"To cut a fish, you need to learn about anatomy and biology, while the cooking methods actually involve a knowledge of physics and chemistry," he recalls. "It makes me feel proud to be a chef."

After graduation, he served as a personal chef and, later, as an executive chef for a private club.

In 2008, he was named as executive chef of JE Mansion Beijing and, at the same time, he started to learn from Wang Xifu, who is a descendant of an imperial-cuisine family.

"Wang is not only a master chef of imperial cuisine, but also studies the folk customs linked to the food," Zhao says. "Most traditional Beijing snacks are said to originate from empress Dowager Cixi or emperor Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), but that's not entirely true."

Wang believes many imperial dishes and traditional Beijing snacks have lost their original flavors, as younger generations of chefs have not really tasted the authentic delicacies. So, he decided to replicate the classic dishes, and find their traditional flavors and cooking methods.