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EDITOR Annie Chien｜TRANSLATOR Aurora Lin｜PHOTOGRAPHER Leon Hung

1991年次的袁栢勳（Chef Franco），是臺北嘉佩樂酒店「榕居」的行政主廚，也是從小在粵菜香氣裡長大的料理人。爺爺與父親皆為粵菜師傅，他在福臨門酒家這塊名廚輩出的土壤裡成長，談的、看的、聞的幾乎都和吃喝有關。料理對他而言，是從未離開過的日常。

父親袁楚梓師承粵菜名廚羅安，對兒子的要求毫不手軟。外界以「嚴格」二字概括，但 Chef Franco 自己的說法更直接：「他是一個很執著的人，小到切工火候，大到做事態度，都不能妥協。」這份執著後來陪伴他走得更遠——從香港、澳洲、菲律賓到馬爾地夫，每一站都在重新理解粵菜可以用什麼語言跟世界說話。

From Three Generations of Cantonese Fire to the Michelin Table
The Irreplaceable Soul of Cantonese Cuisine Beyond AI

Born in 1991, Franco Yuen is the Executive Chef of Rong Ju at Capella Taipei — and a chef raised quite literally in the aroma of Cantonese cuisine. Both his grandfather and father were Cantonese masters, and he grew up within the legendary culinary world of the Fook Lam Moon Group, where conversations, observations, and even the air itself revolved around food. For him, cooking was never a profession discovered later in life; it was simply the natural rhythm of everyday existence.

His father, Yuen Chor Tsz, apprenticed under renowned Cantonese master Law On, and his expectations for his son were uncompromising. Outsiders often described him as “strict,” but Chef Franco puts it more plainly: “He’s someone deeply obsessed with precision. Whether it’s knife work, heat control, or your attitude toward work, there’s no room for compromise.” That relentless discipline would later carry him far beyond Hong Kong — through Australia, the Philippines, and the Maldives — with every destination reshaping how Cantonese cuisine could speak to the world in different culinary languages.

接任「榕居」行政主廚後，Chef Franco 帶著這些年的積累走進這間開幕不到一年即獲米其林推薦的餐廳。三代傳承、國際歷練、料理美學——在他的廚房裡，這些不是履歷，是每一道料理背後的底味，而這份溫度，AI 算不出來。

After taking the helm at Rong Ju, the restaurant earned Michelin recommendation status within its first year of opening. Chef Franco brought with him years of accumulated experience: the inheritance of three generations, international refinement, and a deeply rooted culinary philosophy. In his kitchen, these are not résumé highlights, but the quiet foundation beneath every dish — a kind of warmth and intuition no algorithm could ever replicate.

粵菜世家的孩子，童年的氣味是不一樣的。料理之於 Chef Franco，就像「自然而然的延續」——真正進入廚房後，他更發現這件事遠比想像中複雜：對食材的理解、現實層面的挑戰，還有一個嚴厲的父親站在旁邊，看著每一刀怎麼落，那段磨練讓他學會了「尊重料理」。粵菜有大量考驗恆心的功夫，看起來不起眼，但需要長時間維持的穩定與細緻。遇到挫折時，父親只給他一句話：「堅持到最後勝利的就是你。」

除了家傳手藝，Chef Franco 也進入中華廚藝學院修習，在傳統技法之外建立現代料理思維。兩條路並行走下來，他對粵菜「底味」的理解愈發清晰——那來自食材本身、火候、湯底與技法長時間交疊的層次。「很多時候，越簡單的菜反而越難做，因為沒有太多東西可以掩蓋。」粵菜真正了不起的地方，是讓味道看起來很輕，背後功夫卻深不見底。「榕居」菜單中的〈太史燕窩拆魚羹〉便是最好的例子——結合〈太史五蛇羹〉與〈順德拆魚羹〉兩大名菜脈絡，以洗米水與鯽魚熬出濃而清澈的湯底，再細火慢煨燕窩，幾乎無處藏細節，考的就是這份功底。

Children raised in Cantonese culinary families grow up surrounded by entirely different scents and memories. For Chef Franco, entering the kitchen felt less like a career decision and more like “a continuation of life itself.” Yet once he truly stepped into the profession, he realized how much more complex the craft was than he had imagined — understanding ingredients, enduring the realities of the industry, and learning under the watchful eye of a demanding father who scrutinized every cut of the knife.
That period taught him one essential lesson: respect for cuisine.
Cantonese cooking is built upon disciplines that test patience and consistency. Many techniques appear understated on the surface, yet require extraordinary endurance, precision, and stability over time. Whenever frustration arose, his father offered him only one sentence: “The one who persists until the end is the one who wins.”

Beyond his family training, Chef Franco also studied at the Chinese Culinary Institute, where he developed a more contemporary culinary mindset alongside traditional technique. Walking both paths simultaneously deepened his understanding of what Cantonese chefs call the “base flavor” — the profound layering created through ingredients, stock, heat, and craftsmanship over time.
“Very often, the simpler a dish appears, the harder it is to execute,” he explains. “There’s nowhere to hide.”
One of the clearest examples at Rong Ju is Hand-Shredded Grouper Bisque with Bird’s Nest, inspired by the traditions of Tai Shi Five Snake Soup and Shunde-style shredded fish soup. The broth is painstakingly simmered from rice-washed water and crucian carp until it becomes intensely rich yet crystal clear, before bird’s nest is slowly braised over delicate heat. Every detail is exposed; the dish relies entirely on foundational technique.

另一道〈菊花豆腐甜湯〉，是他認為最能代表自身功力的一道菜。見過 Chef Franco 本人的人，大概很難第一眼把他和這道菜聯想在一起——開朗、講話直接，但他選的卻是這道看起來清雅、實則每一刀都是考驗的甜湯。一分鐘兩百刀，切的是耐心，也是從小堅持下來的那份意志。熱鬧的人，沉得住氣的功夫，某種意義上，這道菜就是他最真實的縮影。

Another signature dish, Chrysanthemum Tofu Sweet Soup, is the one Chef Franco believes best represents his personal craftsmanship. Those who meet him are often surprised by the choice — warm, outspoken, and energetic in conversation, yet devoted to a dessert of such quiet elegance and discipline. The dish demands nearly two hundred knife cuts per minute, transforming tofu into impossibly delicate threads. It is a test of patience, restraint, and the perseverance he has carried since childhood. Beneath his lively personality lies an extraordinary stillness — and perhaps, in many ways, this dish is his truest self-portrait.

在香港以外的地方做粵菜，是一種特別的訓練。輾轉於菲律賓、澳洲、馬爾地夫與香港，Chef Franco 面對截然不同的客群、口味習慣與用餐期待。那段時間讓他意識到，中餐可以是一種能被世界理解的料理語言——只要找到對的方式去表達。國際旅客對食材、故事與整體體驗的高度重視，讓他重新思考粵菜的呈現方式：如何保留核心精神，同時讓當代食客感受到它的細膩與深度。〈蟬衣脆皮百花釀海參〉的靈感，來自某次在日本看見天婦羅的處理方式後埋下的念頭，炸至如蟬翼般透薄的外皮，重新包裝了許多人對海參「長得有點可怕」的第一印象；〈鐵觀音杏仁巧克力小籠包〉則同時在視覺、味覺、嗅覺三個層次作用。「多聽、多看、多走，靈感就在那裡。」他說，很少有哪個瞬間是突然靈光一閃，更多是旅途中的見聞慢慢發酵，時機到了自然成菜。

Cooking Cantonese cuisine outside Hong Kong became a unique education in itself. Working across the Philippines, Australia, the Maldives, and Hong Kong exposed Chef Franco to vastly different dining cultures, palates, and expectations. Those years led him to realize that Chinese cuisine could become a universally understood culinary language — if expressed in the right way. International diners placed immense value not only on ingredients, but also on storytelling and the overall dining experience. This pushed him to rethink how Cantonese cuisine could be presented while preserving its soul.
The inspiration behind Crispy Sea Cucumber With Fermented Chili Bean Sauce, Sweet Fermented Rice was first planted during a visit to Japan, where he became fascinated by tempura techniques. The sea cucumber is wrapped in an ultra-thin crispy layer resembling cicada wings, completely transforming diners’ first impressions of an ingredient many initially find intimidating. Meanwhile, Xiao Long Bao With Almond, Chocolate And Tieguanyin Tea engages all three senses simultaneously — visually, aromatically, and through flavor. “The more you listen, observe, and travel, the more inspiration reveals itself,” he says. Rarely does creativity arrive in a sudden flash. More often, ideas quietly ferment through accumulated experiences until the right moment allows them to become a dish.

來到台灣後，他也帶著這種開放的心態繼續觀察。〈醬燒和牛叉燒〉的誕生，來自他發現台灣較少以牛油做叉燒，於是將牛肉與香茅結合，做出一道屬於台北的詮釋。這也是他對「翻譯經典」的理解——用現在的語言，讓老菜的價值重新被看見。到「榕居」後，他更有機會走出廚房親自與賓客交流，「了解他們對料理的感受，也讓客人理解我想帶出的料理想法。」這種雙向的對話，也是「榕居」最看重的事——不只是把菜端出去，而是讓廚師與賓客之間真正有所交流。

After arriving in Taiwan, he continued observing local dining culture with the same openness. Smoked A5 Wagyu Beef Char Siu emerged from noticing that Taiwanese char siu traditions rarely incorporated beef fat. By pairing wagyu with lemongrass, he created a distinctly Taipei interpretation of the classic. He also reimagines nostalgic Cantonese flavors through a more contemporary lens. Dishes such as Chilled Sweet And Sour Pork With Pineapple and Yuan-Yang Chicken With Shrimp Paste preserve the familiar soul of traditional banquet cuisine while introducing a lighter, more refined expression suited to modern dining sensibilities. This reflects his philosophy of “translating classics” — preserving the spirit of traditional dishes while allowing them to speak through a contemporary voice. At Rong Ju, Chef Franco also treasures the opportunity to step beyond the kitchen and interact directly with guests. “I want to understand how diners feel about the food, while also helping them understand the ideas behind my cooking.”
That sense of dialogue lies at the heart of Rong Ju — not simply serving dishes, but creating genuine connection between chef and guest.

這幾年，越來越多年輕世代對中華飲食文化感到好奇，想了解一道菜背後的來歷與故事。說起來，Chef Franco 自己也是年輕世代，他知道讓人靠近粵菜的方式，不是強調傳統有多深厚：「當真正感受到粵菜的細節與深度，就會開始產生共鳴。年輕世代更吃氛圍與故事。」

過去中菜給人的印象，往往不如西餐那樣講究視覺，但 Chef Franco 希望打破這個慣性：「我比較像是在理解味道的人。先理解經典為什麼存在，再思考它如何與現在對話。」在這個相機先吃的時代，色彩、擺盤、上桌那一瞬間的感受，對他來說同樣是料理的一部分。

In recent years, younger generations have grown increasingly curious about Chinese culinary culture, eager to understand the stories and histories behind each dish. In many ways, Chef Franco belongs to that younger generation himself. He believes the way to bring people closer to Cantonese cuisine is not through emphasizing tradition’s weight or authority. “Once people truly experience the depth and detail within Cantonese cuisine, resonance happens naturally,” he says. “Younger generations connect deeply with atmosphere and storytelling.”

For years, Chinese cuisine was often perceived as less visually refined than Western fine dining. Chef Franco hopes to challenge that perception. “I see myself as someone who first tries to understand flavor,” he explains. “You need to understand why a classic exists before you can think about how it should speak to the present.” In an era where cameras dine before people do, plating, color, and the emotional impression created the moment a dish arrives at the table have become equally important parts of the culinary experience.

「無論是『榕居』還是袁栢勳，我希望大家記得的，是料理所帶來的熟悉感與驚喜感。是一種當你想起時，會想立刻馬上訂位、想再次回來品嚐的那股衝動。」關於味道這件事，可貴的從來都是讓人願意回來的滋味。

“Whether it’s Rong Ju or Franco Yuen, what I hope people remember is the sense of familiarity and surprise our cuisine brings,” he says. “A feeling that makes you want to book another table immediately the moment the memory returns.” Because truly unforgettable flavor has never been about novelty alone — it is about creating something people long to return to, again and again.

INFO BOX
榕居｜臺北嘉佩樂酒店
地址：臺北市松山區中華里敦化北路 139 號一樓
電話：（02）7709-6868