Yan can teach

Beverly Stephen
Posted: May 22, 2008

New York City—The indefatigable Martin Yan has just added another notch to his belt of culinary achievements—a Chinese cooking school for professionals in Shenzhen, China. And what better time than now when interest in things Chinese is sprinting at an all-time high in the torchlight of the Tibet-shadowed Beijing Summer Olympics.

Opened in March, Chef Martin Yan's Culinary Arts Center is accepting professional chefs from around the world who want to immerse themselves in Chinese cooking and culture for up to two weeks. Formal classes are held for five days, and the rest of the time is spent traveling to various cities such as Beijing, Xian, and Hong Kong. The cost for a full 14 day program, including air, hotel, and meals, is $4,388. Some programs will also be offered for nonprofessional cooking enthusiasts.

"This has been my dream for the last four years," says Yan, who believes there is nothing comparable available. It took him that much time to find a building and line up investors. But four years is nothing for the determined entrepreneurial chef who left his home in Guangzhou with $20 in his pocket and over the next five decades worked his way up through Hong Kong, Canada, and the United States. Though sometimes criticized for his histrionic demeanor and rather personal interpretation of Chinese cuisine, this Jackie Chan–like figure has so endeared himself to fans that he's celebrating the 30th anniversary of his PBS show You Can Cook, which, dubbed in Chinese, is broadcast in a number of Asian countries. He also hosts a Chinese language cooking show for distribution only in China. His newest endeavor, Martin Yan's China, a travel cooking show, debuted in January. Yan can write too—23 cookbooks.

The school is housed in a stately four-story building on the grounds of a 2,600 lychee tree orchard. Yan has also installed a restaurant on the first floor. His plans are to personally teach classes at the school eight times a year, and he also hope to have Western chefs offer short-term professional classes for Chinese chefs. "I want it to truly be an international cultural and culinary exchange program," Yan says.

For info: 650-341-0701; yancancook.com.