8th February 2017 – Award-winning international chef Talib Hudda has taken over Sureño at The Opposite House, Beijing’s acclaimed Mediterranean dining destination, and is reshaping the restaurant’s culinary direction with a more refined, creative approach.
As part of this initiative, Chef Talib has completely revamped the menu at Sureño. Designed with Beijing’s increasingly sophisticated dining landscape in mind, the new menu expands Sureño’s culinary footprint across every corner of the Mediterranean region. Chef Talib uses creative combinations of flavours and textures to inject classic dishes with a subtle dose of innovation and present a fresh perspective, while retaining the wholesome flavours of this rich and well-loved cuisine.
Sureño will also be sourcing more of its key ingredients locally, proudly serving fresh seasonal produce from Beijing, including premium ingredients exclusively found at Sureño.
“Beijing is an exciting city to express my culinary creativity, because it has a deep respect for culinary traditions yet is hungry for new innovations. Beyond the restaurants, Beijing’s passion for good food has also led local suppliers to produce ingredients of outstanding quality, which we’re very excited to showcase in my new creations for Sureño,” says Chef Talib.
The Canadian-born chef has been passionate about cooking since early childhood, and started cooking with his grandmother at the tender age of six, and enrolling into culinary school when he was only 16 years old. He has since worked in acclaimed restaurants around the world, from The Pear Tree in Vancouver to Marchal in Copenhagen, where he helped the restaurant earn its first Michelin star. To broaden his culinary horizons, he also ventured to New York for short stints at the city’s most famous eateries, Café Boulud and Eleven Madison Park.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Chef Talib seized the opportunity to represent Canada at the most prestigious culinary competition in the world, the Bocuse d’Or in 2011. He also made his mark at the BC Team Hot Competition by the British Columbia Chefs Association, taking a team silver and team gold in 2009 and 2013, respectively.
Chef Talib first moved to Beijing when he was invited to become the executive chef at The Georg by Georg Jensen. Despite it being his first posting in Asia, he thrived in Beijing’s booming fine dining scene and helped The Georg earn several prestigious accolades.
“We are very excited to welcome Chef Talib Hudda, who has a track record for innovation as well as a clear passion for excellence. Along with his many accolades and international pedigree, I believe Chef Talib brings with him an inspiring drive and vision that will lead Sureño’s dedicated team to greater heights,” says Mark Passmore, General Manager of The Opposite House.
