姑蘇的故事
姑蘇原是山名，位於中國江蘇省會吳縣之西南山上，建有姑蘇台(一稱姑蘇城)。傳說，在春秋時，由吳王夫差氏所建，后人就山名州，而吳縣也稱為姑蘇。
在春秋時，吳越交戰，吳王打敗越國，并且把越王勾踐夫婦俘虜起來，越國大臣范蠡利用美人計來作為复國的手段，就把西施獻給吳國，吳王夫差惊為天色，對西施寵愛有加。為了博取美人歡心，吳王夫差特建一座堂皇富麗設備窮奢极侈的宮庭於姑蘇台。
吳王自以為武功彪炳，威震諸族，無后顧之憂，所以對所有的享受無不力求奢侈精美，為了要求最好吃的佳肴，特別匯集天下各种類廚師烹調最好的佳肴，專門供姑蘇台宮庭使用。不久之后，舉國官僚都仿效，造成此類廚師之吃香可想而知。結果，在此暴君苛政塗炭人民之下，全國憤恨情緒高漲之時，勾踐大軍一舉，便滅吳國。
吳國人民在痛定思痛之餘，竟遷怒于姑蘇台廚師，并了抵制排斥。其實此類的遭遇亦甚冤枉，廚師們都是被迫者，為著生活，不得不另尋出路。結果，輾轉南下，全部都往當時被稱為南蠻之廣州地方發展，廣州當時未充分吸收中原文化，人民生活亦頗簡單，此類廚師到后為宣傳招徠計，便以姑蘇二字為標榜，表示烹調方法經過最講究享受之吳王選定為姑蘇台供應者，於是大受歡迎，從此廣州食肆大加革新，塑造了“吃在廣州＂之榮譽。
而在一百年前，當從中國前來我國謀生的前輩在從事酒樓飲食業時，為了更能表示此行業的优良品質逐以姑蘇行命之，共有六個姑蘇行酒樓公會的組織分佈各地，除了檳城，其他各區的姑蘇酒樓業組織都以慎字排名。即有檳城廣存堂，太平慎遠行，怡保慎全行，雪蘭莪慎忠行，馬六甲慎興行，以及鄰國的新加坡慎敬堂。而每一間的姑蘇行酒樓業組織都擁有一百年的歷史，最悠久的是檳城姑蘇廣存堂。
回顧過去，展望將來，舊一代的前輩歷盡辛酸，將优秀的傳統飲食文化傳承至今天，而新一代年青廚師在新的良好環境中，更應該發揮出姑蘇精神，力爭上游，把优良的中國烹飪飲食傳統結合現代的改革，讓有馬來西亞特色的中國烹飪廚藝在世界各個角落引發惊异的回響……
The Story of Ku Su
Ku Su is a town built on Mount Ku Su situated in Wu Country, Jiangsu Province. As the story goes, it was built by King Fu Chai of the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period. Later, the Wu Country was also named Ku Su, after Mount Ku Su.
During the Spring and Autumn period, the state of Wu and State of Yue were at war. King Fu Chai of Wu defected the State of Yue and captured King You Jian and his consort. Fan Li, Minister of Yue decided to use a sex-trap as a means to restore their state. He offered Xi Shi, a great beauty to King Fu Chai. To win heart, King Fu Chai built a magnificent palace at Ku Su.
Overjoyed at his military accomplishments, King Fu Chai slavished himself with all forms of sensual pleasures. He summoned the best chefs in his state to prepare the most exquisite cuisine at his palace. Officials all over the state followed suit and soon the Ku Su Chefs became extremely popular and were in great demand. Being a tyrant, King Fu Chai indulged himself at the expensive of his people. His endless revelries and abandonment plunged the people into depths of suffering. When the people’s rebellions feeling ran high, Gou Jian took the opportunity to invade and annex the state of Wu and set fire to Ku Su.
The people of Wu blamed the Ku Su chefs for their State’s downfall and therefore boycotted them. The chefs had no choice but made a fresh start somewhere else. Most of the chefs migrated southwards to Guangzhou (Canton) which was then still undeveloped and untouched by Han culture. As a publicity stunt, these chefs claimed that they were the celebrated chefs from Ku Su, once hand picked by the gourmet King Fu Chai, and that their cuisine was time-tested royalty specialties. So, the chefs’ popularity grew enormously. The food industry of Guangzhou was bolstered tremendously and Guangzhou became a gourmets’ paradise.
About a hundred years ago, when the Chinese immigrants set up restaurants in Malaya, they used the name Ku Su to connate the excellent quality of their cuisine. There are now six Ku Su Restaurant Associations in Malaysia. Apart from the one in Penang, the names of all other Ku Su restaurant associations contain word “Shin”. We have the Penang Guang Chun Tang, Taiping Shin Yuan Hung, Ipoh Shn Chan Hung, Selangor Shin Choong Hung, Negeri Sembilan Ku Su Hung, Malacca Shin Xing Hung and Singapore Shin Jing Hung which is in our neighboring country, Singapore. All of them are over 100 years old. The one with the longest history is Penang Ku Su Guang Chun Tang.
While looking back on the past, we also look forward to the future. Our ancestors had gine through all kinds of hardships and difficulties to give us a fine tradition of Chinese food culture. It is pertinent that the younger generation should make the best of their improved environment and uphold the “Ku Su” spirit – aim for excellence. They should strive ahead to combine the fine tradition of Chinese Food Culture with modern innovations so that the Malaysian Chinese Cuisine will earn the applause of gourmets all over the world.