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Published on October 3, 2007

Renowned Chinese chef Jereme Leung is back in Bangkok this week, delighting diners at the Oriental Hotel's China House Cantonese restaurant with some tantalising dishes that were popular in the 1960s but today cannot be found on the menus of even the most exclusive restaurants.

Despite his heavy workload for several restaurants in Shanghai, Leung, who is considered the most important Chinese chef of his era, makes a point of visiting Thailand at least twice a year to evaluate the menus he designed for China House and whip up some of his own specialities.

Back in the '60s, explains the Hong Kong-born chef, most Chinese cooks were hired by rich families and the emphasis was on taste rather than on presentation.

The task of these chefs was to create the finest dishes no matter how long it took. They spent days dreaming up and creating sophisticated menus to please their masters. These dishes are no longer made by today's restaurateurs because they are too complicated, take too much work and involve a lot of processes that can only be done by hand.

In addition, many of the ingredients, such as pork fat, are today considered unhealthy, and have been replaced with lean and fat-free alternatives.

Leung has taken these health concerns into account and adapted the traditional menus, but his reputation as a master of presentation has remained intact.

A glistening example arrives in the shape one of the appetisers of the period, the trio of tidbits  cooked in three different ways - deep-fried, sauteed and roasted.

His twice-cooked crispy chicken shreds served in a fluffy pastry is deliciously light. The delicate pastry melts in the mouth while the finely shredded chicken has been fried twice so that the meat is truly crispy. Equally tasty is the chicken served with tea-smoked frog legs and flavoured with Chinese spices, and the traditional golden coin barbecue chicken Cantonese style.

Next up are the dim sum. Leung has chosen a duo of lobster and seafood dumplings prepared in two ways, steamed in a thin white wrap and served wanton-style in soup.

We also sample juicy pork dumplings wrapped in a soft bun and served with lemongrass sour sauce on a hot plate. Wow!

Five main courses are available. There's double-boiled shark's fin soup served in a pear with Chinese almonds and jujube and crispy chicken with shrimp mousse '60s style, a perfect example of the culinary heritage of the period. Also known as golden dragon chicken, this delicious dish has a deep-fried crunch that gives way to the tender, moist chicken with shrimp mousse inside.

The rich and satisfying red garoupa rolls with Chinese ham and vegetables require careful hand-rolling and precision in cutting. The steamed crab roe and seafood egg-white parcel, which Leung has designed to resemble a colourful flower, brings together lobster, crab, scallop, mushroom and water chestnuts on an island that's surrounded by a soup made of duck, carrot and Chinese herbs.

The last main course on offer is home-made mustard noodles topped with savoury minced pork. Marriage Frere tea from France helps clean the palate before dessert is served.

Leung is well known for his new interpretations of Shanghainese cuisine so it's no surprise that his desserts come with a cosmopolitan twist.

The pan-seared glutinous rice dumpling conceals a secret - a filling of dark chocolate and banana - while the sweet green bean soup gets a texture makeover with small cubes of water chestnut and sweet young coconut juice, all served in the coconut.

The promotion is available for lunch and dinner through Sunday. Call (02) 659 9000, extension "the China House". Reservations are recommended.

Juthamas Cholthavornpong

 The Nation