SIGNATURES AND FAVOURITES

Chef Wong’s Secret 7

Sauce: Oyster sauce

Seasoning: Salt

Ingredient: Flour

Dish: Noodles

Cooking technique: Cantonese roasting

Spice: Kerala black pepper Signature dish: Shanghai dumpling in London and dim sum in Delhi

paneer is very similar to the process in Yunnan in the southern part of China where they use yak milk to create a curd which is very similar to paneer. I’m not shy to use these ingredients at all as long as I can honestly say to myself we are doing it respectfully,” he smiles.

Plus, he says, vegetarianism is completely global. “Before we changed the menu, we had a collection of Buddhist vegetables, salads and pickles, which was always very popular, and we’ve got a very extensive dim sum vegetarian menu here because there’s a higher demand for vegetarian food in Delhi than in London,” Wong says. “And even in London, Chinese food is very flexible in the sense that unami-carrying condiments are always there in our kitchen, so if guests have a certain requirement, it’s not that much trouble.”

MENTORING AND MICHELINS

The most challenging part of mentoring a restaurant like Baoshuan in India is the same as launching a restaurant anywhere in the world: learning about the local palate and demands. “In India, in certain dishes we have a little extra chilli, more vegetarian options and a few extra chicken dishes that replace those where meats aren’t available or allowed,” he says.

Clearly, Wong is not a purist, and more interestingly, he doesn’t perceive the Michelin star as an award. “I think of it as a loan, as a gift that someone gives you and your job is to look after and nurture it in the hope that next year they will let you continue to look after it,” he says. “If you become complacent and your standard drops, they ask us not to look after it anymore. If you look at it like that, it seems less of a stress and more like a privilege,” he says.

In 2021, being a chef is a mixture of craft, management, people skills, communication, study and dexterity, says Wong, and he is every ounce an umami-heavy mix at that!

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IBy Karishma Kuenzang

f you listen to Western music, then it can’t be possible to not have heard of Andrea Bocelli. The legendary Italian opera tenor and multi-instrumentalist is known for his versatility and also his faith in the healing power of music, which has carried him through after he lost his eyesight at the age of 12.

Assuming you haven’t, in fact, heard of Bocelli, here’s what you need to know. That the aim of his music is simple: To pay homage to the power of love and life through song.

Good Will Hunting

“I’m inspired by love in all its forms. Love is fire – the engine of the world. Without it, life would not make sense,” says Bocelli. He adds that he dreams of a world that celebrates the gift of music in peace and serenity.

“DESPITE EVERYTHING, I REMAIN OPTIMISTIC. THE WORLD STILL HAS MORE PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL. ALTHOUGH ‘GOOD’ RARELY MAKES NEWS” —ANDREA BOCELLI