Dubbed one of New York’s Master Chefs by Bon Appetit magazine in 1985, 66-year-old Simon Teng (鄧瑞祥) is a Taiwanese chef who was on the frontline of boosting the profile of Taiwanese and Chinese cuisine in New York 40 years ago, and still continues to do so in Syracuse, New York.
“In 1973, Flushing in New York City hadn’t been completely developed yet, let alone a proper Sichuan restaurant,” Teng told the Taipei Times.
“Stir-fried beef with green peppers and sauteed chicken with cashews were considered top-notch Chinese food back then. Now many restaurants in New York City don’t even have these dishes on their menus,” he said.
Photo: Olivia Yang
From night markets to classy high-end restaurants, Taiwan offers an eclectic variety of cuisine that makes Taiwanese proud and appeals to tourists. But making these traditional flavors palatable to New Yorkers is a different story.
For Teng, maintaining the balance between authentic dishes and altering them to meet the tastes of Americans is more crucial than simply sending out Americanized versions of the food he grew up with.
“I basically use Chinese cooking and seasoning techniques to let my customers experience what real Chinese cuisine is,” Teng said.
Photo: Olivia Yang
“But if they want something more traditional, more exciting, I’ll recommend them to order something like duck tongue or pork intestines.”
The chef said it’s important to understand when to make changes in the food. Using the classic Taiwanese dish Three Cups Chicken (三杯雞) as an example, he says that he substitutes cilantro for basil because it’s more palatable to American tastes.
“Basil definitely has a better aroma, but this is the United States,” Teng says.
Photo: Olivia Yang
SICHUAN CONNECTION
Teng has been surrounded by food since he was a child. His family owned a Sichuan restaurant in Taipei called Cheng Chuan Wei (正川味). The kitchen was run by a chef who escaped Sichuan in 1949 during the Chinese Civil War. It was from this chef that Teng gradually learned the secrets of Sichuan cuisine.
“I came to the States in 1973 thinking about working as a waiter, but the kitchen was still what I knew best,” Teng said.
Photo: Olivia Yang
Like most new employees in the kitchen, Teng started out as a fry cook at Uncle Tai, an eatery in Manhattan. That’s how he met David Keh, a restaurateur who was also working to introduce authentic Chinese cuisine to New York.
After a few days at the fry station, Keh could tell Teng had some tricks up his sleeve. Promotions soon followed, and Teng eventually became head chef and general manager for many of Keh’s restaurants.
Teng says that he even prepared a feast for former New York mayor Ed Koch.
KEEPING IT REAL
“Important people like food critics would just walk into the kitchen, say ‘Hey Simon, what’s good today?’ and I would personally have to make the food,” said Teng. “But it was a kind of pride and acknowledgement.”
After 22 years in the Big Apple, Teng left to raise his children in a safer environment and opened up China Road.
“China Road is one of the most authentic restaurants here in Syracuse,” said Vekonda Luangaphay, a Syracuse local and food columnist for The Daily Orange, an independent student publication.
“Things are made spicier [and] less sweet than other Chinese restaurants, as it should be,” Luangaphay said in an e-mail interview.
The chef says now many Chinese restaurants in Manhattan and Queens are very close to being authentic, and Syracuse locals are getting a grasp of what true Chinese and Taiwanese flavors taste like.
“You need to have true skills to compete against other restaurants in Syracuse,” said Teng.
“The only way to consolidate your position is to constantly scrutinize yourself.”
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