Page 32 - Sphere No.20 (Nov 2007)

Kong, I came up with the idea of wrapping beef with straw and
gave it to a long-term guest. I was nervous, but he was thrilled.
As it turns out, the taste of the straw seeps right into the dish.”
Since then, he has expanded this technique to a range of
dishes that keeps customers coming back. “I’m very happy to be
here,” he says of his working environment that sees him prepare
25 different dishes and new promotions every month. “I feel
most relaxed when I’m strolling in the wet market in the morn-
ing, looking for the freshest ingredients to use that night.”
Giancarlo Zoccoletto
Executive Chef, The Kowloon Hotel
There was a point when Giancarlo Zoccoletto thought he would
retire. He had just sold his restaurant, Giancarlo, after 21 years
in Toronto and stints in Venice, Sardinia, Germany and Paris.
But when the opportunity came to head up the kitchen at the
30 SPHERE
Pizzeria Restaurant in The Kowloon Hotel, he grabbed it.
“The reason I’m still in the business is because I have a lot of
passion,” he says. “I work in the kitchen with 10 people. It’s a
wonderful place with a good team. We want to see that when a
customer comes in and leaves, they have a smile on their face
and they have had a memorable evening.”
Northern Italian cuisine is the specialty at the Pizzeria Restau-
rant, where menus change five times a year and the emphasis is on
simple, tasty dishes. “Seafood Linguini and the Veal Tender with
Morelle sauce are among our best and most popular dishes,” he
says. “The sauces here aren’t like other places.The sauce is made at
that moment. When you make a fresh sauce, it gives an extra kick
to that particular dish, whether it is veal, pasta or fish.”
These dishes have given the restaurant quite a following
among local celebrities and Chef Zoccoletto believes his estab-
lishment is going from strength to strength. “We’re successful
because we’re a good team,” he says. “And I hope we are going
to do even better in the future.”
Roger Luk Kei-kwong
Pastry Chef, Harbour Plaza Hong Kong
Every day, this 11-year Harbour Plaza veteran, along with his 11
staffmembers, prepareup to300 items for the eight different outlets
under his command, ranging from bread and chocolate to cakes
and desserts. “Our white chocolate cheesecake, chocolate cake
and fountain are famous,” he says. “We mainly create the items by
hand, but have even created chocolate showpieces that have taken
over 10 kg of chocolate and a month and a half to make.”
The dedication and enthusiasm he has gained over 30 years
as a pastry chef have certainly spilled over to his staff who have
risen to every challenge presented to them. Their crowning
achievement is making a birthday cake every year for Chair-
man Li Ka-shing.
“He likes fresh fruit cream cakes,” says Chef Luk. “It’s one of
the real pleasures of the job. He always sends us a thank you let-
ter every year.” In turn, the chef is constantly trying to encour-
age his team to challenge themselves and take pastry making to
the next level.
“The Harbour Plaza Hong Kong has givenme so many chances
to build up my ideas about pastry production,” he says. “It has
A PIECE OF CAKE
ONE THOUSAND pas-
tries and cakes – that’s
how many dessert de-
lights Barry Cheung and his team
of eight make every day at the
Harbour Plaza Metropolis.
“Truffle cakes are the most
challenging items as I have to try
numerous different flavours to
suit my customers’ tastes,” says
the pastry chef with a slew of
awards to his name. “One time
a customer even wanted a foot-
high motorcycle cake, which was
a tough one.”
He has already won two gold
medals for his Petit Fours but
there is no way Chef Cheung is
resting on his laurels and he often
chats with customers to find out
about their ever-changing needs.
“These days I’ve been putting
less sugar in the desserts because
I’m finding that customers want
more of a healthy diet,” he says.
“I’ve got to keep in touch with
market trends because there are
more and more hotels out there.
I always have to be prepared.”
It could have all turned out so
different. Before being consumed
by his passion for pastry, Chef
Cheung walked the beat as a
Hong Kong police officer. With a
family of chefs supporting his de-
cision to change careers, he de-
cided to become a confectioner
in a hotel.That was 19 years ago
and he hasn’t looked back since.
Pastry chefs Barry
Cheung and Roger
Luk are asked to
make everything
from Hermès
handbags to
Chinese gardens.