Host: What is the connection between your work and the food you choose?

 

Zhu: There’s a café downstairs from where I live that used to make a dark chocolate cake that left a deep impression on me. The cake was dense, almost like a brownie, but topped with a chilled layer of sea salt cream. The contrast was striking—the warmth of the cake and the coolness of the cream, the softness against the firmness. The moment you take a bite, these elements intertwine, creating a dynamic interplay of textures—soft and hard, hot and cold—resulting in a kind of leap in taste.

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Compared to the heaviness of a full meal, desserts feel more like fleeting moments in the mouth—brief yet full of motion. This ever-changing sensation reminds me of my creative process—it is not static or singular, but rhythmic, layered, and full of contrasts. This quality not only resonates with my work but also aligns with my personality.