HYDERABAD: As we dwelled in the interiors and got astonished by Yi Jing at ITC Kohenur, our eyes were arrested by the chef standing on the Billiard board like an open kitchen platform stole our attention. Watching Peng’s Yu Tao hands at work seemed like a play, as he was only juggling the dough. He however ended up with noodles that looked like a product of deft precision.
Chef stretched and pulled the dough, strictly obeying the laws of elasticity and tension of Physics and making sure not even one of the many noodle strands breaks. "It took me years of hours to learn to make sure that no noodle strand breaks," he said in English, infused with the warm familiarity of his native tongue.
Presiding over this Oriental oasis, Master Chef Peng, a seasoned virtuoso of Chinese cuisine with decades of experience. Chef Peng’s culinary prowess is unmistakable as he artfully weaves the robust and titillating flavours of his native Chengdu into each dish. His gastronomic feats are a harmonious marriage of spice and subtlety, inviting diners to savour the tingling warmth of his creations without succumbing to the inferno of chilli.
As a maestro of texture, Chef Peng showcases his skill in the Crackling Prawn with Crack Chilli and Potato Crisps, one among the 12 of his nostalgia-inspired À la carte menu. In this dish, each morsel of crunch and softness, as the prawn's crisp exterior yields to its tender flesh within melted offered diners an unforgettable sensory experience.
The sautéed vegetables are another testament to his mastery, with the lotus stem, imported from Thailand, and black fungus from Chengdu itself offering an exquisite play of contrasts, both to tongue and eyes. The hotpot sauce of Chengdu further elevated the experience, revealing its flavours in tantalising layers, until a while after the bite.
The Dumpling Platter, a signature offering, leaves harmonious flavours on the tastebuds, whilst the Minced Chicken with Microgreens luxuriates in a clear broth dissolved with their mildness of meticulously directed tastes that are hard to be explained, yet can be felt and remembered.
The pièce de résistance, however, is the Slice of Fish with Preserved Vegetables. Chef Peng meticulously cures an array of ingredients - carrot, cabbage, chillies, and garlic - with a secret salt recipe, devoid of lactobacillus. The fish, infused with these preserved jewels, soaks up their essence, creating a symphony of authentic Chinese flavours.
"The festival will go on for a month and it will perhaps stay for long," says the chef, who was keenly observing the expressions of the diners who were devouring his menu full of memories crafted with love.