Mulus Guide (2023)

Dish of Fertility (Deer Antler and Oyster Main Dish) from Mulus Guide(2023)

Mulus Guide (2023)

Food Design (Fine Dining) / Critical and Speculative Design / Ceramic Art

Collaboration with Food Ceramist Fo (Ying Li)
https://www.fo-art.com/

Credits:

Director/Designer: Leyu Li
Ceramist: Fo (Ying Li)
Chef Consltancy: Tony Fleming
Cook: Letian Zhang
Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor:  Dr Zhuang

Supported by and Funded by
Tong Global

Project website: https://www.instagram.com/mulusguide/

The Mulus Guide project redesigns the fine dining Bible, the Michelin Guide, redefining Michelin star criteria based on Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), rebrands “Food as Medicine”, and explores the integration of “food remedy” from TCM into the world of fine dining, focusing on the alternative dishes themselves and their customised tablewares.

The project has amassed collective insights from diverse disciplines. Directed by Leyu Li, It engaged in collaboration with food ceramist Fo and support from professional chef Tony Fleming, skilled cook Letian, and Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor Dr Zhuang. Inspired by three key ingredients considered luxury staples in French culinary culture (caviar, truffle and foie gras), we selected three French cuisine dishes, reformed and designed these into three new courses based on three Chinese food/medicine ingredients: Cordyceps, Deer Antler, and Donkey-hide Gelatine, which have equivalent status and luxury values in the Chinese food/medicine system. Following the Chinese medicinal cuisine principles, the dishes are aiming to invigorate Qi, enhance fertility and nourish the blood.

Correspondingly, food ceramist Fo has designed and crafted unique tableware for the dishes based on the aforementioned three ingredients. The design and form of the tableware are derived from the functions and visual characteristics of Cordyceps, Deer Antler, and Donkey-hide Gelatine. The tablewares create a harmonious and immersive dining experience that seamlessly integrates the culinary and aesthetic aspects of the dishes.

Mulus Guide endeavors to challenge the prevailing influence of French cuisine in the realm of exquisite dining by establishing innovative standards and introducing alternative, symbolic ingredients. This project serves as a critical reflection on the cultural colonialism entrenched within gastronomy, seeking to dismantle traditional hierarchies and broaden the horizons of fine culinary culture. By deviating from the conventional norms, Mulus Guide aims to foster a more inclusive and diverse representation of culinary excellence, embracing influences from various global traditions, especially Chinese tradition. The project's mission extends beyond the mere act of culinary innovation, as it aspires to initiate a broader dialogue on cultural diversity and redefine the narrative surrounding fine dining. Through this approach, Mulus Guide strives to create a gastronomic landscape that is not only visually and gastronomically captivating but also socially and culturally transformative.

Mulus Guide项目重新设计了高级餐饮圣经《米其林指南》，以传统中医食疗理论为基础重新定义米其林星级标准，将"食物即药物 "作为新的品牌形象，并探索如何将中医中的 "食物疗法 "融入高级餐饮世界，关注菜肴的可能性本身，及其为其设计餐具和用餐体验。

该项目汇集了来自不同学科的专业人士和多原则的集体见解。在食物设计师和艺术家李乐宇的策划下，该项目与食物陶瓷艺术家 Fo 合作，并得到了米其林法餐厨师托尼-弗莱明（Tony Fleming）、技艺精湛的厨师乐天（Letian Zhang）和伦敦华埠中医师庄医生的支持。受高级法餐文化中被视为“世界三大珍饈“的鱼子酱、松露和鹅肝的启发，我们选择了三道法式菜肴，并根据三种中医食疗食材将其改造和设计成三道新法餐菜式。这三种中医食疗食材分别是冬虫夏草、鹿茸和阿胶，这三者在中医食疗体系中具有相当的同等地位和奢侈价值。按照中医食疗的原则，这些重新设计的法餐菜肴旨在补气、益精和养血。

相应地，食物陶瓷艺术家 Fo 根据上述三种菜肴设计并制作了独特的餐具。餐具的设计和造型源于冬虫夏草、鹿茸和阿胶的功能和视觉特征。这些餐具创造了一种和谐、沉浸式的用餐体验，将菜肴的烹饪和美学完美地融合在一起。

通过偏离传统精致料理的规范，Mulus Guide 的目标是追求更具包容性和多元代表性的烹饪卓越范式，特别是接纳全球其他非欧洲地区文化的影响，尤其是中国传统文化。该项目的使命超越了纯粹的烹饪创新行为，渴望发起关于文化多样性的更广泛对话，并重新定义精致餐饮的叙述。通过这种方式，Mulus Guide 努力创造一个不仅在视觉和味觉上迷人，而且在社会和文化上具有变革性的美食景观。

Mulus Guide (Redefined Michelin Guide based on TCM)

Menu

Dish of Qi (Cordyceps Appetizer)

Dish of Blood (Donkey-hide Gelatine Dessrt)

Close-up of Dish of Fertility (Deer Antler and Oyster Main Dish)

Close-up of Dish of Qi (Cordyceps Appetizer)

Close-up of Dish of Blood (Donkey-hide Gelatine Dessrt)