Chef Krzysztof Czerwinski (LONDON) & Wallace Lau (HONG KONG) the Mixologist
Test Kitchen Hong Kong
Wed 30 May 19.00 - Sat 2 Jun 23.15
TEST KITCHEN Hong Kong 158A Connaught Road West, Shop 3, Sai Ying Pun
Polish chef Krzysztof Czerwinski (Winski) formerly head chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze restaurant in London, joined in Hong Kong by his partner, Phillipa Armitage-Mattin, who also worked for the Gordon Ramsay Group.
Together, they embarked on a journey gathering inspiration through a three month culinary tour in Asia, with our pop-up in Hong Kong being the highlight and final mark of their journey. Their menu is all about beef, but done in very refreshing and unexpected ways while they also make all their own stocks, sauces and even kimchi from scratch.
Their menu is unlike any we’ve seen in TEST KITCHEN, certainly influenced by their travels in Asia, but its clear the roots stems from Japan, which reflects Gordon Ramsay’s Maze Grill where high-end Japanese cuisine is front and centre with a significant emphasis on high-end beef, prepared in unusual and innovative ways.
This dinner series is called “An Eve of Beef”, and here’s the menu:
Drinks pairings will come from Wallace Lau, born and bred from Hong Kong, an extremely talented and versatile mixologist. He is also the winner of Diageo Reserve Hong Kong 2014 Bartender of the Year. He is working with chef Winski to curate various cocktails as pairings together with wines will go along with the eight-course menu that Winski and Phillipa have created.
About Wallace Lau (The Mixologist)
Wallace’s career started in 2010 when his passion for drinks guide him to work with some of the best in the field including Diageo Reserve Hong Kong 2013 Bartender of the Year Ricky Liau. Humble and grateful, he attributes his success today to the mentorship he received from these influential figures. Wallace’s career began to flourish when he joined Angel’s Share in 2012, training under Les Vergers Boiron Hong Kong 2013’s Champion in Pairing Bryan Chan. A year later, he trained under Wyndham the 4th’s John Ng and former champion Ricky Liau. In the short span of just 4 years, he worked his way into becoming an expert himself in the art of mixology, and in 2013, joined his first Diageo Reserve World Class. Although coming in 3rd at the National Final, Wallace did not give up, and his steadfast determination led him to realize his dream this year when he won the title of Diageo Reserve Hong Kong 2014 Bartender of the Year. A member of WooNow, Wallace is dedicated to elevating the drinking culture of Hong Kong and the bartending profession.
About Winski (Krzysztof Czerwinski) and Phillipa Armitage-Mattin:
Chef Krzysztof Czerwinski (Winski) After 10 years working in well-established kitchens, predominantly in the Gordon Ramsay Group including Michelin star restaurants, Winski is currently travelling with his partner through Japan, South Korea and China to hone his knowledge and experience of various Asian dishes to pair with his cutting-edge techniques.
His cooking career started in Ireland, having previously quite a law degree to pursue a career in food. He worked for chefs including Matt Fuller who trained in San Sebastián, learning his craft and letting his cooking creativity flourish.
He spent two years working for Michelin-starred chef Conrad Gallagher before reopening a 5* Hotel in Dublin with Matt Fuller which went on to win best hotel restaurant in Ireland, while Winski won the prestigious Irish National Chef of the Year award.
He moved to London and joined the Gordon Ramsay group working for his French/Japanese Michelin restaurant Maze and quickly gained the opportunity to open Maze Grill for Gordon Ramsay. He spent the next three years opening two new restaurants in Chelsea and led the reinvention of Maze Grill as a head chef and brand ambassador. As a beef specialist, he used the entire carcass to make rich sauces and learnt about dry ageing the meat to draw out the amazing flavour and succulent texture, working with suppliers to understand and bring the best of South American, USDA, Japanese Wagyu and British beef.
Phillipa Armitage-Mattin trained with the Ramsay Group and completed a masters degree in Chemistry. For the last 18 months she has been working as a development chef and designing meals for retail with her creativity and keen eye for detail, focusing on the science behind cooking. She uses her interest in food to keep up to date with key food trends and together with Winski they create modern dishes.