Tou Zao
What is the experience of a Chinese omakase? It's like being specially treated by the chef or owner and dining at a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant right by the kitchen.
Tou Zao, from my experience in the past two years, is the best traditional Chinese restaurant I've dined at. The last time I felt this way was at Lung King Heen in Hong Kong, a long-standing Michelin three-star. It's too soon to say Tou Zao is at that level, being only its second day of official operation, but this model of Chinese omakase has its charm and potential. If focused efforts are made, achieving three Michelin stars in five to ten years is possible. I'll discuss these efforts later and first talk about its allure.
Among the many dimensions of a dish, the two most easily perceived by diners are ingredients and temperature. Tou Zao focuses on these, showcasing meticulous ingredient selection (like using only a single piece of meat from a whole chicken leg, leading to a high food wastage rate) and ensuring the dish reaches the table within seconds of cooking.
This "meticulous and delicate" approach is quite selective of its clientele. Not many can truly appreciate, respect, and pay a premium for such intricacies, especially after excluding the medium to large business banquet segment (6-12 people).
Some predict it will be hard to get a reservation here, but unless there's a black swan event (like being heavily promoted by a famous influencer), I don't see it happening soon. The wealthy can impress dates with Japanese cuisine, couples often choose “photo-friendly” Western restaurants by the Bund or in garden villas for anniversaries, and business diners prefer spacious and private environments.
I believe Tou Zao's first wave of clientele will be similar to those of Obscura and 102. Direct competitors of Tou Zao are Obscura and 102, who, through "new interpretation" and "ancient methods," have gradually blurred diners' perception of price, leading them to pay for "concept, method, craftsmanship, and time." Now, Tou Zao comes along, asking patrons to pay for "food wastage."
Of course, to appreciate the intricacy, Michelin inspectors might frown upon such high wastage rates (revealed directly in the narrative), as it doesn't align with environmental sustainability. My suggestion is to open a secondary, more affordable eatery downstairs, using the ingredients that would otherwise be discarded or served as staff meals. The two brands should be visually distinct, so downstairs diners aren't aware they're eating leftovers from upstairs (#cheekyidea).
Back to the cuisine itself, while labeled as Chinese, its main style is Cantonese, reflecting the kitchen's background. My initial impression of dining like a "privileged guest in a Michelin-starred Cantonese kitchen" stems from the fact that, in high-end traditional Chinese cuisine, ordinary diners can only perceive 70-80% of the kitchen's true capability.
Michelin-starred Cantonese cuisine can certainly reach over 90% potential when the kitchen is fully fired up, but if relaxed, it can drop to 75%. Few diners can discern the difference between 75% and 90%, but for the kitchen team, maintaining a steady 90% is a steep climb. This is why people say "you have to know the chef in Chinese restaurants," as sometimes only those who do get to experience the kitchen's full potential.
Here, no need for such formalities. Everyone dines like a privileged guest, with only the best parts of the dish served, sparing much hassle.
The menu I hold is Tou Zao's first post-official-opening set, covering soups, snacks, appetizers, hot dishes, mains, and desserts, adhering to a logical narrative flow. Notably, the placement of snacks is quite early, reflecting the concept of "dim sum" in Cantonese cuisine.
The restaurant strictly starts serving at 6:30 PM, with no make-up for latecomers. Upon seating, tea is served first - a 2009 Fujian Peony King, accompanied by a hot towel.
The first soup, with Fujian Yong'an bamboo shoots, is uncommon, offering a subtly sweet and woody taste. Vegetarian soups (including those in high-end vegetarian restaurants) tend to have a lighter base.
The Imperial Egg Tart with bird's nest, made with winter melon sugar and lemon to counter fishiness, is placed early in the course, with sweetness intentionally reduced for a pure flavor. Sichuan-style fish slices, combining Sichuan dipping sauce and soy sauce with sea bream sashimi, sprinkled with kinome and peanuts, provide a mild numbing and spicy sensation, adding a "Sichuan-Japanese fusion" touch to the appetizer. Guifei Crispy Chicken, similar to Dong Fang Jing Yuan's signature pigeon dish, uses just six pieces of skin from an entire chicken, all from beside the leg. Paired with scallions for balance, though the quantity was too little to feel heavy, leaving one craving more.
Entering the hot dishes section, there are eight in total, with stir-frying alone divided into five categories: clear stir-fry, explosive stir-fry, raw stir-fry, hot stir-fry, and soft stir-fry, plus a stir-fried main.
The first dish, Longjing Stir-fried Geoduck. Focused on "clarity," ingredients are finely processed and not thickened. The geoduck has a gentle and clear taste, reminiscent of Obscura's Longjing shrimp.
The second dish, Olive Stir-fried Wagyu. M12 Australian beef diced into small cubes, perfectly cooked to medium-rare, stir-fried with olives for a juicy taste surpassing oiliness. Chef Dong explained the simple reason for choosing olives: "Because they're expensive."
The third dish, Hangzhou Pepper Stir-fried Natural Eel. Jiangyin eel, freshly killed and manually deboned, offering an easy, light texture. The taste resembles Hangzhou pepper pork, with the raw stir-fry technique ensuring flavor infusion and a smooth, light texture. My favorite hot dish of the evening.
The fourth dish, Natural Tiger Grouper Balls. Using the most expensive yellow-skin tiger grouper, paired with seasonal morels and asparagus, quickly fried with high heat. Grouper has a strong taste and, due to its size, the cooking was uneven - one piece was excellent, the other average. Optionally served with grilled fish cheeks, offering rich flavor and crispiness.
The fifth dish, Milk Stir-fried Prawns. Slowly frying milk with soft stir-fry, the high-quality, high-protein milk exudes a rich flavor, matched with just-cooked flower shrimp and covered with fire pupil powder. Salty with a lasting taste, it's visually akin to a cute sushi.
The sixth dish, Three Onion Stir-fried Lobster. A signature dish from Tang Ge, revealing the kitchen's background. Only 1.2-1.3 kg lobsters are used, as larger ones look impressive but decrease in quality. The lobster, with its shell, is stir-fried with onions, scallions, and shallots, accompanied by small onion rings, symbolizing unity and completeness.
The seventh dish, Shanghai Green Vegetable Heart. Frost-bitten green vegetable hearts, only the tenderest parts used, paired with pork lard, offering a soft, clean taste even for someone who dislikes vegetables.
The eighth dish, Crab Meat Shark Fin Spring Roll. The most anticipated dish, with crab meat and shark fin stir-fried at the start of the hot dishes. This year's autumn crab banquet at Fu 1015 also paired crab roe with shark fin, showing a similar idea. As it's off-season, only crab leg meat was used, which, compared to crab roe, lacks richness. Dipping sauces include Shanghai chili oil and Ninghua Prefecture aged vinegar. If paired with Italian balsamic vinegar, the flavor might be richer, as both Chao Hui Hui's fish maw and Tian Ji's hairy crab pouch use balsamic vinegar, which pairs well with seafood.
In between the hot dishes, green grapes with Martini are served as a palate cleanser, and sesame walnut pieces as a snack.
The main course features Wuchang rice from Northeast China, paired with beef Sichuan pepper mapo tofu, chive stir-fried meat, alongside geoduck clear soup. If still hungry, more Chaoshan marbled beef stir-fried ho fun is available. This section caters to those with larger appetites. The rice is soft and sweet, tempting me to have another bowl despite being full.
Finally, the dessert and tea section. The desserts here aren't the type that elicit gasps of amazement or creativity upon arrival. Instead, they represent traditional sweets taken to their flavor pinnacle. A small wife cake, rich in butter aroma, with flaky pastry that's hot to the touch. Almond served both cold and hot: silky almond tofu and warming almond tea, reminiscent of double-skin milk.
Dining here on the second day of official operation was a joy, both in terms of food and conversation. The team of four chefs and two servers were all dedicated and passionate.
Some suggestions:
Develop a unique aesthetic vision. The current environmental design, table setting, and utensil choices are too influenced by Japanese aesthetics.
Service model: Emulate high-end Japanese sushi restaurants in catering to both new and regular customers, including remembering clients' surnames and preferences and reading the room during service.
Conceptualize dishes: Currently, there's a heavy Cantonese influence. Consider integrating flavors from Taizhou, Sichuan, and other cuisines for wider appeal. Along with refined presentation, recycle existing waste.
In terms of explaining the dishes, besides having a prepared script, it's important to be more adaptable in responding to customers' questions. It's essential to think beyond just "specialness" and consider other aspects such as unique aromas, textures, or even the growth methods of the ingredients, to cater to various inquiries.
