Lu Ban has won several awards this year . For those that haven ’ t visited your restaurant Lu Ban , tell us what it ' s about ? Why it ' s so special ? What do people love about Lu Ban ? I like to describe Lu Ban as something very special , it ' s not just a restaurant , it was always designed to be far bigger than that . Lu Ban has a very complex story and one I like to talk about to my guests as part of the Chef ' s Table experience . Very simply it ' s a collaboration between China and the UK . It ' s an amazing project to celebrate and to bring real Chinese Culinary Arts to Liverpool , direct from the Master Chefs of Tianjin . It ' s Chinese food but not as you know it - it ' s an all encompassing experience , a journey even , mirroring my travels over to Tianjin and the training I am undergoing myself as Master Wu ’ s final apprentice . People love our modern approach to a much loved cuisine . I like to use colour , texture , great flavours and a little bit of theatre to bring our dishes alive . This alongside great hospitality by a team that really care , in a stunning setting makes LUBAN a memorable experience , don ’ t just take my word for it though , get yourselves booked in !
It is indeed an amazing restaurant . Please tell us about your training under Master Wu as it ' s not every day somebody is chosen for this honour is it ? What have you learned in general ? After returning to Liverpool from China in 2019 it was a huge honour to find out I had been selected to become Master Wu ’ s final apprentice which is an honour in itself for any Chinese apprentice , it held even more significance knowing I would be the first Westerner to receive this title . We held a ceremony via video link and this was a really interesting occasion and a memory I will never forget . It has been incredible learning from one of the best chefs on the planet in this style of cuisine , a truly amazing experience , learning not only the ancient and modern skills of the Chinese masterchefs but also their beautiful culture and language too ( well I ' m trying my best to nail the language .)
One of the most eye opening things I learnt from the chefs was how beautifully simple Chinese food could be , there is a huge respect for the ingredients used , the very best , locally seasonal produce cooked to perfection with very little fuss is the key to some of the greatest and most famous Chinese dishes , it ' s a really lovely way of looking at food . The more I learn the more we will bring to Lu Ban , to our guests and also to our staff here as we look to inspire the next generation of Chinese chefs .
OK so what does Chef Dave and his lovely family eat ? Is it Chinese at home too ? ( He laughs ) I don ’ t think I ' d be married very long if it was just always strictly Chinese on the menu at home all the time too . However , the Chinese diet is very healthy and so there is certainly plenty of Chinese and Asian dishes at home , I ' m always practising new recipes and flavour combinations too . But my all time favourite has to be my Sunday roast , this would be my last supper if I had to choose one . A beautiful piece of roast beef on the bone with all the trimmings ... It still conjures up all those nostalgic memories and sense of wonder it did all those years ago ! Only when it ' s done absolutely perfectly though .
The dishes are still the problem though ! I ' m looking forward to getting my son trained up on the sinks at home very soon ! When I get the time , I like to try new places to eat of all cuisines and see what ’ s happening on the scene outside of my four walls in Lu Ban . What ' s also probably quite funny to some is that us chefs spend so many hours a day and years of our lives preparing amazing food but after a long shift , late at night , a humble beans on toast to a tired and hungry chef feels like the very best gourmet meal money can buy !
A chefs life is famously tough , long unsociable hours and stressful working environment . What inspires you on every day and keeps you focused ? I always want to make my family proud . I have targets and goals that I ' ll set myself all the time , I ' m probably my own worst critic but I always push myself on as hard as I can to achieve whatever I can . I like to think that there ' s no ceiling , no limit to what I can aim for . I read a lot of positive mindset and inspirational books and listen to similar podcasts when I get up in the morning , it really sets me up for the day . I try to work out as often as possible as well as keeping me fit physically it makes a huge difference mentally too especially with the stresses of kitchen life and running a hospitality business . Music is a massive part of chilling out at the end of a really busy shift ! It ' s important to be able to control the adrenaline after a crazy busy shift too !
We ' ve seen some amazing moments for Lu Ban over the last 18 months or so , with the awards , the TV appearances and some big names visiting your restaurant . What would you say is your proudest moment in your career ? There has been so many amazing moments , I ' ve been very lucky in that respect , winning my first AA rosettes a few years back , the Taste of England award last month , being selected as the world ' s first Chinese Masterchef apprentice was also huge , the cook book , the TV - all of it . I ' m eternally grateful and I hope there ' s so many more of these moments , but looking back I truly believe it was the work undertaken through the Covid lockdown that I ' m most proud of . I ' m still unsure how we managed to achieve exactly what we did in that time , but creating LIDS the local ‘ supermarket ’ using 32 independent local suppliers to reach the communities of Liverpool City Region when the big supermarkets couldn ’ t , the 120 families supported with fresh , fruit veg and recipes every week for well over a year , the 5000 kids fed during half term , the nurses supported with goodies , packed lunches and treats , over 700 families fed at Christmas time with an amazing Christmas dinner and so many other nursing homes , food banks and homeless hospices helped with products they just couldn ’ t get hold of . That community spirit , that coming together to help others , I will never forget .
Thank you so much Dave . One final question . What is next for Chef Dave ? Well I ' ll be running several events promoting the new book and possibly a few more TV appearances to come but let ' s see . There ' s big plans for the rest of the year so all I can say is watch this space ! wirrallife . com 41