Maria Lee
'Cake Queen' Maria Lee was born in Shanghai in 1929 and demonstrated a talent for cooking at a young age. After settling in Hong Kong in 1950, she started Maria's Culinary Arts School in 1958. In 1966, she opened Maria's Bakery, which developed into a multinational enterprise with branches on the mainland, in Taiwan and North America. Thirty-two years later, rapid expansion took its toll and she had to liquidate and sell her business. She's made a comeback with her innovative sauces and Chinese puddings, as well as 'designer dinners' held at her home. She is
now the food-product consultant for GroupNet Holdings, and recently launched a line of healthy mooncakes.
What are your favourite restaurants in Hong Kong? 'I'm not too picky about restaurants now, and I don't stick to one restaurant. Fusion in Sunning Road in Causeway Bay is nice, though. The food comes in small portions, which is great for me, and the presentation and service
are excellent.'
What restaurants do you like to take visitors to? 'I take them to Victoria City in CITIC Tower [Central] for dim sum, to Taiwoo Restaurant on Percival Street [Causeway Bay] or East Ocean Restaurant on Hysan Avenue [Causeway Bay] - these two are pretty good, too.'
What's your favourite restaurant in the world? 'Lawry's in Los Angeles - the prime ribs are terrific. Dagonguan in Shanghai is excellent as well; it was the home of Du Yue Sheng, Shanghai's mafia boss in the early 20th century. The Chinese cabbage cooked in stock is a simple dish, but they manage to make it great. It's light and tender and the taste is incredible.'
What junk foods do you like? 'I am a healthy eater and I don't like junk food, but my favourite snacks are noodles, sticky rice rolls with soy milk, and rice in small sand pots [bo jai fan] with beef or chicken. I get all these from Jardine's Bazaar in Causeway Bay. There is a lot of good food to eat in that street.'
What are your favourite dishes to cook? 'I make a seafood sauce with six dried seafood - shrimp, scallops, cuttlefish, squid, halibut and abalone - which I deep-fry, grind then serve with crabs and prawns. Just imagine the rich flavours of those seafoods together. Another of my signature dishes is the pumpkin boat - I stir-fry vegetables with coconut milk and ground almonds, then serve them in an emptied pumpkin with gravy made with the pumpkin flesh. It's a pretty dish, too.'
What's the most difficult aspect of your job? 'People management. We need discipline and harmony. Interpersonal conflicts among the kitchen staff affect the quality of our products.'
And the best? 'I'm able to create new dishes and I gain lots of satisfaction when I make people happy with my cooking.'
