He’s a cult figure who’s opened restaurants in Fairfax, Alexandria, Atlanta, Knoxville and Charlottesville. Fans have traded clues about his whereabouts on the web, and he’s been tracked from restaurant to restaurant by Todd Kliman of The Washingtonian, who wrote about his own obsession with Chang’s food in the March 2010 issue of Oxford American. That same month, Calvin Trillin wrote a profile of Chang for the New Yorker.

Last week, you could find Chang at the James Beard House, cooking his superb Sichuan cuisine for a sold-out crowd. On Monday, his new restaurant in Short Pump, Peter Chang Café, opened quietly at 11424 W. Broad St. near Walmart. I spoke to Chang and his business partner, Gen Lee, yesterday — or more accurately, I spoke to Gen Lee. Chang doesn’t speak English and Lee translated for him that afternoon over a banquet of duck, cumin lamb and exceptional fried eggplant (among other dishes).

Chang is a small, youthful-looking man with a wide smile. His partner Lee, older and grayer, and Lee’s wife, Mary, are warm and welcoming, and provide a polite but firm buffer between Chang and his ardent fans. The first incarnation of Chang’s restaurant in Charlottesville descended into chaos as customers overran and overwhelmed the place, and fans “accidentally” walked into the kitchen where Chang was working.        

The new partnership with Lee changed all that, and, as with the now-reinvented restaurant in Charlottesville, it’s doubtful that sort of situation will occur again.

The solution to the mystery of Chang’s abrupt disappearances seemed obvious to me once I met him in person. He’s quiet, self-effacing —even shy.

Golden Mountain Chicken is one of the chef's specialties.

He told me that he grew up in the countryside of Hubei province in China, in “the smallest of the small” places and “the poorest of the poor.” Before he became a chef, his first priority was simply to have enough food to eat. Later, at cooking school, he would roll up newspapers to practice his knife skills. “There was no extra [food] for practice,” Lee explains.

Perhaps that explains his preference for smaller cities. Although Chang went on to win awards in China, cook for China’s President Hu Jintao and was later appointed chef at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, given his temperament and upbringing, it’s not a stretch to imagine that a small restaurant, and a city of about 200,000 like Richmond, may be a better fit than someplace larger. And like many first-generation immigrants, both Lee and Chang seem reluctant to go out on a financial limb to start a flashier, larger business based on the flimsy foundation of celebrity.

In addition, authentic regional Chinese cuisine (as opposed to Americanized dishes like General Tso’s chicken or orange beef found on most Chinese menus) has almost never made it onto the plate of the average American. Those dishes will still be available at Chang’s restaurant, but better and more exciting choices, things like thin slices of fish with sour cabbage in a deep broth crackling with spice and scallion bubble pancakes — thin, translucent and as round as balls — will be the restaurant’s focus. To educate the palate of America, Lee quoted Mao Zedong (founder of the People’s Republic of China), saying, “First we need to take the country[side] to take the city.”

Both Chang and Lee say that Chang is here to stay. “A chef needs to cook, to let his imagination go,” says Lee. Another restaurant, perhaps more (as franchises) are planned for the future, and Chang will train the chefs at the Short Pump location. “This is Peter Chang’s home, says Lee, “his home base, 100 percent.”

The fact that the $65-per-person tickets are sold out gives some idea of how much of a following these two chefs have. But this may not be the only opportunity to experience their combined talents. Bereika, whose regular job is heading up the kitchen at Secco Wine Bar in Carytown, says that if the Meddle project goes well, there could be an encore. “I’ve got a few ideas for this spring, but nothing is set in stone.”

Bereika’s cooking has been earning raves since Secco opened in the spring of 2010, but working as a chef wasn’t in his career plans originally. In high school, he wanted to be a marine biologist, but he realized that he was more gifted in the arts than in science. So, studied graphic design at Hartford Art School until Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts brought him to Richmond.

While at VCU, Bereika took classes during the day and worked in a kitchen at night. But cooking wasn’t just a job in his eyes; he loved the energy that filled a busy kitchen. “I think that's one of the reasons I eventually came back to cooking professionally,” he says. “That energy and sense of camaraderie is very addictive.”

After graduating, Bereika made a living in graphic design for a while, but after two years, he returned to the work he loves most. He has been cooking professionally for six years now, including stints at restaurants in Italy as well as Richmond. Although he says he doesn’t believe he has a specific style, he strives “for balance in both taste and texture as well as familiarity versus new and unexpected.”

Bereika’s cooking methods mesh well with those of his Meddle partner, Collin Wagner.

Meddle partner Collin Wagner
(Photo by Chris Ford)

The collaborations “provide an untapped resource for new ideas that wouldn't have come naturally from just one of us,” says Bereika.

Wagner agrees: “Together our minds are truly great; the pinging of ideas and dishes that have come forth from the growth of our shared minds is incredible.”

Wagner, 20, is a chef whose love of cooking was sparked during a home education class he took in middle school. Around that time, he made his first crème brûlée for his mother because it was her favorite dessert. He says it was a distinctive moment in his life because of the pure happiness that radiated from her smile.

“I've always enjoyed happiness and bringing it to others, and soon realized food brings joy to so many in a way that’s not possible in any other form,” he says.

Though Wagner loved cooking at a young age, he dreamed for a time of being a Navy Seal. However, after he learned more about the job, he decided he wanted to cook instead. His commitment and motivation to cooking, he says, come from his days of being a soccer player. He uses those key elements in the kitchen.

“Something is addicting about long hours and the forever pursuit towards perfection in the kitchen,” Wagner says.

Like Bereika, Wagner cannot categorize his style by a specific method. That’s because it changes based on the moment and what ingredients he has on hand. He also draws inspiration from what he sees, tastes and learns. He describes his cooking as fast-paced and seasonal.

After working at a  pop-up restaurant called Rogue 24 in New York City, Wagner wanted to do one in Richmond. He discussed the idea with Bereika, and they were both instantly sold on it. Once they got through the planning stage, it was time to put things in action. They found the location, The Roosevelt, and everything started to fall in place.

The menu for Meddle came about after several brainstorming sessions. Both Wagner and Bereika knew they wanted it to be very creative and to have several courses. Those lucky enough to hold tickets for the pop-up restaurant will enjoy the following courses: Oysters with salsify, sea beans, oyster leaf and seaweed; “The chicken or the egg?”; and goat with baharat, juniper, carrot, dates and goat curds; and beetroot with malted barley, coffee, dark chocolate and sorrel.

Let’s hope this isn’t the last menu Richmonders will see from these partners.

“Lisa has a daughter, and she says that there is very little time between mothers and daughters, due to our busy lifestyles,” Guillouard says. The event, appropriate for ages 6 and older, includes a tasting menu of Grand Marnier-infused strawberries dipped in chocolate; heart-shaped strawberry-basil scones with strawberry cream; English tea sandwiches; cheddar cheese straws and fruit; and goat cheese chocolate truffles.

Tea choices include black rose, chocolate lovers, plum oolong and mother’s bouquet. Reservations are $15 per person for children and adults. If you buy three or more, tickets are $13 per person. Seating is limited to 40 people. Reservations can be made until Feb. 8 at noon or until the seating capacity is reached. For more information or reservations, call 740-6659.

Other events surrounding Valentine’s Day include a reservation-only dinner on Feb. 13 at Tastebuds American Bistro on MacArthur Ave. With one seating at 7:30 p.m., the dinner will be a four-course meal for $75 per couple, including two glasses of cava. A wine pairing for the first three courses will be offered for an additional $15 per person. Main course options include a sea scallop “vichyssoise” (seared scallops and braised pork belly in a potato puree), beef tenderloin Napoleon (with Gorgonzola, cremini mushrooms, wilted spinach and a roasted garlic-port wine demi-glace), herb-roasted lamb chops and lamb, apricot and pine nut ballotine with cherry glace. On Feb. 14, Tastebuds’ regular menu will include Valentine’s Day specials. For more information, call 261-6544.

Amour Wine Bistro in Carytown will host a Feb. 14 dinner that features four courses with the option of pairing with four glasses of wine. Two seatings are available: one from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and another at 8:30 p.m. The cost is $59 per person without wine (add $29 for the first level of wine pairing or $49 for the “excellence wine pairing.”) Options for the two main courses include salmon wrapped in a buckwheat crèpe with pepper, vodka and lemon-dill chantilly cream, local rockfish on puff pastry with white wine sauce, a honey-ginger lamb shank and seared filet mignon with foie gras, blue cheese and blood orange butter. Call 353-4020 or email reserve@amourwb.com for reservations.

Acacia Mid-town on West Cary Street will also offer a four-course prix-fixe meal on Valentine’s Day from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The cost is $55 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Credit card reservations are required. For more information, call 562-0138 or email info@acaciarestaurant.com.

Secco Wine Bar in Carytown is also planning a multi-course prix-fixe meal on Valentine’s Day. The cost is $50 (or $45 for an all-vegetarian dinner). An optional wine pairing is available for $20. The “omnivore” menu includes lamb loin with fresh lavender, sunchoke puree, crumbled hazelnuts, pea shoots and fleur de sel, while the vegetarian version features gnocchi alla Romana with Taleggio cheese, crumbled hazelnuts and baby arugula. Email info@seccowinebar.com for more information or to make reservations.

Chez Foushee on Foushee Street downtown will open for dinner on Valentine’s Day, serving a three-course menu for $40 per person, with seatings at 6 and 8 p.m. Entrée options include grilled New York Strip with brandied peppercorn sauce, pan-roasted grouper over spicy shrimp risotto in Parmesan blush broth or truffled potato and chive soufflé with braised winter vegetables and port wine reduction.

And if you’re looking for a vegetarian-friendly family outing, Kabab Grille (now located in Short Pump) is planning a Valentine’s Day buffet dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 14. The price is $11.50 for adults or $7.50 for children, and dishes include chicken pulao, goat chop masala, veggie noodle soup, malai kofta, sweet-and-sour tofu, karhi pakora, seekh kebab rolls and more.