Release Date: September 30, 2011
Office of District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan:207-7325
Culinary Cultural Exchange features award-winning Chinese chef
Councilwoman Elisa Chan and the City's China Advisory subcommittee today announced plans for the first Culinary Cultural Exchange featuring renowned Chinese chef Guo Xiang, Chief Chef of the Wuxi Jinjiang Grand Hotel, for a week of culinary events.
After the City's participation in the Shanghai World Expo last May, the Economic and Community Development Committee formed a China Advisory subcommittee, chaired by Councilwoman Chan, to strengthen the City's newly-formed Friendship City relationships with the Chinese cities of Wuxi and Suzhou. The Culinary Cultural Exchange provides a unique platform to showcase China's offerings.
Chef Guo Xiang is from Wuxi, China, a city along the southern border of the Jiangsu Province, located 80 miles northwest of Shanghai. Chef Xiang has been the chef of the Wuxi Jinjiang Grand Hotel since 1998, and became Chief Chef in 2009. He won a silver medal in the East China Culinary Contest in 2001 and won a gold medal during the Wuxi Cuisine Festival in October 2002. He served as Chief Chef for culinary festivals at Nanchang in 2003 and Chongqing in 2004 and has prepared meals for heads of state and other Chinese dignitaries.
Culinary Cultural Exchange events kick off Saturday, Oct. 8 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. with Dinner and a Movie at the San Antonio Museum of Art, located at 200 West Jones Ave. Chef Xiang will prepare dinner for attendees prior to viewing "The King of Tibetan Antelope," a film from Shenzhen, China. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12 years old. To purchase tickets, call (210) 734-7633.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10, Chef Xiang will do a cooking demonstration at the H-E-B Central Market, located at 4821 Broadway. This demonstration is free and open to the public. Later that day from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Chef Xiang will conduct a question-and-answer session with local culinary students at the Education Symposium at the Culinary Institute of America, located at 312 Pearl Parkway, hosted by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. Stephen J. Barscewski, R.S., Sanitarian Services Manager from Metro Health, will present an update of the City's health codes. This event is free and open to the public.
As part of the Culinary Cultural Week events, Chef Xiang will participate in a Taste of San Antonio at the Pearl Brewery on Sunday, Oct. 9 where he will prepare samples of Chinese cuisine, and the Dinner Showcase at the Pearl Brewery on Tuesday, Oct. 11. where he will be the honored guest. To purchase tickets for these two events at the Pearl Brewery, visit www.tasteofsanantonio.com or call (210) 734-7633.
For more information on the Culinary Cultural Exchange, call Dawn Ann Larios at (210) 207-4028.