Chef Nadia Meliani from Lyon, France, and Chef Peter Kang, Executive Chef of Fairmont Beijing, join forces for an exquisite culinary collaboration. Centered on the concept “When Beijing Charm Meets Lyon”, they co-create an exclusive French gastronomic dinner.With over 20 years of dedication to French cuisine, Nadia Meliani has honed her craft across France, El Salvador, China and beyond. She specialises in crafting fusion dishes using local ingredients, rooted in traditional Lyon culinary techniques.
Chef Peter Kang brings profound insight into Asian flavours, infusing balance and innovation into this partnership.
“True fusion is not a mere collection of elements, but a natural resonance of every culture on the palate.”The joint creation by the two chefs is not only a feast for the taste buds, but also an in-depth dialogue between Eastern and Western culinary philosophies.
Culinary Secrets Hidden in the Menu
Exquisite Creamy Mushroom Tart
When the golden, crisp pastry meets the silky creamy mushroom filling on the palate, an elegant French symphony of taste unfolds quietly.This seemingly simple mushroom tart is in fact a refined expression of Lyon’s culinary philosophy: elevating the humblest ingredients into an unforgettable taste experience through precise heat control and a well‑structured layering design.
Traditional French Escargots with Mushrooms
In a century-old bistro beside the cobblestone streets of Old Lyon, a dish of snails with mushrooms sizzles gently in a cast-iron pot. Golden garlic-infused butter, mingled with the fragrance of Provençal herbs, elevates this rustic dish rooted in 19th-century countryside life into one of the most touching idylls in the history of French cuisine.
Using free-range snails is the first key to perfecting this dish. Following traditional methods, the chef first purifies the snails by repeatedly kneading them with coarse salt and vinegar, then slowly simmers them in herbal broth for two hours. Finally, the whole snail meat is carefully extracted with a special hook—a skill that takes ten years to master, ensuring each piece boasts a distinctive springy texture and delicate sweetness. The specially crafted garlic butter further enhances its rich, enticing aroma.
As ripe tomatoes gently break down in the pot, their tartness and sweetness weave a sun-kissed base. A spoonful of light cream swirls in, capturing the pure warmth of a classic French home kitchen.
Hand-picked vine-ripened tomatoes are slowly simmered to release concentrated umami. The addition of cream is no simple blend, but a textural transformation: the thick soup glides across the tongue like velvet. Its acidity is softened yet never concealed, creating a delicate balance reminiscent of cheesecake as it mingles with creamy richness.
Charred Japanese Tiger Prawns with Herb Sauce & Carrot Purée
As charcoal licks the hard shells of the tiger prawns, bursts of briny, smoky aroma rise, unfolding a tidal symphony on the palate.The shells turn crisp as amber, while the juicy, springy sweetness of the prawn meat is locked perfectly inside.Accompanied by the bright freshness of herb sauce and the mellow depth of carrot purée, this dish beautifully embodies the aesthetic philosophy of “unity in opposites” in French cuisine.
Apricot & Fennel Wrapped Sea Bass
Sous vide cooking renders the fish texture as smooth as a lake surface in morning mist.
The fish is rolled into an elegant curve, embracing the richness of cream and the aroma of apricot.
A gentle touch of the fork unfolds layers like snow petals, with every bite reshaping and paying homage to the classics.
Australian M4 Tenderloin with Snails and Smoked Bacon
As the pink-hued M4 tenderloin sizzles melodically in a cast-iron pan, butter-soaked snails and caramelized smoked bacon perform a luxurious symphony of flavors—an echo of the fragrant butcher shops in Old Lyon, and a heartfelt tribute to the classic art of meat in modern French cuisine.
Vanilla Ice Cream with Caramel Apple French Toast
When golden, crisp French toast meets snow-capped vanilla ice cream on the plate, the interplay of cold and heat, crispness and softness, draws a breathtaking end to this French feast.This dessert is not only a perfect interpretation of the classic Pain Perdu, but also a poetic dialogue between temperature and texture.
The Art of Culinary Diplomacy
As Peter Kang, Executive Chef of Fairmont Beijing, puts it: “When we treat every ingredient with reverence, national boundaries melt away above the stove.”
At this moment, the copper spoon passed down from Chef Nadia Meliani’s grandmother in Lyon is stirring a French white sauce infused with Pinggu walnuts.
In the open kitchen of Fairmont Beijing, this gastronomic dialogue spanning 8,000 kilometres is redefining cultural boundaries in the most elegant manner.
