Experienced chef, celebrated restaurateur, and pioneer on fusion cuisine, Jean-Georges Vongerichten recently took his Italian casual dining concept Mercato to Hong Kong. The Alsatian chef stopped by at his new concept at Lan Kwai Fong’s California Tower during the restaurant’s opening period, and shared his humble beginnings and how Asia spices up his journey in food. 

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It is always about ingredients. I started cooking when I was 16 and immediately I learned how to skin rabbits, pluck chickens, carving deer and scaling fish. 43 years later I’m still loving restaurant work.

The first thing I tried in Thai cuisine was tom yum soup. It was the collision of flavours, herbs and spices that inspired me to further my discovery in Asian ingredients.

I did not start the fusion cuisine movement. My fondness to experiment with East and West cuisines facilitated the movement, but through spices both worlds have been experimenting for centuries before me.

Good quality ingredients always come first. We want everything fresh, or ingredients at their prime, from meat to fish to good salt and pepper. Good ingredients make the dishes shine.

Hygiene is important in the kitchen. There is no room for errors like cross contamination, and the level of cleanliness in the kitchen reflects on how well the guests perceive about the chefs.

In today’s day and age, dining out is an everyday thing, unlike 20 years ago it was an elaborate celebration. The key thing for us to create though, is to make something special for the guests so they want to come back.

Flavour always comes first, then textures and presentation. These days you can get by without good presentation if the former two combinations work wonders.

Mercato is about sharing: the joy of good food made with prime ingredients. 40% of the entire menu is based on market availability, and that means local seafood and produce too.

Mercato Hong Kong, 8/F California Tower, 32 D'Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central; +852 3706 8567

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