“I’m lucky because I have my wife and she speaks Chinese,” Kronkvist said. “Nobody can cheat me because she’s from this country. It makes a difference.”
Kronkvist added that he was making an effort to learn Mandarin, but that his vocabulary was still limited.
“Give me a small plate” and “Do you have a reservation?” are no problem, he said. But until he learns more Chinese, Wang will have to take care of that department.
Although Wang has translated the restaurant’s offerings into Chinese, the couple said they disagree sometimes on what to call their traditional Swedish dishes.
As Mandarin names for dishes are often not as direct as English, Wang said translation poses a challenge. Direct translation into Chinese risks making menu offerings sound less appetizing, she said.
And the pair work hard to offer an appetizing menu. The dishes at Flavors are made with good quality, locally produced ingredients, Kronkvist said.
“Freshly produced food in close proximity is always better than transported food,” he said, explaining why he believes restaurants should shun imported ingredients.
Kronkvist said he also sees the locally grown, organic products he uses in his food as “a good way to represent Taiwan” and support the local economy.
“Taiwan has some of the best seafood and fresh produce that I’ve come across,” he said.
Having lived in 15 countries, Kronkvist is in a position to make comparisons.
“I’ve seen the world,” he said.
On his life in Taiwan, Kronkvist said: “Taiwan is a very safe place because most people understand a little English or they will find someone who understands it,” he said.
His first impression of the country as a child came from the “Made in Taiwan” toys that were ubiquitous in Sweden back then.
Since moving to Taiwan, he has relished learning about the culture and is now a self-proclaimed taike (台客), he said, adding that he wished more Taiwanese appreciated their home for what it is.
That includes appreciating the hot, humid summer, he said.
“Now that summer’s here, most Taiwanese just say: ‘Oh it’s going to be so hot.’ But I [am picturing] my Taiwan Beer on the porch,” he said.
Another of Taiwan’s charms, he said, is the food stands. Kronkvist said he enjoyed traveling and testing roadside food stands across the country.
The delight, he said, lies in finding the gems that are often deceptively humble.
The customers may be sitting on plain plastic chairs, but “they do it because this cold noodle [dish] is one of the best you’ve ever had,” he said.
Kronkvist started cooking when he was only four. He learned to make his home country’s classic meatballs at an age when most kids could barely eat the dish without getting sauce all over themselves.
His grandmother taught him, and the dishes he learned were mostly traditional Swedish cuisine such as the apple cakes he offers at Flavors.
Although Kronkvist said he sometimes misses Sweden, he has found a new home in Taiwan and his restaurant is a special source of joy.
“When guests come here and they don’t want to leave — that’s what I like, that’s the passion behind all this,” he said. “If you have passion for what you do, it will reflect in what you do.”
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