I've been working in and around the food industry for close to 20 years. I spent the first decade in restaurant kitchens, going from dishwasher to sous chef at fine dining places. Miami, New York, Shanghai. In 2007, I started writing instead. Better hours, bigger picture. Full-time for several years.

 

My primary interest is food in China - the culture around it, the technical processes behind it and the stories within it.  China has a remarkable food culture. Not nearly enough of that comes across in English. That's what I'm trying to do. My food background and outsider perspective help. I spent a while chasing the latest and greatest in Shanghai. These days, I'm much more interested in going in-depth on the old topics.

 

I do a few other things. More details under that section. I shoot most of my own photos.

 

I speak and read Chinese, some days better than others. I've lived in Shanghai since 2005.

CHINA AND FOOD:

 

- Tracking down the last hand-made woks in Shanghai

 

- On eating hairy crabs in fall

 

- Country soul in downtown Shanghai

 

- Out in Koreatown

 

- An Ageing Rocker Turns to Sichuan Noodles

 

- Noodles at a Suzhou temple

 

 

NOT FOOD OR NOT CHINA:

 

- Chasing a famous architect in a free Aston Martin: Wang Shu (PDF)

 

- Turkey's culinary capital, Gaziantep (PDF)

 

- California Sunday Magazine: Gao's Map

 

- Lucky Peach: The Peacock Chef of China

 

- Is a 360rmb bowl of noodles a spiritual mission or extreme selfishness?

 

- Lucky Peach: Behind the Shanghai Soup Dumpling Index

 

- Joel Robuchon Opens in Shanghai. Does It Matter?

 

I do other things too.

 

I've been a fixer for a bunch of international journalists, western chefs and corporate food groups over the years. Need help with an itinerary, story ideas, fact-checking, making connections in Shanghai's food industry or context for what you're seeing and eating? I enjoy doing this. Contact me.

 

I lead the occasional food culture tour for Context Travel. (www.contexttravel.com) These are walking tours that use a big market as a jumping off point to talk about food culture in Shanghai - and a whole bunch of other stuff. I only do these tours through Context. Contact them.

 

I copy-edit for the China offices of two large multinational companies on a daily basis.

I am based in Shanghai.

 

Phone: (+86) 139 1832 4475

 

Email: contact[at]stcavish.com

 

LinkedIn