Twice Michelin-starred Chef Andrew Wong, acting as mentor for Chinese restaurant Baoshuan at the Oberoi Delhi, is on a conscious eating trip. In a new menu he balances progressive, thoughtful dining with nourishment and sustainability, with a focus on local and seasonal vegetables. Edited excerpts:
Q1 How local is your cooking, and how sustainable?
My cooking has never been driven by sustainability or strict locality as a conscious philosophy—it’s simply something that happens naturally. I’ve always believed that a chef’s job is to cook with the ingredients around them, with the people around them, and for the people around them. When you follow that mantra, there’s always an element of locality and, in turn, a level of sustainability. That said, deliciousness will always come first.
Q2 Do you develop dishes as per the native climate and availability, or do you replace ingredients with local ones?
My style of cooking is quite free; I don’t like to box it in too tightly. At Baoshuan and in London, it’s not about just recreating traditional dishes exactly as they are found in China. It’s about capturing a feeling, a heartiness, an essence of the cuisine. Sometimes that means changing a dish or using more local ingredients to suit the palate or the context—and I’m very comfortable with that.
Q3 Your cooking at Baoshuan has extremely subtle flavours. How does this work in a country like India, and especially Delhi, known to have a big bold palate?
It’s true that Indian cuisine—and especially Delhi—is known for its bold and powerful flavours. But at Baoshuan, I’ve found that our guests are equally open to subtler notes and layered nuances. Over time, they’ve embraced and even developed a taste for this style of cooking. With the new conscious lunch menu, I wanted to honour the hotel’s legacy of pioneering exceptional experiences. It aligns with progressive global trends of mindful eating.
Q4 The new lunch menu is prominently vegetarian. Are you seeing a significant tilt toward vegetarianism even in your restaurant in London?
For me, it’s more about creating a menu that truly reflects our philosophy. In Chinese gastronomy, the idea of using less meat— whether as a seasoning, or just a touch for flavour—has always been deeply rooted. So what you see on our menu is simply a continuation of that approach.
Q5 Eat less, eat better seems to be the global food philosophy, and your new menu reflects that. Was this a conscious decision?
It wasn’t a deliberate shift—it’s simply the way I’ve always viewed cooking, and, in fact, the way Chinese cuisine has traditionally been approached. The focus has always been on balance, on restraint, and on quality over quantity. This new menu is just a natural extension of that timeless philosophy.
