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XO sauce: the international appeal of a Cantonese staple

Hong Kong’s beloved signature sauce is glazing the menus at Michelin-starred Western restaurants around the world

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From left, dried shrimp, Jinhua ham (Chinese dried ham) and dried scallop, served with XO sauce on top. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Victoria Burrows

Inside the sleek, minimalist interior of FZN by Björn Frantzén in Dubai, executive chef Torsten Vildgaard serves a small bowl of XO sauce with the main course of barbecued duck and foie gras. The sauce has deep umami flavours balanced by a caramelised sweetness and a hint of earthiness, a sigh of smoke underneath it all – heavenly when slathered on the pillowy bread that arrives alongside the duck.

It seems an unlikely condiment to come across in one of celebrity chef Björn Frantzén’s outposts, but as it turns out, XO sauce – a Cantonese pantry essential – first popped up at the three-Michelin-starred, Nordic-Asian hotspot Frantzén in Stockholm, and later at sister venue Zén in Singapore.
At FZN, the 27-seater that opened last November at Atlantis The Palm, Vildgaard (who previously headed research and development at Noma in Copenhagen) makes the XO sauce by finely chopping garlic, shallots, smoked celeriac, chanterelles, red chillies and shiitake mushrooms, then deep-frying them individually. He then adds a reduced kelp dashi to bring everything together, blending it with the spicy frying oil. Along with using it as a condiment for bread, he sometimes uses it in emulsions as an umami booster.
Hamachi served with XO sauce at Restaurant Doubek, in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Restaurant Doubek
Hamachi served with XO sauce at Restaurant Doubek, in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Restaurant Doubek

“We chose this recipe for our opening menu because it complements the main course perfectly,” says Vildgaard. “Also, it’s vegetarian, making it a great option that most guests can enjoy. I’m passionate about dishes that highlight the plant kingdom.”

FZN is just one of an increasing number of top restaurants around the world making their own versions of Hong Kong’s beloved XO sauce. Although its exact origins remain obscure, XO sauce was created in the 1980s, many believe by an unnamed chef at Spring Moon, at The Peninsula hotel in Hong Kong.
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