Industry Story
2020.05.04

Haute Cuisine Hidden in the Alleys - Aaron Kitchen

After searching for my home repeatedly, I look up and suddenly there it is by the dim lights

"After traveling from city to city over the last two decades plus, I only rediscovered my identity after returning to the village." Sung Chin-Lung aspires to introduce Italian and French gastronomy to the village by opening a restaurant in Hualien or Taitung. He trained a group of local indigenous children to start their business independently through Aaron Kitchen.

Aaron Kitchen focuses on experimental dishes like Chocolate Shrimp. Generally, these two ingredients would not be combined, hence the customers ordering the dish expect to be surprised. After receiving their feedback, the chef will continue to research and develop innovative dishes. Furthermore, spices from indigenous traditional cooking are infused into the dishes, something that is not found in conventional Italian or French restaurants. 

According to chef Aaron, "The whole world is breaking traditions, but foreign chefs do not understand most of the indigenous spices, hence it presents a major barrier to entry and it is our responsibility to introduce indigenous ingredients into foreign dishes." To carry forward indigenous specialty ingredients and spices, Sung Chin-Lung incorporated his experiences to generate culinary sparks and memorable flavors on the palate. Additionally, he intends to spread the warmth of the cuisine from the table to people's hearts.

Create a new era of gastronomy exclusive to the indigenous people

Due to the geographical convenience of the restaurant, Sung Chin-Lung also teaches a class in his spare time to exchange experiences with students and show them simple, easy-to-prepare food. By utilizing indigenous ingredients to develop new dishes, students in the class can further understand indigenous specialty ingredients. When they have acquired the experience and simple culinary knowledge, chef Aaron lets students take the surplus ingredients home so that they can be infused into their cooking and richen the diversity of their home-cooked meals. 

"Indigenous people should not underestimate their ingredients because they are capable of taking the world by storm. Never forget the unique flavors, memories, and warmth of indigenous cooking, as well as our stories." Sung Chin-Lung is currently striving towards this philosophy to endow the tiny restaurant in downtown Hualien with the grand aspiration of promoting indigenous specialty cuisine.