A new reality TV show brings to the fore cooking talent in China, Chen Nan reports.

Three celebrity moguls of the country's catering industry, (from left) Dong Zhenxiang, Cai Hao and Zhang Yong, serve as mentors and judges at the competition. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Thirty-two chefs across China took part in a new reality TV show, The Honorable Chef, which premiered on July 28 on the streaming platform iQiyi, cooking up a storm for winning the opportunity to open their own restaurants.

Three celebrity moguls of the country's catering industry: Dong Zhenxiang, Zhang Yong and Cai Hao, serve as mentors and judges at the competition.

According to the show's director Shen Meng, who works in Qool Media, the company that produced the show, the idea took shape in August 2020 and a nationwide audition started in December.

Claiming to be the "first professional, competitive reality show in China for chefs", it attracted nearly 1,000 candidates, among whom 500 chefs entered the second round of auditions. Judging the chefs' skills, creativity, cooperation and marketing, the show finally chose 32 chefs, with an average age of 31.

"All of the chefs need to have experience working in restaurants for at least four years and 25 percent of them already have their own restaurants," Shen says. "Our goal is to showcase the younger generation of chefs in China and the vibrancy of the scene. With the show, we want to break all stereotypes about chefs and break boundaries of types of cuisines."

Zhu Ye is among the 32 chefs who took part in reality TV show, The Honorable Chef. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

According to Dong, whose comments have become a highlight of the show, the chefs are more diverse in China today. They have grown up with Chinese food and pursued their studies abroad.

"Unlike the elder generation of chefs, they face lots of challenges nowadays, such as the changing market and the changing need of consumers. The question they need to deal with is the same: How to put what they've learned abroad into use when they return to China and want to open their own restaurants?" Dong says.

The 32 chefs have attracted fans after the show's premiere, including Mao Xin, who blends classic Chinese flavors with Western culinary techniques, and Wesley Alene, a chef from Mauritius, who lives and works in Shenzhen, and tries to showcase his fusion of Chinese and Western cooking techniques.

Zhu Ye is one of the four female chefs competing in the show. At 33, she is the founder and chef of Wei Cong Shan Hai, or Zolaism, a Chinese pastry brand. She won the first round of one-on-one competition that took place in an open kitchen, with a creative combination of Chinese liquor and coffee.

"I came to the show because it is more than a cooking competition. It aims to show what's happening in China's restaurants and tell stories about Chinese chefs," says Zhu. "It's definitely rewarding because I meet lots of chefs and learn about their experiences.

"What intrigues me is that we share similar backgrounds and are confronted by similar problems about building our businesses. We support and inspire one another."

Wang Qiushuo is among the 32 chefs who took part in reality TV show, T he Honorable Chef. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Born and raised in Fuyang city, Anhui province, Zhu became interested in cooking at a young age, seeing her mother in the kitchen cooking delicious meals every day. During her study in the United Kingdom, where she studied strategic brand management at the University of Southampton, Zhu says she realized her passion and talent for cooking.

"There is a very large open kitchen in the dormitory and I always cooked there by myself. Then I thought why not receive formal training as a cook?," says Zhu, adding that she didn't plan to launch a career as a cook then.

After obtaining her master's degree in 2015, she studied culinary courses, both cuisine and pastry, at Le Cordon Bleu London. In October 2016, she opened her first shop in 798 Art Zone, a popular art area in Beijing.

"I studied French pastry techniques, but when I returned to China, I wanted to be a pastry chef making food in Chinese style," says Zhu, who uses Chinese food ingredients to bake, such as tea, black sesame and roses from Yunnan province.

The Honorable Chef. Wang's vegetarian creation was praised during the show. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

She says she wanted to get into the business, because "when it comes to Chinese pastries, only some time-honored brands such as Daoxiangcun come to mind".

Business has proved to be successful for Zhu. Three months after the first shop's opening, the investment has been covered.

"It's exciting to see people line up in front of the shop. I am glad that the idea of new Chinese pastries is shared by many," says Zhu.

She says she is surprised that only four female chefs were on the reality show.

"There are plenty of misconceptions and stereotypes regarding chefs and what they do. For example, that chefs are mostly men, who do the job to support their families or that they are not well-educated and just need to master the techniques in the kitchen or they work long hours with low wages."

She asks, "How much do you really know about them and what goes on in the kitchen?"

Zhu's pastry work was praised during the show. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

According to her, there are many new chefs who have traveled abroad, tried cuisines and experienced cultures. "They are passionate and artistic."

Another chef on the show, Wang Qiushuo, specializes in vegetarian recipes. In the first round of the competition, the 27-year-old won plaudits for his soybean dish.

"Vegetarian recipes are not new to Chinese consumers. Variety is crucial. With simple food, I can make dishes with great taste," says Wang, whose uncle is a chef and his father also enjoys cooking at home.

What motivated Wang to become a chef was the cartoon, Cooking Master Boy, by manga artist Etsushi Ogawa.

Having been a chef for eight years, Wang has worked at hotels and restaurants in China. "I am keen to research food in distinctive Chinese styles. For example, the seasonal dishes based on the 24 solar terms, a traditional Chinese calendar that summarizes different seasonal phenomena."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn