Young Hong Kong Chef Revives Teochew Taro Dessert
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 5 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Lam Yin-chak (林賢澤), executive chef of Mudanxuan, was featured on Sunday sharing ingredients, method and kitchen philosophy behind red-berry reverse-sugar taro, a Teochew dessert he presents with a modern touch. The dish uses 12 pieces of taro, 10 taels of sugar, cooking oil, starch and homemade red-berry sauce. Lam, 29 and born in Hong Kong, said he moved from bartending into Chinese kitchens and now advocates preserving traditional flavors while embracing innovation. He said younger chefs must carry both the responsibility of inheritance and the awareness to reform in an era shaped by leaner restaurant staffing, mechanisation and rapidly developing information technology and artificial intelligence
Key Points
- Lam listed the dessert ingredients as 12 taro pieces, 10 taels of sugar, oil, starch and an appropriate amount of homemade red-berry sauce
- He described reverse-sugar taro as a “fair” dish, saying results depend on wok heat, cleanliness, sugar ratio, moisture control and precise timing
- Lam said he was born in Hong Kong, is 29 this year, and switched from working as a bartender to training in Chinese cuisine
- Although not from a traditional kitchen apprenticeship background, he said both his parents were chefs and shaped his early exposure to Hong Kong food culture
- As a young executive chef, he said he develops dishes and banquet menus while overseeing kitchen operations, equipment maintenance and quality control
Why It Matters
Lam’s account points to a practical challenge for Hong Kong’s food sector: fewer young people are entering kitchens even as experienced masters continue to pass on labour-intensive techniques. His emphasis on “preserve the right foundations, then innovate” offers one model for keeping traditional Chinese dishes relevant to local diners and overseas guests without discarding their original character