LL: Your talent seems to surpass your age. How old are you?
Philip Wang: Thirty-six.
LL: Where did you learn to burn?
PW: Mom was the best cook I’ve known. I learned by osmosis from being around her. I’d eat mac and cheese at the neighbors, and then came home to Mom pulling Peking duck out of the oven. My first real attempt at cooking? I made chocolate cream-filled éclairs for my freshman German language class. Mom woke up the next morning and wondered what bakery they came from.
LL: Did you own an Easy-Bake Oven by Hasbro?
PW: I did not.
LL: And formal training?
PW: I attended Connecticut Culinary School and then enrolled at CIA in New York. I interned at Rubicon with Traci Des Jardines. At the time, she was the hottest chef in the country. Also, Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and the Ritz Carlton in Boston. Mason found me at the Carneros Inn in Napa.
LL: Sports or food growing up?
PW: Probably sports, but growing up, everything in my family centered on food. At breakfast, we talked about lunch, and at lunch about dinner, and so on.
LL: You have a flair for food as art.
PW: I look at cooking as a trade. It has artistic points to it. I think that anyone can cook. When you hit the point of executive chef, that’s when art comes in. It has to taste good and be functional. It’s meant to be eaten. There’s inherent beauty in pristine ingredients in themselves. The key is to give the customers what they want in the way that you want to give it to them. Food should be approachable but not too foofy.
LL: Describe the cuisine at Mason’s.
PW: Extremely ingredient-driven, without forsaking technique.
LL: Could you be a little more vague, please?
PW: Straightforward and classic with a twist that makes it new.
LL: Let’s try one more time.
PW: It’s good old home cooking dressed up in a tuxedo.
LL: I’m getting out the thumb screws…
PW: How about well thought-out new American cuisine, influenced by French, Southeast Asian and Mexican cuisine? It’s actually all of those things, but many dishes fall outside of that.
LL: Do people get it?
PW: We have a great number of customers who do and a number who don’t. It can be frustrating. They’re paying good money. Enough get it that makes it worthwhile. I love it when people ignore the menu and say, “Just cook for us.” We get to use our culinary muscles. It’s a compliment.
LL: You seem to enjoy delighting all the senses.
PW: Absolutely. Eating is not a two-step process (chew and swallow). When you walk in, what you see, hear and smell is important. At Mason’s, you can see and hear the kitchen. The tactile feel of the linens, silverware and glassware…and then you get to the food. A lot of restaurants don’t smell like food. We love having a visual pop on the plate. It’s important to have contrasting textures and flavors – not just to hit each sense, but to do it a couple of different times in different ways.
LL: Are you artistic in any other ways?
PW: Can’t draw. Can’t paint. I love to write. I love fine art and modern art. Music. Reading. I play guitar, violin and piano. I was raised on classical music and orchestral pieces. My personal tastes lean towards modern progressive – like Arcade Fire, Neutral Milk Hotel and The Devil Makes Three.
LL: Favorite dive?
PW: Pho Bac Hoa Viet at Broadway and 19th. Like the pho soup. Love Jamie’s on Broadway. Love Long Sandwiches on Stockton.
LL: Cookbook for novices?
PW: Cooking with Daniel Boulud, because his recipes all work. A lot of times, cookbook recipes aren’t tested well. Staff Meals from Chanterelle in New York (the recipes the kitchen cooks for the staff) has all their family recipes.
LL: What’s the most provocative thing you’ve witnessed at Mason’s? And tell the truth, because I’ll know if you’re lying.
PW: One night a couple was having sex on one of the outside patio beds and they were asked to leave.
LL: What’s Mason (Wong) like as a general?
PW: He’s great. You need to have a vision and inspire people to get behind the vision. It’s important to rally the troops, plus he’s good at the small details.
LL: What’s your easy and quick snack at home?
PW: A French baguette with a little butter on it and sri racha sauce. It’s basically a Vietnamese hot sauce. It’s like making a buffalo wing piece of bread.
LL: Who wears the apron in your family?
PW: I do. I’m not married.
LL: Luxlife extravagance?
PW: I love to travel. I save my money to travel. I travel on the cheap. My favorite spots are Hong Kong, the Alps, Northern Canada and the Chinese countryside. I like to be out with the locals as much as I can.
LL: Any special Valentine’s Day dishes?
PW: Our seared Hawaiian ahi tuna dish. Red is a great Valentine’s Day color. The flavors are crisp, clean and the plate is sexy in its presentation, and it’s sensual as far as the textures. The purée is smooth and creamy. The lettuce and soybean give you a nice crunch and snap and the sauce has a bit of bite to it. It’s sex on a plate.
LL: Philosophy?
PW: I think I kind of go with the flow. I prepare myself for challenges and to take on more than I can chew. With cooking, the ingredients tell you where to go and if you try to force something, it feels forced and you lose focus.
LL: Close encounters of the celebrity kind?
PW: Shaq came in with his wife and mother. He personally ate two appetizers and two entrees, and finished off with two apples.
LL: Guilty food pleasure?
PW: Rice Krispy treats. I love them.
LL: Unknown talent?
PW: I was a paramedic, a scuba diving instructor, a rock climbing instructor, a pro water ski boat driver and a lifeguard trainer.
LL: Name a film you love.
PW: Apocalypse Now.
LL: Really? Fill in the blank: “I love the
smell of _______in the morning.”
PW: Fresh baked bread!
Seared Hawaiian Ahi Tuna with Japanese Sweet Potato Purée, Braised Romaine, Fresh Soybeans and a Green Peppercorn-Tangerine Gastrique:
1 pound Ahi tuna
• Salt and pepper
• Cooking oil
• 1-1/2 pounds Japanese white sweet potatoes
• 1/4 pound butter
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• Water
• Salt
• 2 cups tangerine juice
• 1 tablespoon green peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Romaine heart, leaves separated
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• 1/8 cup fresh soybeans
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/8 cup water
• Salt and pepper
Potato purée:
• Peel and quarter the potatoes and put into a large heavy-bottom pot. Add one cup of the milk and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer and cook until tender.
• Drain the potatoes and allow to steam for a few minutes. Put the potatoes, butter and the remaining milk into a food processor and purée until smooth. Season with salt.
Tangerine Gastrique:
• Put the tangerine juice into a heavy-bottom non-reactive saucepot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and continue to reduce by about two-thirds or until slightly thickened.
• Add the green peppercorns and butter and season with salt and pepper.
Braised Lettuce:
• Add the lettuce, ginger, butter and water to a sauté pan and cook over medium heat until the lettuce is wilted.
• Add the soybeans just to heat through and season with salt and pepper.
Assembly:
• Heat a heavy sauté pan over high heat and add a bit of oil.
• Season the tuna with salt and pepper and sear quickly on all sides until lightly browned.
• Place a bed of potato purée on a plate and place the braised lettuce in the middle.
• Slice the seared ahi and place on top.
• Spoon a little of the sauce around.
