春节长假，拜读了于丹老师的新作《趣品人生》，颇有感触。当今社会风气浮躁，人们在名利的道路上奔波着，日子过的大多不太从容。高速度，快节奏，整天忙碌着。很多人在拼命地追求成功，追逐下一个目标时，却不知道如何去享受生命的过程。于老师希望我们在追逐理想，实现自我价值的同时，不要丢失自己，不要忘记品味今天的人生。“人生长路漫漫，如何用中国人的方式，从容踏上旅程？悠闲是一种生活姿态，是一种寻找自我的方式”。她从品茶，赏酒，听琴中，演绎了对历史的思考，讲解了对人生精彩的体验。

品味的衣食住行，也包括上餐馆用餐。有些人请客吃饭是为了尽责任，尽孝道，或者表示感谢。也有人是为了拉关系，做生意，进仕途。更多的是谈工作。在大声喧哗的海阔天空中，已忘却了进餐本身的享受。而有生活品位的智者，上餐馆用餐可以是一个享受过程。在这个高度，讲究的不仅是菜肴的色香味俱全，还有优雅的环境，体贴的服务，浪漫的情调，以身心来体验用餐的整个过程。好的餐馆，不一定贵。而华丽昂贵的大酒店，并不一定会给你带来一次美的享受。几年前，我曾有闲心写过一文，记述自己在北京的一次用餐经历。今日一读，觉得并未过时变味。兴许能为于丹老师新作做一个注脚，也蛮开心。原作是用英文写的。此次请梅进帮助翻译，在此感谢。

偶遇 “锦儿” （JinR）

我初次遇到JinR是在2006年10月19日，当时我在美国去北京的飞机上，正在阅读一本杂志——The Peak。一幅黑白画吸引了我的注意：一位年轻女士弯腰倾向一个玻璃杯，闻着绿茶的香味！绿茶之美应该在于品，而不是在于闻。我当时想这是相当聪明的营销方式。不过这幅画挺符合我的审美品位，优雅而自然，高贵而谦卑。所以我继续读下去。结果我发现这并不是广告，而是关于北京的一位年轻艺术家“锦儿”，她正在创造一种新的烹饪方法，甚至，或许一种新的生活方式。“JinR曾在中央音乐学院学习音乐，现在则是紫云轩的创建者、店主及其背后的一股创新魔力。她是中国最红的年轻厨师及首位美食超级明星，她用自己高超的烹饪技巧、新古典主义茶事、惊人的食物展示方式及优雅的装饰掀起了一场烹调革命。”（引自2002年11月《时代》杂志）文中展示一幅硬木椅子的照片，带着3米高呈炊烟缭绕势的后背，类似中国书法里华丽的一撇。从阅读中，我能感受到一个渴望艺术创造力和独特生活方式的灵魂。我对自己说：“我一定要去品尝一下这家餐馆。”

几天后，我来到了紫云轩，与几个朋友共进晚餐。走进这个巨大的、亮着暖色灯光的“帐篷”，我的第一印象是简单与优雅。白色地板、白色窗帘、白色灯笼、混合着稀疏的几件黑色家具。这让我想起文中图片里她的穿着：宽松的白亚麻布裤子，平底黑拖鞋。在天花板上，悬挂着一棵染成白色的树，朝向我们的餐桌。餐馆中宾客满堂。我有点惊讶地发现，有很多是西方人。有一些座位“背窗面厅”，看似像“炕”。炕是中国北方的一种传统的床，整个家庭都可以在上面吃饭和睡觉。“炕”桌上放着鲜花，还有烛光隐隐，后面有一堆柔软蓬松的抱枕，显然这是为情人们准备的。我四处稍微转了转，发现餐馆深处有一条小船，陈列着一个当代艺术家的作品。背景音乐中国扬琴伴随着摇滚节奏。我知道JinR曾经是一名扬琴师。从音乐中，我听到了JinR的声音：宁静悠扬的传统中国音乐混合着现代的节奏。这是一个浪漫梦幻之地，连空气中似乎都沁出浓浓的爱味。可惜与我共进晚餐的是两位男士。

“晚上好”，一位侍者用中文问候。递给我们的菜单，看起来就像是古籍书。读着这份菜单甚至也是一份享受：每道菜都用中文写着诗意的名字，旁边附着英文翻译。虽然侍者穿着由传统服装改进的紧身黑色衣，但他显然要比多数中国年轻人更西化。他留着时髦的刺猬头，嘴角的一抹微笑，显示着他对生活的玩世不恭。他的服务很周到，解释菜品时用语恰到好处，态度不卑不亢。“这儿的汤都是加奶油的，菜品都非常精致而小量，而且是独一无二的”，他说。这些被称作“中西融合菜”，或“新古典主义中国烹饪”。据说JinR的第一个厨师在餐馆刚开业几个月后就辞职了，逼得她不得不亲自下厨房，才发现自己对烹饪有天分。她没有时间去学习大量的传统中国菜谱，而且她也确实想做些独特的东西。于是她创造了自己的菜品。其中许多佳肴都含有绿茶，让人想起这家餐馆的名字：Green-T House。最让我印象深刻的是菜品的展示方式，独特而有艺术美感。从盘子的选择，食物的颜色到装饰用的奇艺的叶子和花朵，一切似乎都经过仔细的斟酌。在我们点的其中一道菜中间，站立着一个花瓶，绘着Z字形炊烟缭绕花纹，与那把黑色椅子的靠背很像。除了外观雅致，食物的味道也相当奇妙。欧式烹调与中国菜的融合创造出了全新而独特的佳肴。令人难忘的一道菜是“田园美梦”，多汁的梨片上浇着绿茶蜂蜜和芥末酱，再加上一层软软的酸奶酪，最后撒上一层脆脆的杭州小核桃仁。轻轻地一咬，甜甜的梨汁味、乳酪的酸味，与脆而香的小核桃味，在口中合成一种极为独特的滋味。口感之好，足以是你梦中都在回味。

用餐后，我们去了设在餐馆内的一家礼品店，售卖的全部是JinR的艺术品。有杯子、器皿、蜡烛、容器，可能都是由JinR设计的。“给，这是我送给您的礼物”，一位白人女子递给我一个精致的礼品袋，上面印着“紫云轩”的标志。“那是什么？”　我望着两个可爱的小瓶，里面装着混合的干玫瑰花瓣和绿茶叶。经过简单的交谈，我了解到她是紫云轩的市场总监，来自美国亚利桑那州，已在北京待了8年。当得知我是读了那篇飞机杂志报道才来到餐馆时，她问是否也能拜读一下该文。看起来，紫云轩的成功可能也与如此有能力的人在此工作有关。我买了一张JinR的音乐CD，她演奏的扬琴曲。怎么说呢，这又是一种“融合”。一边是扬琴演奏的抒情的古曲，伴奏的则是即负节奏感的鼓声，更像是摇滚。

很明显，这不仅仅是一家餐馆。它代表了一种观念，一种正在中国出现的新的生活方式。我很理解JinR正在做的事情，以及为什么她会成功。从她身上，我能感受到的文艺复兴的现代版，一位在多个领域内驰骋的成功女性，室内装饰、音乐以及烹饪，所有都印上了她自己独特的风格。她将自己触碰过的东西转化成了艺术。

在紫云轩的网站上，我读到一篇文章，很好地描述了JinR的风格：“就像她设计界和艺术界的同行一样，Zhang（JinR）的创作时髦而不外国化，在品鉴力日渐提高的中国消费者的越来越高的要求下，这是个特色。”“时髦而不外国化”，我对自己重复着。或许这种新的生活方式（或工作方式）就是中国新一代知识分子应该采纳的，以求在如今万花筒般的现代生活里营造自己的成功。（梅进/译）

10/27/2006

Meeting with JinR

My first encounter with JinR was in an airplane, on my way to Beijing on Oct. 19, 2006. I was reading an airplane magazine, “The Peak”. A black-and-white picture caught my eyes: a young lady leaning towards a glass cup, smelling the scent of green tea! The beauty of green tea should be in the taste, not so much in the smell. I thought this is a pretty clever way for a commercial. But the picture suits my esthetic taste, elegant but natural, sophisticated but humble. So I read on. It turned out not to be an advertisement, but an article about a young artist in Beijing who is creating a new type of cuisine and perhaps a new lifestyle. “Originally trained as musician at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, JinR is the founder, owner, and creative force behind Green T. House.’China's hottest young chef’ and the country's first gourmet superstar, JinR has created a culinary revolution with her cutting edge Chinese cuisine, neo-classic teas, stunning food presentations, and elegant interior designs” (quote from Time Magazine, November 2002). In the article, there was a picture of a hardwood chair, with a 3-meter tall wiggly back resembling a flamboyant stroke in Chinese calligraphy. From the article, I could see a soul crying for artistic creativity and unique style of living. “I must go to that restaurant”, I said to myself.

In the evening of 10/22, just a few days after I read the article, I was physically in the Green T House, having dinner with a few friends. Walking into this gigantic, softly-lit pavilion, I was immediately greeted with a sense of simplicity and elegance. White floor, white drapes, white lanterns, mixed with sparse furniture in black. It reminded me of the dress she wore in the picture in the article: loose white linen pants and flat black slippers. On the ceiling, there was a dead tree painted in white, hanging down towards our table. The restaurant was full of people. I was a bit surprised to notice that there were mostly westerners; we were perhaps the only Chinese there. There were a few “bay window” seats with tables on top of a “bed” that resemble “Kang”, a type of traditional bed in northern China in which the whole family eats and sleeps on. With fresh flowers and candle light, and lots of fluffy pillows, these apparently were designed for lovers. I took a little stroll around and found that there was a little galley inside the restaurant exhibiting works of a local artist. Through the background music, I could hear JinR’s tone: tranquility of ancient Chinese melody mixed with modern day rhythm. It is a dream place for romance. You can smell love in the air. Unfortunately, I went with two men.

“Good evening”, a waiter greeted us in Chinese, handing us a menu that looked like a traditional Chinese book. Even reading the menu was a sort of entertainment: there were poetic names of dishes written vertically in Chinese, along with English translation. Although he wore a tight black suit modified from traditional costume, he was clearly more westernized than most of young Chinese I saw on the streets. He had a fashionable spiky hairstyle, and a glimpse of smile in the corner of his lips hinting his cynical attitude to life. But he was pleasantly helpful, explaining dishes with just the right amount of humbleness. “Our soups are all cream-based, and our dishes are quite delicate and small. You won’t find these anywhere else”, he said. These were called “fusion food”, or “neoclassic Chinese cuisine”. The story goes that when JinR’s first chef quit just a few months after the restaurant opened, she discovered her culinary talent. She didn’t have time to learn volumes after volumes of traditional Chinese recipes, and she really wanted to do something different. So she created her own dishes. Many of them have green tea in them. I took a peak at dishes on our neighboring tables. One thing clearly stood out was their presentation. They were all presented in a unique, artistic fashion. The choice of the plates, the colors of the foods, the decoration by exotic leaves and flowers; all seemed to be carefully thought after. Standing in the middle of one of the dishes we ordered was a black vase with a zigzag, upward streak just like the one in the back of the chair. In addition to the look, the taste of the food was also fantastic. The “fusion” of European and Chinese foods and recipes has created something complete new and unique. A particularly memorable dish was “Field Dreams“. Slices of pear were topped by green t. honey mustard sauce, goat cheese and walnuts. In a single bite, the juicy pear, creamy cheese and crunchy nuts all mixed together to create a delicious taste that I have never experienced.

After the dinner, we walked into a small souvenir shop near the entrance of the restaurant that sells JinR’s art works. There were mugs, utensils, candles, containers, presumably all designed by JinR. “Here, my gift to you”, a Caucasian woman handed me an elegant plastic bag with “Green T House” label on it. “What?”, I saw two boxes with a mixture of dry roses and green tea leaves in them. After a brief conversation, I learned that she is the marketing director for “Green T House” from Arizona, and has been in Beijing for 8 years. Knowing that we came to the restaurant because I read that article in the airplane magazine, she asked if she could make a copy of the article. It seems that the success of the business may also have to do with such highly competent people working in the place. I bought a CD with JinR’s own music, in which she played “Yang Qin”, a traditional Chinese instrument played with bamboo mallets. After I came back, I played the CD. It was, how should I say, a kind of “fusion” music, with “yang qin” playing tranquility melody accompanied by beats of drums more like Rock. I also checked the website: www.green-t-house.com

Clearly this is much more than a restaurant. It represents a concept, a new life style that is emerging in today’s China. I have a much better idea what she is trying to do and why she is successful. I could vividly sense a modern Renaissance woman, who has ventured in such diverse areas as interior design, music, and cooking, all with her unique style. She transforms everything she touches into a piece of art.

From the website, I came across with an article that describes the style of JinR well: “Like the work of her counterparts in design and art, Zhang (JinR)’s creations are modern without being foreign, a feature in ever higher demand among China’s increasingly discriminating consumers”. “Modern without being foreign”, I repeated to myself. Maybe this is the new lifestyle (or workstyle) that China’s new intellectuals should adopt, in order to make great strikes in today’s kaleidoscope-like world.