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A rare meeting of culinary minds is coming to Central this June, as Yong Fu Hong Kong (one Michelin star and one Diamond recognised) and Ta Vie (three Michelin stars and two Diamonds recognised) come together for a two-night-only dinner series. This special event, titled ‘Journey’, sees the two kitchens swap more than just recipes for a unique exchange between Ningbo and French-Japanese cuisine.
In a deliberate role reversal, Ta Vie’s chef Hideaki Sato has hand-selected ingredients for Yong Fu’s chef Liu Zhen to interpret through the lens of Ningbo tradition, while Liu has offered up Chinese staples for Sato to reimagine with his refined French-Japanese approach. Sato, whose restaurant name translates to ‘your life’ in French and ‘journey’ in Japanese, expressed a long-standing fascination with the history of Chinese ingredients, viewing the event as a way to understand another culture through ingredients. For Liu, the collaboration presents a welcome opportunity to step outside of the restaurant’s usual frameworks, work with unfamiliar ingredients, and view their own cuisine from an entirely different perspective.
The experience begins with a series of appetisers that set the stage for this exchange, including French white asparagus prepared two ways – one version by each restaurant – and a course of Ningbo winter melon, also presented in dual interpretations. What follows is a sour broth with fish maw, shrimp, and tofu ribbons from the Yong Fu team, then a special dim sum course of French pork ‘Noir de Bigorre’ dumplings from Ta Vie.
Main courses continue the cross-border theme with soy-glazed grilled brown croaker fish and dried abalone with artichoke and lily bulb served in a golden premium chicken broth. Fans of Sato’s cooking will recognise his signature guinea fowl pie with black truffle, which happens to be a personal favourite of chef Liu. The noodle courses offer a final twist, as Ta Vie’s famous sea urchin pasta will be served during the night at Yong Fu, while Liu has created a stir-fried vermicelli with shredded eel and sea urchin specifically for the evening at Ta Vie. Finally, the meal rounds off with a Ningbo bayberry dessert from Ta Vie and Yong Fu’s pan-fried Longjing tea dumplings.
The first night of the collaboration takes place at Ta Vie on June 10, before moving to Yong Fu on June 11. Each evening is limited to between 30 and 40 guests, with the menu priced at $3,588 per person. Reservations for the Yong Fu night can be made via their website or WhatsApp at 5573 0202, while those looking to book at Ta Vie can contact the restaurant via WhatsApp at 6627 9856.
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