GORDON GUO, the newly appointed executive Chinese chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Guangzhou, is a well-known master of “collecting food ingredients.”

    “There is no better way to acquire food ingredients than collecting them yourself in the wild,” said Guo. Every dish he cooks is unique and full of surprises. Looking at his menu, you will find many unique ingredients. His imagination and creative thinking are fully demonstrated in his new menu “Natural·Lai Heen,” which features eight dishes to showcase his creativity.

    Guo is extremely adept at collecting natural food ingredients that are related to his experiences of growing up. Raised near the forest because of the family fungus business, Guo loves exploring nature to find fresh ingredients. “In my spare time, I love venturing into the virgin forest or visiting the mountains in the northern part of Guangdong to search for wild mushrooms. Moving aside those hanging vines to find wild fungus hidden behind them is my joy,” he says.

    Customers can see distinctive Cantonese characteristics in his dishes. “Taken from nature, cooked with freedom and enjoyed with ease,” he says, revealing himself completely through his cooking. It is this passion that led him to his life’s philosophy: “The species of ingredients are countless. Knowing and collecting them all will never be easy, but you can keep searching for different ingredients to improve your cooking.”

    You will see special ingredients in Lai Heen’s new menu, including rare grifola frondosa and tamarillo from Yunnan, sea cucumbers from Zhangzi Island, yellow croakers from Yellow Sea and many others. Born in Guangdong, Guo has over 13 years of culinary experience. He has served as the executive Chinese chef for a number of international hotel brands.

    (SD News)