TRANSLATION | Eugenia Yang

座落巷弄邊間，映入眼簾的鵝黃老式木門，帶著一絲懷舊溫潤迎賓前來。踏進「春韭」，琳瑯滿目的古董收藏令人驚艷，清朝石獅子、昭和帳簿牆、水墨大師李奇茂名作等，可見東家樂於分享之情。誠如詩聖杜甫所言：「夜雨剪春韭，新炊間黃粱。」匯集所有而辦具的家常菜餚，體現了主客間不拘形跡的淳樸友誼，提取重逢話舊之喜，飽含真摯情感的新台菜，正於此刻熱騰上桌。

Hidden within the alleys, the vintage, light yellow door welcomes guests with a touch of nostalgic warmth. As you step into Springleek, what comes into view is a stunning collection of antiques—a stone lion from the Qing Dynasty, walls of account books from the Showa period, artworks by legendary ink painter Chi-Mao Lee and more. Just like poet Du Fu once wrote, “We nibble on spring leeks just gathered in the evening rain, in a fresh meal that rough grains contain,” the homely dishes are a testament to the friendship shared between the chef and his guests. Now that the innovative but nostalgic dishes are served, let the Taiwanese fusion feast begin.

提煉黃金精華

入冬陰雨綿綿，一碗濃稠回甘的黃金雞湯，著實撫慰人心。身為春韭最津津樂道的招牌經典，以五隻雞熬煮15小時萃取精華，再添入淮山、紅棗、金華火腿、珠貝以及一整隻雞燉煮兩小時以上，造就了肉質軟嫩、膠質鮮甜的絕妙風味。談起雞湯的發想由來，林子鈞師傅表示起初團隊花了半年時間研發，從多方嘗試至調配比例，最終遵循傳統方式熬煮，「比例上花很多時間，是一個很有工夫、從零到有的產出。」另一相當吸睛的「檬果黑金鑽」，透過酥炸米粉使筷子漂浮空中，如魔術般的奇幻巧思令人莞爾，黃黑二色帶有古代尊榮之意，極具神秘感的石斑魚塊，輔芒果檸檬醬汁與少許金箔點綴，入口的酥脆清爽難以言喻。而「香菜皮蛋蟹肉米血菜圃蛋」則完好述說了春韭團隊的創作理念，運用道地食材添加豐富度，品味家中溫婉之餘，自帶獨特元素，「我們希望呈現一個很簡單的菜單，可是跟別人有所不同。」

餐飲美感共鳴

說起與春韭的不解之緣，林子鈞師傅笑說是十七歲那年，因緣際會與老闆戴士程相識，進而踏入餐飲業，這一路一走便是十二年。出身美術背景，看似與料理天差地別，卻因藝術美學和老闆產生共鳴，「因為我喜歡藝術，老闆對這方面也非常在行，從裝潢設計、物品擺飾、菜色擺盤都是他一手打造，在他的領導之下我們學到東西是被大家讚賞的，也慢慢做出成就感。」力求完美的性格，體現林子鈞師傅對於出餐的極高標準，「在廚房我比較嚴肅，會希望我的同仁很在意每道餐點，因爲每道菜都是一場秀。」以外場而言，他則期望自己是優雅的，更將客人當作朋友般看待，「餐點好吃是第一，他覺得這裡是舒適的，與我們服務人員互動下是一種享受，而不是單純來吃飯。」於味覺、環境、互動上締造美好片刻，為林子鈞師傅之於餐飲體驗的一大堅持，而打包後再次享用佳餚，重溫與親朋好友的相聚時光，沈澱後的歡騰也別具滋味。

勤懇精益求精

自年少懵懂到成熟幹練，對林子鈞師傅來說，「雞湯」便象徵著珍貴的兒時記憶，「以前開始就很喜歡喝雞湯，因為家裡不富裕，所以喝到的都是清雞湯，現在每天喝很幸福，尤其冬天喝很暖心。」工作之餘，一個人逛菜市場也是林子鈞師傅的靈感來源，尤其偏好蔬菜類，他認為蔬菜類的品種多元，變化性也相對高，更透露往日的研發方向是將眾多食材融合，延續相同調理手法，進而翻玩新滋味。綜觀國際料理界，他表示最景仰的人物是主廚江振誠，「因為我們總公司品牌創始在士林，他是士林在地人，對他的故事有很多感觸，一個人去法國到各國遇到很多問題，很像我們當初從零開始創立，從每道菜色、裝潢、硬體設計，我覺得在他身上看見了自己的影子。」放眼未來，子鈞師傅冀望能針對常客喜好，提供更多元的選擇，而每道菜的華美餐具，皆是悉心雕琢下的別出新裁。「沒有最好，只有更好。」本著精益求精的堅定，從未被框架侷限，令人殷切期盼來日的舌尖驚喜。

Essence of Gold 

On a rainy winter day, a bowl of thick but sweet chicken soup is perhaps the best choice. As one of the signature dishes, Sprinkleek’s chicken soup is enriched with flavors while keeping the meat tender. Extracted from five chickens simmered for 15 hours, the essence is cooked along with Chinese yam, red dates, Jinhua ham, scallops and one whole chicken for over two hours. The recipe of the soup took Chef Vincent Lin and his team six months to develop. From countless attempts to the ratio of ingredients, they ended up following the traditional way of stewing. “It took us a lot of time and effort to find the perfect ratio. It was something that we built from scratch.” Presented in a way that makes the chopsticks appear to be floating in the air, the Black Gold Diamond Blocks, another popular dish, is both a feast for the eyes and mouth. Pieces of grouper coated in black are drizzled with mango lemon sauce and gold flakes, creating a crispy texture that is indescribable. Meanwhile, Springleek’s culinary concept is perfectly represented by one dish—the omelet filled with cilantro, preserved egg, crab meat, rice blood cake and daikon radish. By incorporating local ingredients to emphasize variety, the dishes taste like home without losing distinctive elements. “We want to present a menu that is simple, but also different from elsewhere.” 

Connecting Art and Culinary 

At the age of 17, Chef Lin met the owner of Springleek, Edan Tai, and began his 12 years of culinary journey. Coming from an artistic background, which appears to be the opposite of cooking, Lin is able to share a special bond with the owner because of their appreciation towards art. “I love art, while my boss understands it. From interior design, object placement to the presentation of the dishes, he is responsible for it all. Under his lead, we have learned things that are praised by others, while slowly developing a sense of accomplishment.” Known to be a perfectionist, Chef Lin sets the bar high. “I take everything very seriously when I’m in the kitchen. I want my colleagues to pay attention to the dishes because every single dish is a show we put on.” Once he is out of the kitchen, he aspires himself to be more elegant and treat his customers as friends. “The food is the priority, but we also want this place to be comfortable, where customers will enjoy interacting with the server.” Creating delightful moments through taste, environment and interaction is the key to the dining experience Chef Lin hopes to establish.

Striving towards Excellence 

Throughout Chef Lin’s life, chicken soup has been a symbol of precious childhood memories. “Ever since I was a kid, I loved having chicken soup. I didn’t grow up in a wealthy family, so the ones we had were always clear broth. The fact that I get to have it every day now, especially during winter, is extremely heartwarming.” Outside of work, he searches for inspiration when he goes grocery shopping alone. Preferring vegetables, Chef Lin finds them to be high in variety and variability and hopes to incorporate different ingredients into his dishes. Out of all the international culinary talents, he admires Chef André Chiang the most. “He is from Shilin, which is where our company founded many of its brands, so I resonate with his stories a lot. The problems he encountered during his time in France alone were similar to how we started from nothing and built each and every dish, design and hardware from scratch. It’s almost like I see myself in him.” In terms of the future, Chef Lin wishes to offer more choices that cater to his regulars’ preferences. If you look closely at the gorgeous cutlery chosen for each dish, you will see the careful craftsmanship, innovation and the message behind them—“There is no best, only better.” Always striving for improvement and never hindered by boundaries, Springleek’s future is one that is worthy of anticipation.