Last week, I went to have dinner at Shang Palace in Shangri-La Eros, New Delhi, for an exclusive preview of a limited-time culinary pop-up — Wok This Hui — hosted by the talented chef Luo Ming Hui.
Chef Luo Ming Hui is the Chef de Cuisine at Shang Palace, a signature Chinese restaurant at Shangri-La Claryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi. With over a decade of international experience across China, Abu Dhabi and Mauritius, chef Hui is highly skilled in Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines.
In India, whenever Chinese cuisine is mentioned, you are either thinking of the spicy Indo-Chinese (or more specifically, Punjabified ‘Chinese’) or Peking Duck. But there is more to the cuisine, and that's what chef Hui aimed to do at the Shang Palace pop-up. From juicy, crispy duck and Hainan-style fried rice to dried scallop chicken soup and pan-seared lamb chops, each dish was not only a glimpse into chef Hui's cooking but also a taste of what elevated yet simple Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine could taste like.
What was served
Cantonese cuisine is often described as being about restraint—letting the quality of the ingredient speak for itself—while Sichuan cuisine is much more assertive with spice, aroma and seasoning. When asked how he approaches these two cuisines when designing a menu, chef Hui simply stated that for him, Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine are very different, but it is also about understanding how to get the best out of ingredients.
{{/usCountry}}Cantonese cuisine is often described as being about restraint—letting the quality of the ingredient speak for itself—while Sichuan cuisine is much more assertive with spice, aroma and seasoning. When asked how he approaches these two cuisines when designing a menu, chef Hui simply stated that for him, Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine are very different, but it is also about understanding how to get the best out of ingredients.
{{/usCountry}}“In Cantonese cooking, I rely on precise heat control, good stock-making and simple, clean techniques so that the freshness and quality of the ingredient can really speak for itself. With Sichuan cuisine, I enjoy bringing in more intensity through ingredients like Sichuan pepper and doubanjiang, which add aroma, warmth and depth,” he explained.
And each dish reflected that philosophy. There was no performance, just a journey through flavours and textures. I was served:
Crispy duck with plum sauce; jelly mushroom salad with pomelo and goji berry; dried scallop chicken soup; lamb taro puff; sea bass and chenpi dumpling; truffle with mushroom dumpling; spicy edamame dumpling; crispy honey orange glazed jumbo lotus; crispy prawn with mustard sauce; wok-fried lobster cheese with E-fu noodle; sizzling chicken clay pot; pan-seared New Zealand lamb chop with black pepper sauce; Hainan-style vegetable rice; and Hong-Kong style shrimp wonton lomin. And the meal ended with traditional mango soup.
Designing the menu
Working with both cuisines gave chef Hui the chance to strike a balance between them rather than letting one overpower the other. “So you might have a delicate Cantonese seafood dish followed by something with the bold warmth and complexity of a Sichuan pepper sauce,” he added.
But does he compromise on ingredients or techniques when cooking a cuisine in a country with a different palate, or does authenticity trump everything else? In response, the chef stated that while being authentic to the cuisine is important, he also believes in respecting the local context, because authenticity doesn’t mean you can never adapt a dish.
“I never compromise the soul of the dish, such as the technique, the balance and the key ingredients that give it its character. For example, in Sichuan cuisine, I want to use real Sichuan peppercorns to create that distinctive numbing sensation, while in Cantonese cooking, freshness and ingredient quality are extremely important,” he shared.
At the same time, he adds that he is quite flexible with local produce; if a particular ingredient isn’t available, he may use a local fish or vegetable with similar characteristics, while still following the appropriate traditional Chinese cooking techniques. “For me, good adaptation should make the cuisine more accessible to diners while still preserving the identity and integrity of the dish.”
There's more to Sichuan cuisine than being just ‘spicy’
Sichuan cuisine is often reduced internationally to simply being ‘spicy’, but chef Hui countered that Sichuan cuisine is much more than just heat. “For me, it is really about a symphony of flavours. When people think of Sichuan food, they often focus on chilli, but there is so much more going on. Take flavours like yu xiang, or “fish-fragrant,” and ma la, the combination of numbing and spicy sensations; they bring together sweet, sour, salty, umami, aromatic and numbing notes in different ways.”
“What I find most interesting about Sichuan cooking is how these flavours are layered, so you get complexity and depth with every bite. The spice should create excitement, but it should never overpower the other flavours or the ingredient itself,” he added.
Lastly, after working across the globe — China, Abu Dhabi, Mauritius and now India — chef Hui stated that he understands that while palates can be very different, the appreciation for good cooking is universal. “In India, there is a natural comfort with bold spices and stronger flavours, which makes Sichuan cuisine especially interesting for me.”
He added, “These experiences have definitely made me a more adaptable chef; I’ve learned to listen to local preferences and work with local ingredients while still keeping the identity of my cooking intact. I would say my cooking has evolved with every place I’ve worked, but the foundation remains the same: respect for the ingredients, respect for the technique, and consistency in execution.”
Moreover, having extensive experience with Cantonese wok cooking and dim sum, chef Hui believes the real secrets to making a perfect meal are timing and temperature, which are often the details diners don’t see. He explained, “With wok cooking, for example, they may not notice the wok hei, or the 'breath of the wok,' but they can experience it through that distinctive smoky aroma and flavour, and achieving that requires very precise heat control and timing.”
Meanwhile, with dim sum, there are just as many small details that make a difference, for instance, the knife work, how the filling is prepared and balanced, and even the thickness of the wrapper, he states. “Something as simple as a shrimp dumpling can really change in texture depending on how carefully each of these steps is handled. For me, it is these small details, repeated consistently, that ultimately make a dish feel simple on the plate but very carefully crafted in the kitchen.”
The author was hosted by Shang Palace at Shangri-La Eros, New Delhi, upon editorial invitation.