Red Lotus welcomes chef Bonnie Choo

The chef proudly says he is invited to cook at Shahbaz Sharif’s house every month.

LAHORE:

Dining with Bonnie Choo was not just a tantalising experience for the taste buds, it was also extremely entertaining. The former head chef of Dynasty, Lahore talks about his experience in Pakistan, along with his loyal customer base.

Now head chef at Red Lotus in the Hospitality Inn, after 24 years at Dynasty, Choo has cooked for many Lahori foodies at one point or the other. Ethnically Chinese, Choo hails from Manila, Philippines. Before his break into Pakistan, he worked at multiple five star hotels there, and his friendly nature and good PR skills landed him a job on a luxury cruise liner in Los Angeles.

“After a few short months I realised this was not for me and flew back to Manila,” explains Choo, “I came back to my family and started working at another Chinese restaurant.”

Choo mixes different spices and foods to provide a tantalising feast. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS

It was not long before that the general manager of Avari, at the time, happened to dine at the restaurant in which Choo was chef and fell in love with his cooking. “It was 1986, and I was instantly offered a job at Avari Lahore to head Dynasty.”

Upon his arrival, Choo saw a very different landscape of Pakistan and began work during Ziaul Haq’s oppressive regime. “When I first arrived, Dynasty’s kitchen had nothing and I had to rush back to the Philippines to buy all the equipment that was needed,” says Choo. “It takes time to educate your clientele, but the most important thing is to be open and willing to deliver what the client wants. You can never become a good chef if you do not observe your guests.”

For reasons that he keeps private, his love affair with Dynasty ended after 24 years, and he joined the Hospitality Inn in order to help revamp their existing restaurant, Red Lotus. This intimate, cozy little restaurant is actually a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered.

The meal began with traditional butter fried prawns — light, frothy, crispy prawns cooked perfectly and served with peanut sauce — which are a staple at many Chinese restaurants. Generally served with either a sweet and sour sauce, or chili sauce, the peanut sauce was a welcome change. Chili lovers can mix a little bit of fresh chili garlic oil in the peanut sauce to get that extra zing.

“While 20% of my clientele has visited Red Lotus, many other people avoid coming due to the parking issue here,” explains Choo.

The Hot n Sour soup was not only delicious, but you could taste the freshness of the stock used in the soup. The harmony of button and shitake mushrooms in the chicken broth are curdled to perfection. Choo reveals the secret “I never use Agino Moto in my food,” he chuckles. “I have finally cracked the code on how to get the stock thick enough before making the soup, so Agino Moto is not required. But I won’t teach anyone how to do that.”

The Kung Pao Chicken is spot on flavour-wise but the chicken was slightly over-cooked. The spicy stir-fried vegetables, with spring onions and shallots tossed with red and green chilies, give the entree, a very Pakistani feel.

Fish in Hot Garlic Sauce is not as good as the Kung Pao Chicken, but the flavours are intriguing. Sautéed in a mild garlic sauce, the fish has a kick of spice that is different and welcoming.

With winter fast approaching, steamy Chinese soups and food will be hot favourites. Choo is revamping the menu by adding crab meat soup, fried calamari, tofu, twice-cooked lamb, Singaporean noodles and steamed red snapper.

Choo says that his proudest moment has been cooking for the President of China. He also cooks at the houses of Pakistani politicians. “I cook every month at Shahbaz Sharif’s house, and they give me so much respect that I love cooking for them,” says Choo proudly. On his dreams, Choo says, “My dream is to cook for the President of the United States of America — it’s so nice to see that the chef at the White House is a Filipino!”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2013.

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