Meet Chef Qiquo Su, the newly appointed Chinese Sous Chef at Shang Palace, the Chinese restaurant at Shangri-La. He joins the Shangri-La after his stint at the hotel in Chengdu. Chef Qiquo Su talks to Explocity about his favourite food and how his culture influences his cooking style as well as eating habits.

Where did you grow up?
I have grown up in Chengdu the capital of Sichuan in the Southwest province of China.

What led you to become a chef?
The art of cooking has always fascinated me. It feels like I have been cooking for almost my entire life. As a kid I loved trying new cuisines and dishes and hence decided to make a career in culinary arts. Chinese cuisine is very close to my heart and there are various experiments and innovations that can be done with this style of cooking. This motivated me to become a chef.

When did you start cooking?
I started my culinary journey in 2001 and have been cooking for the past 16 years. My longest career stint has been with Shangri-La Hotels as I was with them in Chengdu for 8 years and now I am in Bangalore.

What do you enjoy more: cooking, or creating?
I like to create and invent new dishes using traditional products and skills.

Do you feel there is virtue in preserving the authenticity of food?
It is important to preserve the authenticity of our cuisine but at the same time it makes sense to take the cuisine to different parts of the world, allowing various individuals to taste and experiment new and innovative dishes.

What do you like eating the most?
My favorite food is traditional Sichuan food. I would like to introduce the authentic Sichuan cuisine at Shang Palace.
I like double cooked pork, Kung-Pow chicken, and Sichuan beef, traditional Sichuan food.

When did you come to Bangalore?
I moved to Bangalore when I started working with Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru in September 2016.

Do you like it here?
I love Bangalore because of the welcoming and beautiful weather the city has to offer. Indian food is good and spicy and this too is a type of cuisine where one can experiment and invent new dishes. Indian food is like Sichuan food to a certain extent because both these cuisines have a spice factor in them, the spice factor in both these cuisines adds to the taste of it.