The importance of food in China is well pictured in one of their greetings, which translates to “have you eaten?”. Eating opportunities are all over the city, and even if there is no restaurant or food stand nearby, there will be a trailer or grill at the corner serving cooked, roasted or raw delicacies. I’m open to any new experiences so I wanted to try everything the locals eat too. This article sums up my food related adventures in Beijing.
One month ago Noémi and I were part of a very special and unique evening: we had to cook and plate a three-course menu for 60 people at the mesa Restaurant of the Hotel Grand Hyatt in Berlin. Several famous people from the German gastronomy scene were among the invited guests like restaurant critic and “taster of the nation” Wolfram Siebeck and his wife Barbara, the celebrity chefs Cornelia Poletto and Ali Güngörmüs as well as the former German Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture and possibly the next Mayor of Berlin Renate Künast. It was the final of the 2011 ZEIT cooking competition, where we were invited as finalists for the final cook-off.
The Jury (from left): Martina Olufs, Barbara and Wolfram Siebeck, Cornelia Poletto, myself, Noémi, Renate Künast, Ernst Petry, Ali Güngörmüs (© ZEIT-Verlag / Sina Preikschat)