Britishcuisine(烹饪)hascomeofageinrecentyearsaschefs(厨师)combinethebestofoldandnew.
WhydoesBritishfoodhaveareputationforbeingsobad?Becauseitisbad!ThosearenotthemostencouragingwordstohearjustbeforeeatinglunchatoneofHongKong'ssmartestBritishrestaurants,Alfie'sbyKEE,butheadchefNeilTomeshasmoretosay.
"Thepast15yearsorsohavebeenanoticeableperiodofimprovementforfoodinEngland,"theEnglishchefsays,citingthetrendinBritishcuisineforbetteringredients,preparationandcookingmethods,andmoreappealingpresentation.ChefssuchasDeliaSmith,NigelSlater,JamieOliverandGordonRamsaymadetothepublicrealizethatcooking---andeating---didn'thavetobeaboringthing.Andnow,mostoftheBritishpublicisfamiliarevenwiththeextremesofHestonBlumentha'smoleculargastronomy,aformofcookingthatemploysscientificmethodstocreatetheperfectdish.
"It'snolongerthecasethatthecommonmaninEnglandisembarrassedtoshowheknowsaboutfood,"Tomessays.
Therewasplentyofroomforimprovement.Theproblemswiththenation'scuisinecanbetracedbacktotheSecondWorldWar.BeforetheWar,muchofBritain'sfoodwasimportedandwhenGermanU-boatsbeganattackingshipsbringingfoodtothecountry,Britainwentonrations(配给).
"Asrationingcametoanendinthe1950s,technologypickedupandwasusedtomass-producefood,"Tomessays."Andbythenpeoplewerejusthappytohaveadecentquantityoffoodintheirkitchens."
Theyweren'tlookingforcuredmeats,organicproduceorbeautifulpresentation:theywerelookingforwhatevertheycouldgettheirhandson,andthisprioritizationofquantityoverqualityprevailedfordecades,meaningagenerationwasbroughtupwithfoodthatcouldn'tcompetewithneighboringFrance,Italy,BelgiumorSpain.
BeforestarchefssuchasOliverbeganmakingcookingfashionable,itwashardtofindarestaurantinLondonthatwasopenafter9p.m.Butinrecentyearsthecapital'sculinary(烹饪的)scenehasdevelopedtothepointthatitisnowconfidentofitsabilitytopleasethetastesofanyinternationalvisitor.
WiththeopeningofAlfie'sinApril,andotherssuchasThePawn,twoyearsago,modernBritishfoodhasmadeitswaytoHongKong."WithBritishfood,IthinkthatHongKongrestaurantsarekeepingup,"saysDavidTamlyn,theWelshexecutivechefatThePawninWanChai."HongKingdinersareextremelyresponsivetonewideasorpresentations,whichisgoodnewsfornewdishes."
ChefsagreethatdinersinHongKongareembracingthemodernBritishtrend.Somerestaurantsaremodifyingtherecipes(菜谱)ofBritishdishestobreathenewlifeintotheclassics,whileothersareusingbetterqualityingredientsbutremainingtruetoBritishtraditionsandtastes.
Tamlynisinthesecondcamp."Weselectourfoodveryparticularly.WeuseUSbeef,NewZealandlambandforourcustards(牛奶蛋糊)weuseBird'sCustardPowder,"Tamlynsays."Somerestaurantsgoforcustardmadefreshwitheggs,sugarandcream,butBritishcustardisdifferent,andwestaytruetothat."
MatthewHill,seniormanageratthetwo-year-oldSoHorestaurantYorkshirePudding,alsousesbetteringredientssuchameansofimprovingdishes."TherearealotofexcitingperceptionsaboutBritishfoodandsowecan'talterthesetoomuch.We'reatraditionalBritishrestaurantsotherearesomestaples(主菜)thatwillremainessentiallyunchanged."
Thesetraditionaldishesincludefishandchips,steakandkidneypieandlargepiecesofroastedmeats.AtAlfie's,thenewestoftheBritishrestaurantsintownandperhapsthemostgentlemen'sclub-likeindesign,NeilTomesexplainshispassionforprovenance(原产地)."Britainhasstartedtobecomereallyproudofthefoodit'sproducing.Ithasexcellentorganicfarms,beautifullycraftedcheese,high-qualitymeats."
However,theBritishdon'thaveahistoryofexportingtheirfoodstuffs,whichmakesitdifficultforrestaurantsinHongKongtosourceauthenticingredients.
