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For some nations, dining isn't just about
nourishment. It's a reason for living. France and Italy spring
to mind. So does China.
The following is a sample itinerary of a culinary tour that will introduce you to the rich
tradition of Chinese cuisine with the assistance of world-renowned food writer
Fuchsia Dunlop. You would be taken to the capitals
of the four regions of Chinese cuisine and take lessons with
some of the country's greatest chefs. |
Culinary highlights could include:
- Introductory lecture on Chinese cuisine from
renowned food author Fuchsia Dunlop
- Courtyard banquet prepared by the grandson of Chairman Mao's personal chef who will prepare dishes that visiting dignitaries once enjoyed
- Lecture on Sichuanese xiaochi or Tea
House Food, Chengdu
- Participatory lessons at the Sichuan
Institute of Higher Cuisine, Chengdu
- Demonstration and cooking lesson on Shanghainese Cuisine
- Visit to tea and food markets at Chengdu and
Shanghai, accompanied by experts
- Participatory lessons at the Chinese
Cuisine Training Institute of Hong Kong
Day One -
You will be met at the gate of Beijing International Airport by airport VIP staff who will lead you through immigration, baggage claim and customs to your vehicle to be transferred to your hotel. ( Raffles
Beijing Hotel - 5 Stars)
 Day Two -
This morning we take you to one of ancient China's most sacred sites, the majestic Temple of Heaven used by the Emperor as a place to mediate affairs between God and man. This afternoon's activities contrast colossal monuments of the past
and present. After strolling across the impressive Tiananmen Square,
an authoritative symbol of today's China, you will by awed by the
majesty of the magnificent Forbidden
City (to which in times past you would have been denied access). Your tour here will include exclusive access to a private palace, normally closed to the general public. (Please note that access to this site is controlled by local authorities, who may deny access on occasion.
For dinner we take you to a restaurant specializing in Beijing street food. This spectacular showcase of Northern cuisine is in one of the slickest dining spots in the city. It is also home to what we believe is Beijing’s best roast duck. (B, L, D)
Day Three -
Today, you will visit the emblematic Great
Wall of China. In places, over 2,500 years old, this daunting
fortification protected China from the murderous incursions of the
savage Northern tribes. While sipping cocktails on the Wall, we
will be treated to a lecture by Fuchsia Dunlop ,
author of Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuanese Cooking, and the only Westerner to
have graduated from the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine . Fuchsia
will introduce Chinese cuisine, describing the characteristics of
the four regional schools as well as basic cookery techniques and
ingredients. Cocktails will be followed by a banquet dinner
on the Great Wall. (B, L, D)
Day Four - 
This morning, we take a tour of the delightful Summer Palace, a retreat once enjoyed
exclusively by the Empress Dowager Cixi; its ornate temples, pavilions
and covered corridors, set amidst a vast, man-made landscape, epitomize
both the decadence and refinement of this infamous matriarch. In the afternoon, the poetic expanses of Imperial life will contrast with the intimacy of the historic alleyways (or Hutong ). During this pedicab tour of Beijing's old quarter, you will be afforded a rare insight into the everyday life of Beijingers.
Chairman Mao’s personal chef, who prepared the meals for the visiting Viscount Montgomery, the Dalai Lama and the last Emperor of China amongst other dignitaries. These days, this chef’s grandson, himself also a Master Chef prepares behind-the-scenes ministerial level meetings, and will prepare your evening's dinner in an exclusive courtyard home. (Please note that there is a possibility of cancellation given government use of this venue which has priority over Imperial Tours’ access. In the event of a cancellation, we will attempt to reschedule.) (B, L, D)
 Day Five -
This morning you will have some free time in Beijing to
take in some of the city's fabulous shopping.
In the afternoon we fly to Chengdu , where dinner
will be served at one of the city's most renowned restaurants. Dishes
will include perennial Sichuanese favorites such as Lazi Ji (chicken
in a mount of chillies) as well as some of the local chefs' more
innovative Sichuanese dishes. (Shangri-La Hotel - 5 Stars) (B,
L, D)
Day Six -
This morning we're off to school, attending a
day of cooking lessons at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine where leading Chinese chefs will supervise your participation
in preparing Sichuan cuisine's most popular dishes. Throughout,
Fuchsia Dunlop will provide background information on the various
ingredients and cooking techniques, after which she will demonstrate
how these dishes can be adapted for the Western home. And for dinner
you will sample Sichuan hotpot at a wonderfully aesthetic restaurant.
(B, L, D)
Day Seven -
 This morning Fuchsia will guide us through the exotic variety of
fruits, vegetables, meats and spices at Chengdu's food markets.
For lunch,we will feast on delicious Sichuan "xiaochi" delicacies.
These are comprised of an assortment of dishes ranging from meat
and seafood, to preserved vegetables to hand made noodles. Each
dish is brought out on a small individual plate, allowing you to
sample a wide variety of flavors. Throughout our fascinating and
delicious meal, Fuchsia Dunlop will introduce the history &
folklore of each dish.
Later in the day a flight takes
us from Chengdu to Shanghai.
This waterside city, last century considered to be the most Western
of China's cities, now should be thought of as its most futuristic.
This evening’s dinner will be in one of our favorite Shanghai restaurants, where classic regional dishes like drunken chicken and xiaolongbao have been reinvented and are served in a 1930s environment reminiscent of the city’s heyday. ( Peninsula Hotel - 5 Stars)
(B, L, D)
Day Eight -
This morning you will be taken to one of the largest seafood markets in China where you will select the ingredients for your next culinary adventure. The morning's cooking lesson takes place inside an old French Concession home where your hosts will guide your through the preparation of a typical Shanghainese meal.
 The day continues with a visit to Shanghai
Museum, the best in the country. Its well-conceived
displays elucidate all aspects of Chinese art history from ceramics
to jades to furniture to seals to paintings. For this evening, we will arrange a private dinner inside the cupola of an Art Deco building on the Bund with a magnificent view over the Huangpu River. This set-menu meal will be designed and catered by Jean Georges. (B, L, D)
Day Nine -
This morning we fly to Hong Kong, one of Asia's
most dynamic cities - a great melting pot of Eastern and Western
cultures, combining the relentless mercantilism of the Cantonese
with the reassuring know-how of formerly colonial powers.
After a delectable Cantonese dim sum lunch, we will
visit the acme of Hong Kong's high society. Literally. Victoria
Peak, towering over the city, was valued in colonial times,
before the advent of air-conditioning, for its cooling breezes.
Stunning views of the sea and surrounding islands as well as its
proximity to the financial center have preserved its residential
exclusivity. We will use the Victoria Tram to ascend the Peak, where
after visiting the observation center, we will take a short walk
to enjoy surreal vistas of aluminum and glass skyscrapers juxtaposed
with the sea and jungle. (Four Seasons Hotel - 5 Stars) (B, L, D)
Day Ten -
 Our last set of cooking lessons focuses on China's best-known cuisine,
Cantonese food. You will spend a day at the state-of-the-art Chinese
Cuisine Training Institute of Hong Kong, where the city's
top chefs are trained. Morning instruction in dimsum dishes will
be followed in the afternoon with lessons in making other delectable
Cantonese favorites. A sampling lunch will be provided in the Institute's
Sky Lounge which is also home to the members-only Hong Kong Dining
Society. Your farewell dinner tonight will prove to be a gourmet's
delight, featuring some of the most delectable dishes of the region!
(B, L, D)
Day Eleven -
You will be transferred to the airport in time for your international
flight. (B)
Please note that B, L, D denotes Breakfast,
Lunch Dinner.
Included in the tour price would be:
- Introductory lecture on Chinese cuisine
- Cooking lessons / demonstrations
- 10 nights accommodation in outstanding five
star hotels
- All meals at our carefully selected restaurants,
as listed on the itinerary (soft drinks & local beer included)
- Privately catered dining events, as listed in
the itinerary
- All domestic flights in economy seats (Beijing/Chengdu,
Chengdu/Shanghai, Shanghai/Hong Kong)
- All land transportation
- Entrance fees to all tourist sites, as described
in the itinerary
- Baggage handling, guide and driver gratuities,
hotel and domestic airport taxes
- Services of a bilingual Western China Host and
English-speaking local tour guides
Not included in the tour price would be:
- International airfare to China, visa processing fees and travel insurance
- Personal expenses such as alcoholic beverages, excess luggage fees, telephone charges, room service and laundry charges
- Gratuities to the China Host
Margot
Kong, in San Francisco, U.S. and Kent Milne in the U.K. are ready to answer your queries
about a culinary tour itinerary.
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