Three chefs and a feast

Chen's grandfather used to cook for weddings in a village in Guangzhou where he grew up. The flavors he's most familiar with come from his grandfather's recipes.

The first dish Chen Xiaodong prepared was stewed foie gras with caviar, which looks much like a Western dish.

"It's actually a daily snack, but I add caviar to give it more freshness and balsamic vinegar to balance the fat," he says.

His second dish, roast beef with fermented soy beans and pepper, was the highlight of the night.

To prepare it, he used the traditional Western cooking methods to roast the beef with seasoning to cover the beef with a crust.

"Most of the diners were surprised that the beef tasted the same as a common Cantonese dish, but from the presentation, they did not expect that," says Chen Xiaodong.

Guangzhou became a Michelin city last year, with eight restaurants gaining a star. Chen thinks that the Michelin tag has created a new challenge for chefs in Guangzhou, especially Chinese chefs.

"It means that my dishes need to be more international, and I feel I have to present our traditional flavors to get the nod of the judges," he says.