Born in Yanshui, banquet chef Chen Chin-Ming comes from a family with generations of experience in the culinary industry. Familiar with local delicacies like Yanshui Pork Head Rice and Douqian Soup, Chen honed his skills under the mentorship of seasoned chefs in his youth. His solid expertise has made him a key figure in Yanshui's banquet scene, often catering to prominent political and business figures. He is renowned for his mastery of traditional restaurant-style dishes.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-Che noted that Yanshui was once a bustling trade port and cattle market, attracting people from nearby areas for business. The thriving commercial activities led to the development of restaurant-style dishes, allowing chefs like Chen Chin-Ming to inherit and refine this culinary tradition. Chen specializes in blending Taiwanese, snack, and Cantonese cuisines, presenting traditional flavors with premium ingredients. His classic dish, "Salted Egg Four Treasures," combines salted egg, squid, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, steamed in a bowl with a rich broth. The melting egg yolk infuses the soup with a golden hue and a robust aroma, making it both visually appealing and appetizing.
The classic restaurant dish "Salted Egg Four Treasures" was the best hangover soup in the past. (Image/Source: Tainan Travel Website)
Another signature dish, "Jade Belt Sea Bass," features fresh and tender sea bass wrapped around golden needle mushrooms and shredded mushrooms. The fish rolls are placed on the fish bones and drizzled with a light glaze, resulting in a clean and refreshing flavor. Chen's "Furong Crab Meatballs" are crafted from ground meat, crab, and shrimp, and steamed to create plump and round meatballs symbolizing prosperity and harmony at banquets.
"Jade Belt Sea Bass" is a dish that earns guests' admiration. (Image/Source: Tainan Travel Website)
Lin Kuo-Hua, Director of the Tainan Tourism Bureau, highlighted that in the past, Yanshui was home to numerous skilled chefs. Neighboring regions often sought Yanshui's chefs for banquets, fostering the local development of restaurant-style cuisine. To meet diverse customer demands, Yanshui chefs mastered various cooking techniques, from high-end restaurant dishes to seasonal banquet dishes. Chen Chin-Ming recreates nostalgic flavors with creative twists. His "Crispy Chicken Skin" combines Fuzhou-style cooking with chicken rolls, wrapping minced meat, dried shrimp, and aromatic spices in tofu skin before frying it to a crispy perfection. Its resemblance to chicken skin gives the dish its name. Another standout creation is a unique prawn dish, where prawns are wrapped in vermicelli and fried to crispy perfection, adding a modern touch to traditional banquet menus.
As events like the Yuejin Lantern Festival and the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival draw large numbers of tourists annually, Yanshui's traditional banquet culture has regained its charm. If you have the chance to visit Yanshui, be sure to savor these creative and classic local dishes and experience the culinary artistry of Chen Chin-Ming.
Related Links
★ "Tainan 400 - City Food Power" Official Website
★ Tainan Tourism Facebook Page
★ Tainan Travel Website
