Tony Lu– The Chinese new era Chef
Tony Lu is the Executive Chef of the restaurant called “Fu 1088” which is located in Shanghai. He manages a Chinese restaurant and shows the unique precision and patience belonging to western restaurant management style.
Tony Lu was born in Shanghai. It’s not easy to describe his understanding and enlightenment to Shanghai cuisine through simple words. It is an emotion from his heart and childhood memories. His decision to become a Chef stemmed from his passionate love of cooking. Tony Lu not only studies assiduously the essence and development of Shanghai cuisine during working hours and spare time but he also grasps all opportunities to analyse and learn the advantages of some local and overseas Chefs and then blends them into his own cooking style. To achieve this kind of 100% commitment, he needs passion and at times even obsession. The role of a Chef is an extremely hard working job. Massive energy is needed, no vacation can be possible, and you must start from a very junior position to achieve what is so sort after through years of experience. In the early years of this profession the rewards are very minimal and many people who start do not last.
When working in a western restaurant, Tony Lu learned the precise working attitude from a Western Chef. ‘Work patiently, not hastily, and try your best’ has become the motto of Tony Lu. Patience is a virtue in this job.
The biggest wish of Tony Lu is to contribute himself immensely to the entire industry promoting the social status of Chinese cuisine. At present, spring rolls, fried rice and stuffed dumplings are the only representatives of Chinese dishes in a foreigner’s mind. Overseas restaurateurs didn’t establish the high-end image of Chinese cuisine. When you mention an upscale Chinese dish, people will immediately think of shark fin, abalone, bear's paws as well as tabletop cooked food, because it is expensive not because it is tastier. But times are changing, people’s taste are also evolving. People now advocate environmental and animal protection (not eating sharks fin), and pay more attention to their health. They no longer favour oily, greasy and fried dishes and no longer think that only wild and rare food material can make a delicacy dish. Tony Lu's goal is to present to guests simple, delicious and healthy food. He wants to change people’s impressions of quality verses quantity when eating in restaurants. Quantity doesn’t make the taste or the value of a dish. He learned from Western cuisine’s presentation to let guests have the opportunity to discover many kinds of tastes without wasting food.
Tony Lu believes that a good Chef should have broader vision, good inner quality; certain cultural foundations and his/her own thoughts. Thus, he can carry on improving the traditional cuisine. A big challenge to a Chef is to maintain the level of their whole team. Food is not the only thing. An elegant dining place, decorations and attentive service are also part of the cuisine experience. Tony Lu's vision is to have a small restaurant to focus on studying Chinese cuisine, to drive the development of the Chinese dish and enhance the level of Chinese cuisine. He hopes that guests no longer have an indifferent feeling when they dine in Chinese restaurant. Cuisine experience is about the five senses and to create new emotions. Good food is one life’s enjoyments, good service can turn guests into friends and a nice and elegant environment makes guests feel at ease to enjoy the good food. Tony LU wants the experience to be perfect from all points of view!