TRANSLATION | Eugenia Yang
大塊的中性灰、銀、白相並排列,大片落地窗灑落下煦煦陽光,猶如一座浪漫法式私人宅邸,全天候法式Fine Dining伴隨著悠揚樂曲,主廚江丕禮懷抱著用「心」製作料理,將生活的美好發揮到極致。


Green and Smoke – Frog’s leg a la meuniere/Angelica/Smoked potato.


乘載情感
有著傳統義大利料理的熱情澎拜,兼具法式料理的精緻優雅,過去更曾待過Angelo Agliano Restaurant與L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Taipei侯布雄法式餐廳,逐步形塑了主廚江丕禮的料理基礎。憶起對料理的情愫所在,江丕禮記憶中那道母親親手燜的「魚皮白菜滷」帶給他很大的啟發,「母親做的食物總讓我覺得高興,那種很愉悅的感覺,食物對人的影響力真的蠻大,看做的那個人有沒有用心去做,吃的人都可以感受到,也讓我對做料理更有興趣。」始終認為情感是料理最大的本質來源。主廚不僅要懂得善用四季食材,更是食材與客人之間的橋樑,碰撞料理的風味火花,卻不過分掩蓋食材本質,料理中最美好滋味才能於此產生。提及累積廚藝經驗的過程中遇過最大的困境,江丕禮坦言面對fine dining 超過14-16小時的工作時長,也曾想過「這真的是我想做的嗎?」但終究因為對於料理的堅持與強大熱忱而走到至今,「只要存有熱忱,不管是在多長的時間及環境下,都會想要去做的。」


Seared with dedication, the high heat creates a tender texture without being overly chewy.
當代法餐
le beaujour意味美好的一天,以 French Fine Dining 為基礎,全新服務型態 All Day Fine Dining 呈現經典卻又不傳統的法菜,延攬亞洲最佳女主廚陳嵐舒任廚藝顧問,Rosewood瑰麗酒店御用設計師打造「寶元紀」藏茶與法餐相遇的情愫,讓茶褪去嚴肅與高深莫測的外衣,拉近人們與茶的距離,傳遞法式好好生活的人生哲學。而江丕禮認為法餐的正統性來自於醬汁,「法式料理都是堆疊在醬汁上面,不斷的濃縮,取出最精華的部分。像我們的伊比利火腿雞蛋薄餅就是這樣。」需要很多工具跟時間去累積而成,客人最後才能嘗到好的味道,這正是法餐最吸引他的部分。全天候法餐在國內外是較為少見的餐飲形式,但會如此呈現,主要是傳遞一種生活態度,「Fine dining對我來講不只是精緻的食物,而是透過環境、服務跟餐點等方面,讓顧客擁有一個很棒的用餐體驗,只是透過不同方式跟技巧把好的食材呈現給客人。」當代的詮釋更傾向於料理本質,食材可能是剛採收、早上才到貨,剛熬好的高湯風味立體飽滿,甚至縮短廚房與餐桌的距離,只為讓賓客感受最新鮮的香氣與滋味,江丕禮選擇延續Modern french路線,向法國經典致敬,透過調整與轉變發揚經典卻擺脫老派。

Chef de Cuisine of le beaujor, Pili Chiang.

日常光景
對於一位好的廚師關愛有著持之以恆、不可動搖的渴望,對此觀點江丕禮認為尊重並熟識食材即是最應具備的,「如果一個好的食材你沒辦法對它有很深的認識,就無法去解讀,客人也就沒辦法感受到它本是最好的東西。」接著說道即使是一個路邊小吃他都會仔細品嘗,而不是只是吃而已。料理之餘,提及日常如何汲取創作靈感,江丕禮坦言自己時不時會去到傳統市場走一遭,仔細看看食材最原本的樣貌,讓褪去了繁雜抽象的理念,回歸到最原始的本質。對於未來的願景,江丕禮目前菜單主要是以陳嵐舒顧問為主,自己基本上就是稍做微調與執行,更期許未來能夠設計出全新菜單,期盼他將自悟的平衡理念融於法式舌尖情懷之中。

Sole in the Old Days – Bouillabaisse sauce/Barley risotto/Abalone mushroom/Aioli/Crispy pork lard.
Blocks of neutral gray, silver and white, along with floor-to-ceiling windows flooded with warm sunlight, a romantic French private residence comes into view. With melodic music playing in the background as All Day Fine Dining is served, chef de cuisine Pili Chiang cooks from the bottom of his heart and brings the beauty in life to its extreme.
Imbued with Emotions
Having worked at Angelo Agliano Restaurant and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Taipei, Chef Chiang not only cooks with the passion of traditional Italian cuisine, but also with the gracefulness of the French. Reflecting on the emotional aspects of cooking, he was inspired by his mother’s signature braised napa cabbage. “The food made by my mother always makes me happy. I think the influence food has on people and their emotions is pretty big. We can immediately know if the person actually put effort into his or her cooking just by tasting it, which is something that sparked my interest.” Chiang had always believed emotions are the essence of culinary. Besides utilizing in-season ingredients, the chef is also the bridge between the food and the guest. The best flavor comes from playing around with different combinations without losing the originality of each ingredient. Through the years of accumulating culinary experiences, he admits that the long working hours of fine dining, usually lasting from 14 to 16 hours, posed the greatest challenge for him. He found himself constantly asking the question, is this really what I want to do? In spite of that, Chiang was able to make it this far because of his persistence and strong passion towards cooking. “As long as you have passion, there is nothing you can’t do, regardless of the time or environment.”

Modern French
Meaning “a beautiful day” in English, le beaujour offers All Day Fine Dining, a dining experience that presents classic but innovative French cuisine. With Asia’s Best Female Chef Lanshu Chen as the consultant, the restaurant also invited the designer of Rosewood Hotel to create a tea pairing using the top quality tea from Puoyuenji. Stripped of the mysterious image, the beverages bridge the gap between guests and tea to express the French philosophy of enjoying life. Meanwhile, Chiang believes the authenticity of French cuisine comes from the sauce. “It is all about the layering of sauces. The essence of it comes from the constant condensation. That is how our Iberico Ham Galette de Breton is made.” In order to present the best flavors for his guests, an abundance of tools and time is required, which, for him, is the most fascinating part about French cuisine. Rarely seen abroad, All Day Fine Dining is Chiang’s attempt to send a message about the attitude of life. “To me, fine dining is not just about exquisite food. It is also about creating a pleasant dining experience through the environment, the service, and the presentation of ingredients using different methods and techniques.” This contemporary expression is catered towards showcasing the originality of ingredients. By using freshly harvested ingredients that had just arrived in the morning, the flavor of the broth is richer. In order to allow the guests to taste the freshest aroma and taste, he even deliberately shortened the distance between the kitchen and the dining area. Paying tribute to French traditions, Chiang chooses to continue the path of modern French cuisine, while making his own adjustments to break the boundaries of conventions.

Galette de Breton, free range egg, Iberico ham and rocket salad.
Moments in the Quotidian
To hold a constant and unwavering desire to become a good chef, Chiang believes the most important thing is to respect and know your ingredients. “If you don’t learn to understand your ingredients, it doesn’t matter if they are top-quality, your guests will not be able to feel it.” He further points out that he always tries to understand the dish, even when it’s just street food. Besides cooking, finding inspiration from daily life is also another big part of being a chef. Paying visits to local markets, Chiang focuses on the original form of the ingredients to find the essence of food and eliminate the complex, abstract concepts. Setting eyes on the future, he aspires to design a brand new menu of his own, since the current version is mainly based on Chef Chen. So let us anticipate his future endeavors, one in which he will be able to integrate his belief in balance with the art of French cuisine.

Pigeon in the Forest – Cured liver/Almond mushroom/Spring roll of pigeon liver/Fig/Black olive.