A culinary feast bridging northern and southern China – the "Four-Handed" Chinese Cuisine Gala co-hosted by Renaissance Beijing Haidian Hotel and Wuhan Marriott Hotel Wuchang – kicked off successfully at the Beijing-based hotel. Titled "Craftsmanship Transmits Flavors, Blessings Shared", the gala brought together Marriott Group leaders, hotel owner representatives, authoritative media, and renowned food bloggers. Through a combination of joint chef creations, traditional blessing rituals, and gourmet tastings, it showcased the inheritance and innovation of Chinese culinary culture, creating a grand dining event filled with ceremonial charm and taste surprises.
Dual Chefs Collaborate to Showcase the Fusion of Northern and Southern Flavors
As the core highlight of the gala, Executive Chef Denghui Zhu from Wuhan Marriott Hotel Wuchang and Chinese Cuisine Chef Han Zhang from Renaissance Beijing Haidian Hotel delivered a cross-thousand-mile culinary dialogue in the "four-handed" format. Both chefs have decades of experience in Chinese cuisine, each with distinct styles yet aligned philosophies: Chef Han Zhang excels at blending local flavors with modern cooking techniques, creating dishes that balance traditional heritage and innovative ideas; Chef Denghui Zhu masters the essence of Hubei cuisine, with precise control over the original taste of ingredients and a knack for presenting the fresh texture of local "river-lake dishes" through delicate techniques.
Opening Overture: Elegant Encounter of Cold Dishes and Champagne
Chaoshan-Style Three-Cold Platter: As an appetizer, this platter combines the delicacy of Chaoshan flavors with the grandeur of northern cold dishes. It features sweet shrimp jelly with aged fragrant citrus, monkfish liver with preserved citrus, and Iberian black pork char siu with yellow peel sauce. The three flavors offer distinct layers, awakening the taste buds while setting the "fusion" tone of the gala. Paired with Jacquesson Cuvee 746 Champagne (France), the champagne’s crisp bubbles balance the savory notes of the cold platter, opening an elegant prelude to the tasting.
Soups & Seafood: A Duet of Richness and Delicacy
Xuan’en Ham Soup with Tangxun Lake Fish Balls: Simmered with the salty aroma of Xuan’en ham (Hubei Province) to create a rich broth, the dish uses fresh fish from Wuhan’s Tangxun Lake to make "fish swallows" (fish balls shaped like flying swallows), which are poached in the soup. The tender fish balls absorb the broth’s richness, offering both the sweetness of lake fish and the depth of ham – a perfect showcase of Hubei cuisine’s "freshness" essence.
Low-Temperature New Zealand Lobster with Dendrobium Juice: Fresh New Zealand lobster is slow-cooked at low temperature to lock in its tenderness, then paired with a sauce made from Yunnan dendrobium juice. The dendrobium’s sweetness merges with the lobster’s freshness, preserving the seafood’s original flavor while adding health benefits. The modern cooking technique complements the traditional ingredient’s richness. Paired with Bouchard Père & Fils Burgundy Chardonnay White Wine (France, 2021), the wine’s citrus aroma and mineral notes highlight the lobster’s delicacy and the dendrobium juice’s freshness, enhancing flavor layers.
Main Courses & Red Meat: A Collision of Richness and Fruit Aroma
Grilled Crab Legs with Dry-Roasted Ginger Shreds: The plumpness of seafood and the spiciness of ginger collide under grilling heat, creating a layered feast. Each bite delivers an intense "freshness and clear spiciness" experience. Paired with Bouchard Père & Fils Saint-Aubin White Wine (France, 2018), the wine’s tropical fruit aroma complements the crab legs’ charred notes, resulting in a mellow taste.
Ancient-Style "Jade Fat" Wagyu with Zigui Orange Aroma: Using Enshi mountain cattle – known as Hubei’s "hidden Wagyu" – the cattle graze freely in Enshi’s alpine pastures (over 800 meters above sea level) with humid climate and selenium-rich grass, resulting in firm, flavorful meat. The traditional method of "feeding cattle with corn wine lees" (similar to Japanese Wagyu fed with beer) imparts a subtle wine aroma to the beef. The dish combines the beef’s richness with the sweet-sour aroma of Zigui oranges, offering layered textures with slight caramelization and sauce sweetness. The orange aroma balances the beef’s fat, the orange’s acidity, and the sweet-savory flavors. Paired with Bouchard Père & Fils Meursault Red Wine (France, 2018), the wine’s tannins blend with the Wagyu’s fat, and the fruit aroma intertwines with the meaty flavor – a classic pairing.
Regional Specialties & Staples: Resonance of Nostalgia and Warmth
Mianyang Three-Steamed Spring Rolls with Mellow Rice Wine: Recreating the essence of Hubei’s traditional "Mianyang Three Steams" (steamed pork, fish, and vegetables), the filling is wrapped in spring rolls and fried to golden crispness. Biting into it reveals the savory aroma of steamed dishes. Served with warm Hubei rice wine, the wine’s sweetness and the spring rolls’ crispness create a "soft-crisp balance and sweet-savory harmony", evoking memories of regional cuisine. Paired with Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune Castle White Wine (France, 2017), the wine’s nutty aroma complements the spring rolls’ savoriness and the rice wine’s sweetness, highlighting the unique charm of regional flavors.
Honghu Lotus Root Soup with Lotus-Scented Rice: Simmered with starchy lotus roots from Hubei’s Honghu Lake, the soup is rich and sweet, with tender lotus root chunks. It is paired with rice infused with lotus leaf aroma – the subtle lotus scent of the rice blends with the soup’s richness, warming the stomach and offering the comfort of "home-style" dining, letting guests feel the warmth of everyday life amid the exquisite feast.
Dessert: A Refreshing and Luxurious Finale
Tongqu Dessert (Green Apple Cream + Apple Pomelo Bird’s Nest + Apple Ice Blossom + Apple Caramel): As the closing dessert, it centers on "apple" and presents four refreshing textures: light and smooth green apple cream, luxurious and nourishing apple pomelo bird’s nest, crystal-clear and refreshing apple ice blossom, and sweet and rich apple caramel. The layered textures clear the palate and refresh the taste buds, bringing the entire tasting to a perfect end.
At the gala, the two chefs shared their creative philosophy: "We hope to break regional boundaries and let the ‘elegance of Beijing’ meet the ‘vitality of Wuhan’ on the plate. Every detail, from ingredient selection to plating design, embodies the ingenuity of ‘north-south integration’," which won unanimous praise from the guests.
Blessing Ceremony with Earthen Jar: Inheriting Culture and Conveying Warmth
To enrich the gala with deeper cultural connotations, a special "Blessing with Earthen Jar" ceremony was held. The earthen jar covered with red silk symbolized the auspicious meaning of "collecting blessings and good fortune". A "fortune" character (written by Tian Zhen, Chairman of Dongsheng Science and Technology Park Yizhan Technology) was wrapped around the jar. This segment not only echoes the traditional Chinese wish of "full jar of blessings" but also symbolizes the original intention of cooperation: "North and South join hands to bestow blessings, and a jar of auspiciousness awaits guests to receive."
[All images are courtesy of Renaissance Beijing Haidian Hotel and Wuhan Marriott Hotel Wuchang]
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