The lonely life of the Chinese chef
Chef Zhang in the CIA kitchens
Recently I went with the head chef of Barshu, Zhang Xiaozhong, to give some presentations at the Worlds of Flavour conference at the Culinary Institute of America (generally known, amusingly, as the CIA). As we were driving back to San Francisco after the event, I asked Chef Zhang about his plans for the Chinese New Year, and he replied with this wistful little poem about the life of the chef, slaving away over a hot stove while everyone else celebrates with their families:
他人家ä¸èš  Other people gather in their homes
我望锅ä¸æ²¹  I gaze at the oil in the wok
妙手烹万物  Using my subtle hands to cook ten thousand
ingredients
厨房度春秋  Working in the kitchen as the seasons pass
4 Responses to “The lonely life of the Chinese chef”
A bit said, it sounds like a mini movie…
Interesting view of how lonely the life of a chef can be, sad really. I got out of restaurant kitchens as soon as I could…..tough old life.
It was a pleasure to meeto both of you, and just sad to see chef´s eyes and not being able to comunicate, He has a wonderful smile, and a warm look
my best to both of you,
I wish I’d known you were in the States! The “Future Events” link over there –> isn’t working.