Kelley Lee

1 Photo

by Raphael Seghin
on Friday, December 09, 2011 12:00 AM

You’ve been here for a while. What do you think are some of the biggest changes in the F&B industry in Shanghai?

If you went back in time, you would realize that when I first came, there were so few concepts that you didn’t really have variety or choice. Also, the choice of ingredients was very limited. Today, while you still can’t find everything that you would like to use, for the most part, the availability of ingredients has increased dramatically, which has also helped the industry become more interesting.

The microbrewery scene was quite new when you opened up BCB, and it seems to recently be growing in popularity. Why do you think that is?

Well beer is very native to Chinese culture, since Tsingtao. Locals are more accustomed to a lighter flavor of beer, and a different profile, but drinking it is very natural for them. It’s not something completely different that they can’t get used to.

Would you say that’s why you wanted to get involved?

Definitely. I saw a niche in the market and the potential for growth in the local sector, which is really the thing that everyone thinks about. It’s bringing something a little different to the local market, while still being something they can identify with. Our new BCB has a lot of young locals in it, which is great. 

What is your general process in opening up a new place?

Most of the time, it’s about bringing something unique to the people that live here. Its also something that I feel for or I miss back home. But there needs to be something special to come back to.

You’ve often stated that being the chef was your favorite aspect of running a restaurant. With all the different projects you’re involved in, do you still have time to get your hands dirty?

I think the creativity portion of being a chef is definitely what I enjoy the most, in terms of putting together a new menu, working with the staff in training etc, but I don’t really get the chance to be in the kitchen as often anymore. I still enjoy it a lot, I mean I love food, I have a passion for the ingredients, and I also have a passion for sharing those things with people. That’s the most gratifying part of the job; when you see somebody enjoying what you created.

If somebody wanted to open up their own restaurant in Shanghai, what advice would you give them?

Don’t let your ego get into it. When you open a restaurant, you have to know the value of what you are presenting. Is it going to be something affordable, or expensive but beautiful? What we try to do is create value in something. Whether it’s a great sandwich with good ingredients, a cocktail you can’t find anywhere else in Shanghai or anything else, things must have a reasonable price for its value. If you can find that medium, then I think you will always be successful, because you’re not trying to swindle someone for a couple of bucks, you’re trying to give them something that they will value, and I think people will show appreciation for that.

You’re a big fan of in-N-out, what are your views on the soon-to-be open Cali burger knockoff?

Well its interesting. Its unfortunate that In-N-out wasn’t actually involved, and we don’t know how that will pan out for them, but I have mixed feelings. I doubt that anyone can duplicate In-N-out, I mean, it will just taste different. The problem is that, for example, Italian food tastes completely different in Italy than it does here, and the reason for that is the ingredients. And when you’re in California, the motherland of produce, if you get a burger that’s been chilled and not frozen and having tomatoes and lettuce and freshly baked bread, its going to taste different. If they can duplicate it, well then God bless them, but I think that although we get inspiration from a lot of places, there’s a fine line between copycatting and then making something your own. And I think its important to have originality. All chefs around the world buy cookbooks, because we look at things that other people are doing and get inspired, but not to copy it and stamp our name on it.

How did your experiences in different parts of the world inspire you to do the things you do today?

I think one of the things that I learned in Europe was probably the appreciation of one labor of love for one person. If you go to the markets in Europe, you’ll find that there’s different stalls for different things. There’s the mushroom guy, and then there’s one guy who’s the cheese guy, the seafood guy. Coming from the states where you are used to finding all your produce in the same big store, you get a real appreciation for each individual supplier.

When you do actually have free time, what do you like to do?

This is really boring to be honest, but I think that having your own place means you go out less, you drink less because you’re around it so much. If I ever had any free time, I would probably have my secret Friday night, stay at home and watch a dvd, or enjoy a nice home-cooked meal at a friend’s house. At the end of the day I love what I do, so that’s what keeps me going. If you don’t have passion for it, it’s not going to work out in the long run.