Mume Hospitality Group | Richie Lin on dismantling norms and the science of cooking
published in enya Fashion Queen issue #170, find the original interview in Chinese here
Devoted to establish a relationship between the food and the people, Richie Lin, the head chef of MUME, aspires to speak for our society through the power of food and to introduce the sustainable food culture to more consumers. Founded in Taiwan six years ago, MUME once again receives the honorary Michelin star and ranks as number 18 of the 50 Best Restaurants in Asia this year - with every step and milestone representing Lin’s many years of hard work and diligence.
Think with Prospective
Although the market continues to fluctuate and upgrade, MUME is still able to carve out a niche by upholding the concept of only using sustainable, local produce since 2015, the year when it first opened in Taiwan. Lin strongly believes that the culinary industry needs to have the courage to create and dismantle the static stereotypes, to look in between the details in order to eliminate any outdated mindsets and practices. Establish strong support for a cohesive teamwork and to always have a clear vision and goal to work towards - these are the qualities he finds most important in his employees. Lin single-handedly founded MUME Hospitality Group (MMHG), which owns several different restaurants. With the pandemic looming over the global culinary industry and causing many to shut down, he surprisingly launched his new restaurant, COAST, last July at the Regent Taipei. He explains that it was a decision made a long time ago, when he befriended the founder of Regent, Mr. Steven Pan, who also happens to be a loyal customer of MUME. Back then, Mr. Pan told Lin that he wanted to turn Taste Lab into an open space and asked the one-star chef if there was anything fun he wanted to play with with the new restaurant - thus, an unprecedented “oceanic” restaurant serving coastal cuisine, COAST, was born.
Clash of Molecular Cuisine
Just a few feet away from MUME, a private cooking studio was built exclusively for Lin to brainstorm and come up with more fusion dishes. Walking into the extended area, you will find that the shelves are stacked with all kinds of English books on culinary arts. Having learned from restaurant management, he was able to improve his culinary skills immensely because he had acquired his knowledge through studying recipe books and implementing a systematic learning routine. “To me, cooking is all about science and logic. Physics and chemistry explain the reactions - heat conduction, the blending of water and oil, the changing of molecules. I’m very into the science behind cooking.” Searching for inspirations within the construct, a fine dining chef is exactly like a professional athlete. He mentions how, when it comes to team management, his role has slowly gone from being the player on the field, to the coach who gives orders on the sideline. “My time spent in the kitchen will only decrease. So I want to use my experience to provide more effective and accurate advice. The most important thing is how you lead your restaurant to success through efficient management.”
Send Love with Kindness
“I love hosting private dinner parties. It’s the only time I get to actually do the cooking.” As an annual tradition, Lin hosts twenty parties each year and accumulates different experiences and new friends along the way. It is challenging to take the most common, simplest ingredients, and turn them into a brand new dish. Vegetarian diets, meat substitutes, non-dairy milk - the trends of global cuisine are evolving and people’s dining culture is changing. While humans are progressing towards a sustainable, biodegradable living style, the survival of physical stores becomes a pressing matter; Lin believes that experimental services and the purity of savour are the key. The younger generation needs to maintain their passion and to constantly reflect and improve themselves. Looking back on his culinary career, he speaks with his eyes flickering with this tenderness, “Never give up and never be afraid to restart. To be honest, there are a lot of good opportunities out there. But kids nowadays only want to see the immediate results.” Using culinary as a medium, Lin devotes his time to philanthropy to help the disadvantaged and the kids who need the support. He aspires to broaden his brand culture to merchandise and events, and to improve the Taiwanese culinary industry and the agricultural environment to make the world a better place.