There is no slowing Justin Quek these days. Despite building a small empire in a relatively short span of time, Singapore's most famous culinary export is still very much a hands-on chef, controlling his four kitchens and making sure every location is up to snuff.

Three different outlets established within just a year, Shanghai has found itself with a trinity of dining concepts that stacks up to the very best the city has to offer. Having achieved remarkable success in Taipei despite setting up La Petit Cuisine in what many consider to be an unfashionable part of town (Shuang Cheng Street), Quek's Shanghai endeavors are centered around tourist hotspot Xintiandi-a redeveloped zone of refurbished Shikumen (stone gate) houses right in the heart of the bustling city.

Still, success anywhere is never guaranteed. China's economic miracle has hardly gone unnoticed, and Shanghai now boasts a smorgasbord of international standard dining establishments, with the likes of fusion father Jean-Georges Vongrichten setting up an outpost and avant-garde Jade on 36 hitting culinary highs night in, night out.

Still, Quek, who has cooked for more dignitaries than you can shake a rolling pin at (his honor roll includes Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and former Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, among others), is far from fazed, believing himself to pack the necessary oomph to edge out all detractors. "My X-factor is that I'm the only Asian here to cook at this level-the rest are all Caucasians," he says. "Being Asian and having worked in Europe, I understand both cultures and can balance both preferences. For example, I know as Chinese we are lactose intolerant, so as much as you might like classical French fare with a lot of cream, we can't (stomach it). Sure, you could do one dish, but not every one."

Most are now familiar with the Justin Quek story, the timeless classic of small town boy making it big. After cooking at sea for two years, the jovial local lad earned a basic culinary training at SHATEC. Upon his graduation, Quek toiled the burners at The Oriental properties here and in Bangkok, before he was encouraged to head west to improve his skills. Did the then-scrawny young man have any inkling to his future success? Not according to him. "In the beginning I just wanted to be a good cook; who ever thinks they're going to be a great chef at the start? As a person, I think I'm very determined and hard working, and the route so far has just continued for me like this." 

The 46-year-old considers his longtime friend, the eponymous Japanese-born Australian chef Tetsuya Wakuda, as a main source of information. The pair met for the first time in the late-1990s, after Quek had opened Au Jardin and Wakuda finally allowed his Japanese French fusion restaurant to stay open in his absence, and given their similar classical French backgrounds, hit it off instantly. "Tets is a dear friend; we share a lot of thoughts. In fact he just left (Shanghai) yesterday. Another dear friend is Iggy (former Les Amis partner, Ignatius Chan).

"We often travel together and eat together, not just in Asia but around the world. This is how we get attuned with the business, not just in Asia but worldwide."

It is Justin Quek's classical French training that truly defines him. In an age where every chef and his brother are chasing the latest fads willy-nilly, Quek draws from his foundations and prods it gently along with a few modern twists. "Having a classical French foundation is not easy," he states matter-of-factly. "With a good foundation I can create; without, I can only create crappy food.

"For me having a classical French foundation means I understand flavors and products. When I taste something I think about balance and how I'm going to work with (this ingredient). My palate is very sensitive, and when I taste something the light bulb goes off and I think what to go with it."

According to Quek, young chefs nowadays are not versed enough in the building blocks of the trade. He explains when he learns from other kitchen gurus, the most important lesson is their philosophy - how they cook and why they cook the way they do. In other words, he comes to understand the artist, not just the recipes.

His approach, however, is far from rigid, and part of Quek's magic is his ability to adapt. In Taiwan province, the resourceful chef makes extensive use of the abundant quality seafood, while one of his most popular dishes is bamboo shoots with truffle dressing ("they taste just like artichokes"). Although business was slow at the cosy La Petit Cuisine when it first started (in large part due to its inaccessible location), the restaurant made it to the top of the country's rankings within 22 months. Having 'learnt his lesson', Quek relocated La

Petit Cuisine in the resplendent Evergreen Laurel Hotel situated n the heart of Taipei City one year ago.

In Shanghai, Quek has taken the ubiquitous xiaolongbao (soupy pork dumpling) and blended it with foie gras, giving the dumpling a creamy texture and greater richness. "It doesn't mean without French lamb I cannot cook. Every country can give you inspiration. I like using local ingredients and a very little touch of Asia, not necessarily Singaporean. It's not the use of spice; it's still very elegant."

Unlike his contemporaries who have fallen in love with the piquancy so common across the world's most populous continent, there is still a hesitation when it comes to raising kicking the Scoville rating of his food up a notch. To Quek, there is a je nais sai quois about spice that simply lacks the elegance he hungers for. "I'm not a lemongrass man, I don't know why. Since all our clients are Asian, a dish like laksa with lobster will not be a fine-dining highlight for them; I could just do that in Katong.

"We Asians have very fine palates, whether we be from Singapore, Hong Kong or Taiwan. We eat very well and we understand food, and we have such great palates." Quek is currently in his second year on the Chinese mainland and his success is not to be scoffed at.his bravado and daring have propelled him to the top of his game. Merely a month after opening La Platane, he was offered the gorgeous Villa du Lac Huaiyang cuisine restaurant across the street and while Yangzhou fare was not Quek's strongest suit at the time, he was determined to bring what he knew into making a world-class Chinese restaurant.

"When I first went I only knew Yangzhou fried rice so I went to Yangzhou and tasted the food there. It's good cooking, but it didn't suit my clients so I made it more mid to high class. For instance the tofu gansi (shredded tofu) is there, but instead of normal fish stock I've upgraded to a superior fish stock and added shark's fin. I look to French for inspiration, but I don't bastardize it."

As far as the city has come in such a short period of time, there is still a long path to go till Shanghai is truly world class dining destination, a fact Quek is fully aware of.

"Countries are all like that, look at Singapore 25 years ago. Now we are considered more mature now. Same with Hong Kong, Taipei. Shanghai will take a long time. "To the Chinese, dining at a European restaurant suggests they've arrived, just like driving a Mercedes or toting an original Louis Vuitton. People here choose restaurants by branding and they don't know if they are correct or not. There are those who are very rich but they get intimidated - they don't go to French restaurants because they don't know how to appreciate and they don't know how to order wine. You need people like their business associates to introduce to them."

Double standards are also an issue here, a fact known all-too-well by international restaurateurs in almost any country. "The health inspectors here are stricter than in Singapore, such as making sure everything has a label saying when we brought it in and how long we intend to keep it for. Because we are foreign investors. Whether they do that to the small shops is a question mark."

Quek does see a positive light in the development of the local supply scene. Having familiarized himself with Singapore and Taiwan, he initially found logistics in Shanghai to be lacking. Over time, however, he has come to appreciate what the massive country has to offer. "I like to say, mother earth is very fair-1.2billion people can't be wrong. Of course, if you want good products you have to pay for it, but you can't take something on the street and write the whole country off as bad. This spring I brought in 300 kilograms of beautiful asparagus from Jilin (in the North), while now my mushroom man is fantastic with his ceps. There's great garlic on Hainan Island, while Qingdao has the best seafood. Its all a matter of how to get it in, but some people are already looking at this."

While the mind may be willing the body is not always able, and Quek in increasingly conscious about his health. Besides regular sessions at the gym, he cycles to work daily and goes home as soon as service is over. His future plans also take into consideration the toil of visiting his kitchens daily. ''We're just waiting for the opportunity to sell food at the cheapest price and get the best quality. What I want is good food, not just fine dining."

After all, as Quek so succinctly puts it, there is only good food and bad food.


Le Platane
373 Huangpi South Road
Shanghai 200021, China
Tel: (86) 21-5383 2998

Villa du Lac
383 Huangpi South Road
Shanghai 200021, China
Tel: (86) 21-6387 6387

Fountain Bistro Wine Bar
Unit 4, Building 10-12
Lane 181 Taicang Road
Shanghai 200021
Tel: (86) 21-6326 8800

La Petit Cuisine Brasserie by JQ
Evergreen Laurel Hotel
63 Songjiang Road
Taipei City, 10455 Taiwan
Tel: (886) 2-2509 0332