
His technique. His vision. Success.
Many who have experienced this pioneer’s food at Wakiya in Akasaka or at the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York have been fascinated by his style of cooking, his presentation but most of all the taste of Chinese cuisine. Wakiya has had several cookbooks, even competed in episodes of “Iron Chef” in Japan but this book is more about recreating Haute Chinese Cuisine the Wakiya way.
With a foreword by chef’s David Bouley and Nobu Matsushita, “HAUTE CHINESE CUISINE FROM THE KITCHEN OF WAKIYA” is broken down to the following chapters:
- APPETIZERS & SOUPS
- SEAFOOD
- MEATS & POULTRY
- VEGETABLES
- RICE & NOODLES
- DESSERTS
There are hundreds of recipes included in this book that look delicious. And then there are supplemental pages such as an introduction, basic techniques, reconstitution , supplemental recipes, list of antiques and serving ware, glossary of food and cooking items, index and acknowledgments.
“Basic Techniques” deals with preparation techniques such as pre-frying, blanching, stir fry, slurry, wok-smoking, etc.
“Reconstitution” deals with the use of dried ingredients in Chinese cuisine. From dried jellyfish, dried scallops, dried shitake mushrooms and dried tiny shrimp which I grown up with, Wakiya uses these ingredients in certain dishes.
“Supplemental Recipes” goes into additional soups that can be created. Wakiya tends to use flavored oil and although flavored oil can be purchased from Asian stores, Wakiya has his own special type of oils and shows you how to make some such as “La You Hot Oil”, “Scallion Oil”, “Wakiya Flavored Oil”, “Shrimp Oil”, etc. Especially sauces such as “Wakiya XO Sauce” or “Wakiya Peking Duck Sauce” which he refers to in the recipes which he shows the recipe of making them.
The “Glossary of Food and Cooking Terms” is important to understand such terms such as what is Burdock Root, Bottarga, Century Egg, Chao tian chili pepper and other ingredients that may seem confusing in a recipe. So, it’s great to have this included in the book.
The book of recipes presents hundreds of dishes with beautiful photography of the finalized dish on one side and the main page which features traditional Asian artwork or sculptures on the top, a paragraph or two on the creation of that recipe and the ingredients used and how to make the dish.
It’s important to know that Wakiya is quite clear and letting people know that he uses certain ingredients in his dish that are not available in the West. Wakiya’s intention is not to hide or change any of his recipes. He wanted to reveal the techniques that are used in his kitchen every day. Most importantly to give people a fresh idea of authentic Chinese food but understanding his cuisine.
As a matter of fact, a good number of the recipes are not for the beginner. For example, “Fried Shrimp Sticks” may seem like a recipe that can be easily created but when you start looking at the ingredients of using Shaoxing rice wine, scallion oil (note: Wakiya shows you how to make certain oils and sauces in later chapters), 8 sheets of caul fat and dusting it with potato starch, you realize that Wakiya really is absolute in using fresh ingredients and produce to create quality food.
Yuji Wakiya’s book is fantastic in that he reveals how his dishes are created. The overall presentation of photos in “HAUTE CHINESE CUISINE FROM THE KITCHEN OF WAKIYA” are colorful and his indepth knowledge is what many chefs can admire and for those who really want to attempt delicious food, those touched by his cuisine and want to recreate it, the techniques are the for the taking. You can start cooking like Yuji Wakiya, maybe not all of the techniques especially that require certain slicing of fins and cuisine that is like how an alchemist can come up with something unique from different ingredients, Wakiya is a professional at that.
This book is by no means for the beginner. From the ingredients used to the ideas of cooking certain dishes requires some knowledge of food and the ingredients themselves. May the book be used to recreate the dish or as a reference to recreating a dish but improvising with different ingredients. Wakiya is a true craftsman.
By looking at recipes that may seem common and simple such as “sweet and sour pork”, If you want Wakiya’s style, finding kurobuta black pork loin would be quite difficult to find in the West. Or something such as Vinegar-fried Black rice, it looks absolutely tasty but finding black sticky rice, black rice vinegar or red rice vinegar, again, something that can seem simple, utilizes ingredients will not be as easily obtainable but it all depends on your area.
Let me just say that the intention of this book and it’s presentation is fantastic. Yuji Wakiya does a great job with “HAUTE CHINESE CUISINE FROM THE KITCHEN OF WAKIYA” and learning his exceptional techniques. The question is if you are a person who is willing to look through those recipes and recreate or re-imagine his recipes for one’s personal/professional use. Wakiya is a craftsman for his cuisine, a man that has a vision of creating exceptional food using the best ingredients that he has taken years to craft.
So, there are hundreds of techniques/recipes in this book which is wonderful. Many who have had the opportunity to taste his dishes can recreate them or know how they were made. But it depends on you if this book can be served useful to your own personal tastes and recipes.