In February, DeAille Tam, executive chef and co-founder of Obscura in Shanghai, won the title of Asia’s Best Female Chef 2021. The award is voted for by over 300 industry experts from across the region, who also create the annual list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, Tam initially studied engineering before beginning her gastronomic journey. Prior to opening Obscura in Shanghai, Tam embarked on a year-long journey to research the country’s diverse cuisines and regions. Inspired by her travels, she and her husband crafted a menu that celebrates China’s culinary heritage in a contemporary context.
Can you tell us how you felt when you heard that you had been chosen as Asia’s Best Female Chef 2021?
I had actually just come down with a fever the day before and was not feeling particularly well at the end of the service. I was physically drained, and after receiving word of the award, I questioned my hearing and whether I was hallucinating or misunderstanding. I think that receiving this award under the current global circumstances was something that far exceeded my expectations during this time. Most importantly, I am eternally grateful to everyone who has supported me along this path, and knowing that I have this support network, I can continue striving for more.
Tell us a bit about your inspiration and concept for Obscura in Shanghai?
When we designed this space, the restaurant name Obscura coincided with the black hole concept. We wanted the restaurant to be enticing, alluring, yet mysterious all at the same time, exactly like a black hole, as you have no idea what is on the other side. Elements within the space needed to be contemporary with Chinese essences portrayed throughout. Bamboo is a key material within the restaurant space as it reflects the evolution and resiliency of Chinese culture and artistry as well as history.
Can you introduce one of your signature dishes at Obscura, and what inspired you to create it?
We have been inspired to create a dish from our many visits to Hunan in the past and our appreciation of spice varieties. We call it Hunan Bacon and Pepper. We use only the fat from the LaRou (Hunan style smoked bacon) to infuse into MB9+ Australian Wagyu tenderloin so that it picks up the smoky essence from the smoked pork. The Hunan corkscrew pepper has been treated in such a way that the flavour has not been compromised, but rather comes in a more distributed sauce format without altering one of the most important flavour aspects of the original dish. Dried turnip is a textural component which is also used profusely throughout Hunan cuisine and we decided to add the pickled chili drops as a way to balance out the flavour of the entire dish.
How did you move from studying engineering to becoming a chef, and does your engineering background have any impact on your approach to your culinary creations?
Studying engineering prior to working in the kitchen significantly aided in my development. Cooking is not as simple as just manipulating ingredients and flavors, but also a form of scientific experimentation in how to achieve optimal results through physical, chemical and biological processes. I see everything with the potential to be more than what it is. In addition, experimentation in the kitchen is much like that in a science lab. There is no single way to execute a given job and there is always a chance of failure. Yet only through trial and error is when unexpected results can happen, when innovation is achieved.
March 8 is International Women’s Day. How do you view the position of women in the world of gastronomy and fine dining today?
The challenges are myriad and at some points seemed insurmountable. The kitchen was a heavily testosterone driven environment when I first began, and if you could not find a way to fit in, nobody would teach you the ropes. Earning the respect and acknowledgement from your colleagues is difficult in any industry, but you could not show weakness in the kitchen, it was all about grit and how much you could push yourself to do.
Are there any particular challenges that you faced as a woman coming up through this industry? And how did you deal with them?
There were many challenges that I encountered even before I began down my gastronomic path. I was originally in an entirely different line of work, having studied to be an engineer during my time at the University of Waterloo in Canada. I grew up in a fairly traditional Chinese household and there are expectations for what kinds of jobs a female should aspire to hold, even today. I would identify this as my greatest obstacle that I had to overcome in the beginning, convincing my family that I had made the correct choice to follow my passion, knowing that the road ahead was full of uncertainty.
What would be your advice to young women who aspire to be great chefs?
Have respect and integrity for your work. Not every victory that you enjoy in the kitchen is public; more often than not they are private, personalised victories. If you have joined the industry because of celebrity Chefs, you need to re-assess your reasons for embarking down this path, because I cannot measure the amount of sacrifice that you will be required to make in order to achieve that kind of notoriety.
Are there any changes or improvements that you would like to see in the coming years in relation to female chefs in the world of fine dining?
I believe that with the way trends are moving towards more acceptance of women in the professional kitchen, this will undoubtedly lead towards a greater abundance of female chefs in the industry. With all of the positivity celebrating the emergence of recent movements for equality, I believe that this industry will flourish from the addition of another perspective.