Tànsuǒ, the latest restaurant from chef and restaurateur Maneet Chauhan, opened last week and has already generated a lot of buzz for its striking interior and contemporary Chinese food made with fresh ingredients. Chef Cheung grew up in New York's Chinatown section and cooked with the famed Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Vong and Jean-Georges, as well as acclaimed chef Masaharu Moriomoto at Nobu, before moving to China to study dim sum in Hong Kong and sea- and farm-to-table cooking in the villages of Shanghai. Though heavily influenced by Cantonese cuisine, the menu that Cheung has created for Tànsuǒ (which means "explore" in Cantonese) features a number of regional specialties and favorites from both China and the U.S. Let's better know Chef Cheung:
Vital tool: Nenox chef knife
Favorite gadget: Hong Kong cake pan
Pantry essential: Soy sauce and rice — what else?!
Necessary extravagance: Good coffee
Favorite beverage: Good coffee
Favorite smell: Good coffee. Noticing a pattern here?
Comfort food: Chinese BBQ, a good burger, pizza
Inspiration: My family
Last meal (ever): Shenjiamen dumplings. (Shenjiamen is a town on the coast of Shanghai)
Chef Cheung is the current chef and owner of Brooklyn’s celebrated East Wind Snack Shop and will be dividing his time between New York and Nashville to helm both restaurants.
