Jun Trinh and Gireesh Chaudhury Enter Dining Hall of Fame
This year’s Dining Hall of Fame
inductees are towering restaurateurs, known not only for the delectable
cuisine of their venues but also their charismatic, dynamic
personalities. They both brought exotic fare from another region to
Beijing, and they have also worked to make their restaurants into
cultural hubs for likeminded throngs to gather.
Jun Trinh of 4corners
In terms of a space for events, 4corners’ Jun Trinh is well ahead of his fellow 2017 Dining Hall of Fame inductee Gireesh Chaudhury of
Punjabi. Indeed Trinh, a Canadian of Vietnamese descent, has worked to
make his long-running hutong venue not only a destination for pub grub
with innovative twists and fusion Southeast Asian fare, but also a haven
for live music, pub quizzes, and comedy. And yet Chaudhury should be
lauded for his ambitious plans to make Punjabi not only a hub for
authentic Indian food, but also a cultural center offering official yoga
and dance classes as part of a collaboration between the Chinese and
Indian governments.
Chaudhury of Punjabi
Joining
the company of these elite insiders that voted them in prompted Trinh
and Chaudhury to think back on the feats they’ve achieved in Beijing’s
ever-tumultuous restaurant scene.
Trinh tells the Beijinger he and his partner at 4corners, Tavey Lean,
“were the first to do a lot of things in this city. From opening the
first Western restaurant bar deep in the hutongs, offering the first big
band experiences in the city, unique parties and dining experiences,
supporting local crafters, musicians, and martial artists and offering a
platform for them to showcase.”
Before
all that, he was the head chef at Lugas Pho Pho in the early 2010s,
before gaining a name for himself on his own, not just through 4corners,
but also starring in the Chinese travel show Who Will Lend Me a Kitchen?
Trinh's menu has long been considered one of Beijing's top options for Vietnamese eats
Chaudhury
is also a culinary pioneer worthy of the documentary treatment. CCTV
did just that a few years back, dedicating a segment of their Laowai Not series
to the Punjabi proprietor. In the clip, he reminisced about being
invited to China in the summers by his father, who owned factories on
the Chinese mainland. He found himself swept up in the exotic flair and
fast pace of China at the turn of the century, and it didn’t take long
for him to be tempted to pursue opportunities here, first at a small
Indian joint in Zhejiang run by a Chinese owner looking to sell. From
there, Chaudhury opened branches across the country. Chinese clientele
in the capital especially charmed Chaudhury with their curiosity,
recognizing the curry and some other fare, but being shocked by how
Indians eat without cutlery. “It’s about breaking the mindset, about
education,” he said in the clip, a sentiment that clearly persists
through his plans for the forthcoming cultural center.
Punjabi's contemporary take on Indian fare has helped it stand out from the competition
Chaudhury’s success can also no doubt be attributed to, as one Beijinger reviewer put it, an avoidance of “cut-and-paste Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala”
in favor of “light, modern Indian cuisine” like barbecue king prawns,
samosa burgers, and more. When asked about his proudest achievements,
however, Chaudhury slyly asked: “Does downing a hundred shots of
Jägermeister over the years count?” Yes, that down-to-earth,
tongue-in-cheek nature is every bit as much a hallmark of Beijing’s
biggest restaurant personalities as their creativity and culinary
innovation.
This article first appeared in the November/December 2017 issue of the Beijinger, which you can read via PDF online or in hard copy at all of your favorite venues across town.
Click the cover to read the November/December 2017 edition of the Beijinger
Photos: the Beijinger, Judy Zhou, Uni You
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