Kaohsiung's Multi-sensory Fine Dining Experience/漫步高雄的另一種風景 精緻飲食文化
Kaohsiung's Multi-sensory Fine Dining Experience
◎English written by Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos courtesy of Pasadena Group, Pao Chung-hui
Food and drink is an essential part of humanity. Culinary traditions also reflect cultural history. Local cuisine has always reflected Kaohsiung's development. During the industrial era, fresh seafood and extravagant banquets were popular. As Kaohsiung became an international mega city, exotic foreign cuisines and fine dining began to spring up. These new delicacies gave Kaohsiung a whole new dimension.
Pasadena Group has recently gained a great deal of popularity in Kaohsiung. The restaurant chain is particularly famous for its award-winning Walnut and Dried Longan Bread. Pasadena exhibits creative culinary ideas and new ways of preparing food. It's success has upgraded Kaohsiung's culinary industry.
If a new restaurant is to prevail, they must understand the culture behind the food as well as quality preparation. "Branding is also important and Pasadena constantly keeps image in mind" says Pasadena's Executive Branding Director, Ms. Jian Su-ling. In the food industry, the first secret to success is finding unique delicacies. The next is maintaining good consistent quality. Ms. Jian began Pasadena's initiative of understanding the story behind the food. She hoped the dishes would depict the history, emotion and culture associated with it. Take the Walnut and Dried Longan Bread for example, the bread was not only unique because it won the Coupe Louis Lesaffre baking competition. It is also an extraordinary combination of French bread-making technique, premier Taiwanese ingredients and most importantly, the master baker's love for his mother.
Connecting food, culture and emotion brings people's attention back to the food, its origin and how it was produced. Pasadena encourages the chefs to go out to the farms, form personal relations with the farmers and become familiar with the land where the food was grown. This makes them more appreciative of the ingredients.
In 2008, Pasadena launched the "Natural Life Festival". This featured food made with ingredients produced only with natural farming methods and serving the dishes at the Pasadena Bakery and their Italian and French Restaurants. The purpose of the campaign was to encourage people to appreciate the land through the love of food. Pasadena considers itself not only a culinary company but a creative company as well.
Sometimes the Pasadena Group branch off on other creative projects outside of the culinary field. In 2006 Pasadena hosted an event combining a jewelry display with fine dining. The plates featured jewelry-themed designs and garnishing. This year, Pasadena's special project was jewelry and deserts, partnering jewelry designers and pastry chefs. The goal was to create glittering, colorful jewelry and deserts. This became a multi-sensory exhibition, turning a cuisine into a cultural experience.
Pasadena's effort to uphold the brand image didn't just stop there. After two years of negotiations and no expenses spared, Pasadena was able to get three-star Michelin chef, Christian Le Squer to come to Taiwan. Michelin star awarded to chefs capable of producing good food and have integral understanding of European culinary culture. This was the first time in history a Michelin chef would be a guest at a restaurant in southern Taiwan. Monsieur Le Squer is a chef who finds inspiration in the places he travels to. His work shows a deep appreciation for the local culture. His visit is highly anticipated.
On top of establishing a premier culinary brand name, Pasadena has put a lot of effort into establishing an image associated with art and culture. The "Sincewell Gallery" on the 2nd floor of the Pasadena French Restaurant is a space for exhibitions, seminars and contemporary Taiwanese art displays. After savoring delicious French food, the guest can continue their refined cultural experience upstairs. By combining cuisine and art, Kaohsiung's, culinary culture has truly become a multi-sensory experience.
漫步高雄的另一種風景
精緻飲食文化
◎文／凌卓民
◎照片提供／帕莎蒂娜、鮑忠暉
餐飲是人類生活文明的縮影，在不同時代、不同生活水平，呈現出不同的飲食需求。隨著時光嬗遞，高雄飲食也悄然改變，走過工業大城的時代，港都生猛海鮮與熱情豪邁依舊深植人心，在高雄邁入國際城市之際，新興許多異國餐廳，精緻、慢食成為悠遊港都的另一個方式。
以「酒釀桂圓麵包」打響知名度的「帕莎蒂娜餐飲事業集團」是高雄餐飲界亮眼的新星，很有想法的「帕莎蒂娜」成功創造許多話題，將高雄的餐飲業帶到新的境界。
有別傳統餐飲業者，近年興起的餐廳，除了講求美味之外，更講求豐富餐飲文化的內涵。首先，是業者對於品牌價值精神的建立，帕莎蒂娜品牌總監簡素玲坦言，料理的美味當然是最基本層面；第二層面是品質的把關，目前多數餐飲業者也多會追求品質層面；因此，帕莎蒂娜再往更高層次發展，追求料理與情感、文化的連結，也就是產品背後的故事性，風靡全台的酒釀桂圓麵包就是絕佳例證，雖然僅是一顆麵包，但結合法式技術，嚴選台灣食材，傳遞麵包師傅對於母親的情感。
同時，料理與情感文化連結層面，也回歸到食材的來源，譬如利用在地食材，並且鼓勵旗下主廚走出廚房，認識辛勤耕種的農夫與孕育富饒作物的土地，帕莎蒂娜在2008年開始每年推出「自然生活節」，透過旗下的烘焙坊、義大利屋與法式餐廳，讓民眾品嚐利用自然農法友善耕作而得之的料理，進而感受到這份對於土地的情懷。此外，以經營文創產業的心態求新求變，也是突出於傳統餐飲市場的關鍵，例如結合跨領域專業，在2006年推出珠寶美食套餐，到今年的珠寶甜點，結合珠寶設計師與主廚，讓料理展現出如同珠寶的色彩與光澤，將文化深化至消費者對飲食的感受。
因為這一份對於自身品牌價值的建立與了解，讓帕莎蒂娜不惜耗費兩年時間、花費鉅資，在今年八月邀請米其林三星法國主廚Christian Le Squer來台，在精湛廚藝背後，米其林更代表著歐陸精緻飲食文化的精髓，同時隱藏著深厚的文化底蘊，這是南部地區第一次有業者以獨立餐廳之姿，邀請星級主廚客座以旅行為創作靈感來源，並尊重各地特色的Mr. Squer，將帶給高雄人全新的飲食體驗。
除了品牌的建立，帕莎蒂娜也跨界藝文，在法式餐廳二樓的新思維人文空間，不斷舉行各式藝術展覽、講座，嚴選台灣獨特作品，實現生活精品化的展覽理念，與法式料理的慢食與細細品味，相輔相成。
高雄各式結合在地食材與人文藝術、味覺與視覺兼具的異國餐廳，儼然成為城市漫步的另一種風景。