Mao’s revolution upon us
Chinese restaurant a ‘game changer’ in Auckland
Anew fine-dining restaurant centred around communist leader Mao Zedong aims to revolutionise the Chinese food scene in Auckland.
The man behind Red Wall 1939, due to open next month at the Parnell
Rose Garden, is Jian
(Kevin) Liu — whose grandfather was Chairman Mao’s executive chef for more than 20 years.
The degustation menu will offer myriad flavours based on Mao’s taste and cost upwards of $170 per person.
“Chinese food has long been a favourite of New Zealanders, but for many it’s just fried won tons and sweet sour pork from the Chinese takeaway,” said Associate Professor Henry Chung, a Massey University China expert.
“This ‘six-star’ Chinese restaurant will be a true game changer to how Kiwis think and see Chinese dining.”
Chung said linking itself to Mao was a “brilliant marketing strategy” because the founding father of the People’s Republic of China was one of the mainland’s most well-known and controversial figures.
“You will have people who love the guy and those who loathe him, but either way it will get people talking about the restaurant,” Chung said. Liu’s grandfather Ruming Cheng is recognised as one of China’s top chefs and one of just 16 to ever be awarded a culinary master title in China.
“I aim to shift away from the typical noodles, dumplings and fried rice that come to be associated with ‘Chinese food’,” Liu said. “I want to present a degustation experience that’s totally new to New Zealand.”
His restaurant in Dove Myer Robinson Park will specialise in dishes which were once only enjoyed by the Chinese elite in the Qing Dynasty and in Mao’s kitchen, but with a modern twist. It will offer a royal high tea, which comes with pastries using recipes dating back thousands of years.
One of its signature dishes will be hong shao rou, or red-braised pork, which is widely known as Mao’s favourite. Mao was even reported to have asked for the dish to celebrate the People’s Liberation Army winning an uphill battle during China’s civil war in 1947.
“Our food also represents important moments in China’s history, and Mao’s red-braised pork is an example of such a historic dish,” Liu said.
Liu said the food and flavours at Red Wall would be unique because it was based on “exclusive recipes” handed down to him by his grandfather.