I lack the words to describe my first encounter with Cantonese cooking. The Chairman is utterly enchanting, some of the absolute best of any and all cuisines, not just Cantonese.
In my youthful arrogance I believed that no Chinese food should be served as fine dining. I argued that Chinese cuisine is rooted in scarcity and driven by need, and in gentrification the authenticity is lost. The Chairman proves me very, VERY wrong.
It seems that I've experience Chinese fine dining; I have simply not experienced GOOD fine dining until The Chairman. It's not about upping the ingredients and the price, it's about executing them well.
The Soup of the Day is served, and immediately I know this meal is different. I'm not a fan of soup, ever, and I am especially unexcited about Pigeon with Sea Coconut. Normally, I’d much rather burn my tongue on a solid that I can blow on without spilling...but this is a something special. The broth is clear one, deceptively simple with such finesse. They've extracted every ounce of essence from a softly-stewed pigeon, and the flavor is gently powerful. The pigeon is a fuller fowl, and the earthy slices of cartilaginous sea coconut bring out its fragrance.
From soups to solids, the Pan Fried Ox Tongue is next. I expect the texture to be soft, but this tongue melts in your mouth faster than a wagyu at A5. Acid makes the flavors pop as dark vinegar pickles the veggies and heightens the plushy sensation of tender meat.
Seven Spice Morel Mushrooms, say no more. A light fry keeps the juices in these egg-crate caps, and this dusting of spices and seasoned salt is a highlight.
The Flowery Crab is their signature dish. It centers around a Canton drunken crab with the sweetest meat. The sauce sinks in, a boozy burn of Shaoxing rice wine, aged to a flavor so robust it lingers long and deep. The broth-y sauce has a clinging, gravy quality, and it embeds itself into ribbons of rice noodles like an Elizabethan collar, draping itself over each al dente slice.
Tea Smoked Duck is a signature of the south; difficult to make and impossible to find. This one folds and melts into a cloud of smoky brew. There’s a tamarind sauce for dipping to give the fatty breast an elevating edge.
The desserts are simple, and here is where less is more. There's a single scoop of not-sweet Gogi berry ice cream that tastes like cumulus cloud in spring.
A small bowl of thick almond milk is warm and waiting. It soothes and it smooth, and it takes away the can’t-even-walk fullness from your four generous courses.
The food here exceeded any expectations, and the service did as well. I expected some degree of inevitable attitude that must come with being named the 11th best restaurant in Asia, but they have none. The servers are dressed so elegantly, and there's a gorgeous chandelier and sterile while leather panels with pressed tablecloths, but the service is quiet kindness and nothing more. Even when I had crab smeared up to my elbows, I never felt unwelcome or like I didn't belong. For those who are hesitant to visit a place of this caliber, venture out of your comfort zone. The Chairman is one of my most memorable meals, and I can never relive it enough.
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