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| - Chef's Matter... Really they do!
Today I learned that who is behind the Wok makes all the difference in the world. If this had been my first visit to Ha Long Bay, I may not have returned. Which is really sad, because the food has always been outstanding, at least until today.
As a vegetarian I was blown away by the complex flavors that were present in my first dish of Ha Long Bay's Stir fried vegetables. It wasn't until after much research that I discovered that the flavors that I was experiencing were not achieved from a specific ingredient, but rather a cooking technique known as "Wok Hei" which involves cooking fresh ingredients, in a well seasoned Wok over extreme heat. But it is so much more than just cooking over a high heat. Creating Wok Hei is so tricky to get right that often it is used as a measure of a Chinese chef's skill, and these chefs often spend years trying to perfect the art. Which is why when I was asked how everything was, I explained how very different this meal had been from all the others I have had there. It was very disheartening. So much so, I actually had to resort to using soy sauce to add some kind of flavor to my meal. Something I had never needed to do on previous visits.
As I explained how things were different, I also asked if there was someone else cooking tonight? To which the waitress replied "Yes" she went on to tell us that the regular chef Tom, was not cooking tonight... That the person usually in charge of preparing the appetizers was cooking... Which may also explain why the appetizers that we had ordered were severely over cooked... Who was making the appetizers while she was doing the main cooking??
I sincerely hope that Chef Tom is Ok... That it was just his night off, or perhaps he is on Vacation... If he is out sick, I wish him a speedy recovery not only for his sake, but for the sake of the restaurant as well.
Please, please, please let it be something as simple as that... God forbid anything worse, or that he has left the restaurant...
You see, Chef's Really Do Matter. For without them, you really are just another flavorless Fast Food Chinese Restaurant, lost in a sea of mediocrity that isn't worth it's weight in soy sauce.
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