[Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Special Line] The Taiwanese chef who stayed: Cooking delicious food on an iron plate
China News Service, Dongshan, Fujian, April 6th: Title: The Taiwanese chef who stayed: Cooking delicious food on an iron plate
Author Zhu Chunyan Lin Xiaohong Xie Lili
"Come to Dongshan, stay in Dongshan, stay in Dongshan..." This is the reflection of Taiwanese chef Ye Shifang's mentality of taking root in Dongshan County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province.
If Teppanyaki is Ye Shifang’s “love of his life” that he can’t let go of, then Dongshan is Ye Shifang’s “joy at first sight, but still makes people excited after a long time.” In Dongshan, he used an iron plate to cook delicious food and savor the nostalgia, living up to the supreme romance that "starts with the first meeting and ends with old age".
On March 22, Ye Shifang was cooking Teppanyaki food. Photo by Zhu Chunyan
At one end of Nanmen Bay in Dongshan, I walked through a winding road and arrived at Wanman Teppanyaki Restaurant. I first met Ye Shifang. He was cooking delicious food for the guests sitting in a circle.
The hot iron plates crackle and the aroma quickly spreads. With skillful movements, Ye Shifang uses the cooking tools in his hands to stir-fry, bake, and arrange the ingredients in various shapes, bringing a visual and taste feast to diners.
Ye Shifang started working as an apprentice in the catering industry at the age of 16 and is now a chef with more than 40 years of experience in Teppanyaki cooking. In 1999, he came to Shanghai from Taiwan and served as the chef of China's first Teppanyaki restaurant. Since then, he has traveled to major cities and has been committed to the exchange and integration of cross-strait catering culture.
Ye Shifang, who is nearly 60 years old, has the idea of retiring and returning to Taiwan. But last November, he was invited by a friend to Dongshan for vacation. Unexpectedly, the idea of "staying" grew in his heart after arriving.
"I feel very relaxed when I come to Dongshan." Ye Shifang said. When I first arrived in Dongshan, a familiar feeling emerged spontaneously. Every wave, every cloud, and every breath of air here seemed to be telling the story of "I started with you." Meeting each other is like returning from an old friend.”
"The sea view in Dongshan is very beautiful, and the climate, scenery, and culture are very similar to my hometown." Dongshan's customs and customs made Ye Shifang feel a long-lost intimacy. He spent two weeks immersing himself in local life and feeling the local customs. He also investigated the ingredients and market prospects of Teppanyaki from a professional perspective, and finally decided to "stay".
"Teppanyaki is my passion, and Dongshan is my favorite place. I just want to do Teppanyaki catering here." By chance, Ye Shifang joined Wanman Restaurant and started his Teppanyaki business in Dongshan. cause.
On March 22, Ye Shifang (right) drank tea and chatted with her neighbors. Photo by Zhu Chunyan
Teppanyaki pursues more authentic taste, and Ye Shifang has also made great efforts to make Teppanyaki, a "young kid" who is new to Dongshan, able to follow the local customs. He walked around the streets making tea and chatting with local people about their eating habits, and visited local markets to look for ingredients that locals love.
"We can't just say that the taste of Teppanyaki must be uniform, but it must also match the tastes of local people, so that it can be better integrated into Dongshan." Ye Shifang said that more often than not, he is busy improving and innovating dishes. I want to promote Teppanyaki cuisine to this place that makes him nostalgic.
In just a few months, he used exquisite materials, solid workmanship and rich changes in making Teppanyaki, allowing Teppanyaki to achieve a perfect taste bud balance between "foreign" and "local", and became a gourmet gourmet in Dongshan. My favorite Teppanyaki chef.
Today, Ye Shifang's children have already married and started a business, and he and his wife have reached a consensus to take root in Dongshan. He said that his biggest wish now is to bring the Teppanyaki cuisine he has learned and the traditional taste of Taiwan to diners, and to promote cross-strait exchanges with delicious dishes. (over)