Recipe: Sweet and Sour Pineapple Shrimp

This dish is so mind blowingly simple, you may just laugh. At least I did when I ate this dish and asked for the recipe. I asked at least 3 times, "That's it!? You don't put anything else in the sauce? Are you sure!?"

What makes the sauce sweet and sour is the ketchup. Yes, just plain 'ol ketchup. The tomato concentrate combined with the corn syrup and vinegar makes this a ready to use sauce for Asian dishes. Of all the ketchups on the market, Heinz ketchup has the sweet and sour proportions just right. Other ketchups seem to be either too sweet or not enough.

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Shrimp
- 20 large shrimp, de-shelled but with the shell still on the tip of the tail
- 1 cup of pineapple, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 green pepper, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
- 1 large onion, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 6 Tablespoons of Heinz ketchup
- 2 tsp of corn starch
- Extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. If you are using frozen shrimp, simply place the shrimp in a bowl of water for 15 minutes and then de-shell. Mix the shrimp and corn starch until evenly coated. Set aside.

2. Once the onion is sliced, separate each layer by hand so that they become curved strips. In an oiled pan, on high heat, cook the onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, and stir fry until 3/4 of the way cooked (approximately 3 minutes).

3. Turn the heat down to medium heat. Add the ketchup, green pepper and pineapple, and stir fry until the shrimp is completely cooked (approximately 2 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

If you dont mind the work when eating, you can keep the shell on the shrimp to hold in more flavor. For a saucier dish, simply add more ketchup.

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Recipe: Garlic Edamame

A great healthy snack and tad more exciting than the traditional edamame sprinkled with sea salt, this garlic edamame will get you licking every pod you place in your mouth. It's quick to make and a really flavorful way to get your protein and fiber.

Garlic Edamame
- 2 cups of frozen edamame
- 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. On high heat, in an oiled pan, sautee the garlic for 1 minute. Add the frozen edamame red pepper flakes and a few dashes of salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, until the garlic is golden brown. Use a wooden spatula to stir the edamame around frequently.

2. Add the oyster sauce and toss until evenly coated, no more than 1 minute. Serve hot. Eat the beans only and discard the shell.

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Mission Chinese Food, San Francisco

Housed in what looks like a Chinese restaurant called Lung Shan is actually a restaurant called Mission Chinese Food. Once upon a time, Lung Shan and Mission Chinese, two different restaurants, shared the space offering two different menus with two different kitchen set ups under one roof. Today, Mission Chinese Food has pretty much taken over.

Mission Chinese Food is a Chinese restaurant that serves Chinese dishes with a unique Americanized twist. The Chef, Danny Bowien, is a Korean born American raised by non-Korean parents who ironically actually never cooked Chinese food a day in his life until the restaurant opened in 2010. All of the dishes on the menu are the chef's own interpretation of traditional Chinese dishes that have now become all the craze in San Francisco.

In reading reviews of this place, anything bad written about this place was mainly due to the fact that people expected traditional Chinese dishes, which is far from what you're going to get here. Despite the name of the dishes, ditch your preconceived notions of what these dishes are supposed to taste like and just embrace the creativity put into the food.

The atmosphere of the restaurant adds to the whole experience. It is a little hole in the wall that is walk-in only. You fill out your name on a piece of paper taped outside of the restaurant and you are forced to wait outside until your name is called. When you walk in, the resturant is dim and the ceiling is strewn with tacky Chinese decor such as fluorescent streamers, paper lanterns and dragon.

Our meal started with  a bowl of Szechuan Pickles - salted pickled napa cabbage with carrot, roasted peanut, fresh coriander and chili oil. A Chinese version of Kim Chi.

Szechuan Pickles

Next was the cold savory egg custard served with sea urchin, scallop, winter melon, and citron. I was excited for this dish because I love anything with eggs but I have to say I didn't enjoy it. No matter how much I try, I just can't take in a lot of sea urchin. It's too overpowering for me. Sea urchin is what makes this dish unique but this dish was definitely a miss for me.

Savory Egg Custard with Sea Urchan and Scallop

Next was the thrice cooked bacon. A dish of fatty tender bacon pieces with starchy rice cake slices, bitter melon, tofu skin, scallion, black bean, and chili oil. I have no idea if this is even a Chinese dish but it was delicious! Flavorful, tender, fatty, starchy, spicy, sweet, salty and crunchy all in one dish. It's true what they say, everything does taste better with bacon!

Thrice Cooked Bacon

The broccoli beef cheek was really something different! They spruced up the oyster sauce with real poached oysters and the beef cheeks added a nice twist. It was also nice to get some veggies into our system after the heavy thrice cooked bacon dish. This was definitely our favorite dish!

Broccoli Beef Cheek

Massive chunks of tender beef cheeks and lots of oysters were hidden under the gai lan.

Beef Cheeks

I wanted to see what their ma po tofu was like because this is one of my favorite Chinese dishes. Their rendition included ground kurobuta pork shoulder, Szechuan peppercorn and chili oil. No shortage of flavor in this dish but there was just too much sauce for my likings. The sauce, tofu and pork balance was just way off. It was more like a thick soup.

Ma Po Tofu

Our last dish was the Taiwanese clams. There are a few dishes that are only offered if you dine at the restaurant and this was one of them. It was a large plate of steamed clams with Thai basil, garlic,
black bean and Chinese sausage. This was a mild dish and would have been a very nice dish to start our meal with. By the time we got to the clams, our taste buds had been blown away with the chili oil and peppercorns, leaving very little room in our palate for these clams.

Taiwanese Clams

The huge craze for Mission Chinese is with reason. The dishes were definitely creative and flavorful. As long as you don't expect traditional Chinese, you'll really enjoy this place.

Mission Chinese Food
2234 Mission Street
San Francisco, California USA
Telephone: 415-863-2800

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Silken Tofu with Pork Floss and Century Egg

Yes, I am posting this dish for the 'fear factor'. It's likely going to gross most of you out, and that's ok! That's probably the normal reaction.

This is a cold dish of silken tofu and century egg, aka preserved duck egg. The color of the egg comes from the the clay and ash that it is preserved in. The tofu is topped with pork floss, and the dish is served in a pool of dark soy sauce.

Do I recommend this dish to the general public? No. Do I dare you to try it? You bet.

Although I like this dish, I don't recommend it because it truly is an acquired taste situation. You really have to love each component of this dish to truly appreciate it. The most bizarre parts of this dish are probably the texture of the pork floss, and that black, rotten looking egg, whose name implies that it has been sitting around for 100 years!

You can find this dish at Din Tai Fung, an awesome dumpling restaurant scattered across Asia and Australia.

You can also check out my previous meal at Din Tai Fung here.

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Long Beach Seafood Restaurant, Singapore

When in Singapore, one MUST try their famous local dish, black pepper crab. Long Beach Seafood Restaurant is known for putting Singapore on the food map with the creation of this dish, and is also known for being the first restaurant in Singapore to serve a seafood menu.

Started in the 1940's, this restaurant has now expanded to 5 locations across the island.
One thing I just couldn't get used to in Singapore was the humidity. My skin loved it but the rest of my body did not. It was unbearable for me. When the hostess gave us a choice to either sit outside with a sea front view or indoors with air conditioning, we all chose air conditioning without hesitation.

The three of us shared a super deluxe live Scottish bamboo clam seafood menu for two. What the heck is Scottish bamboo clam you ask? You'll find out soon. This meal came with a free $10 International VIP calling card, which we found humorous.

The meal started with a plate of roasted peanuts.

Roasted Peanuts

The first dish was the steamed live Scottish bamboo clam with minced garlic. Scottish bamboo clam is also called razor clam or jacknife clam in other parts of the world. This was interesting to try...tender and chewy at the same time. The clam was topped with vermicelli and minced garlic.

Scottish Bamboo Clam

Next was the house specialty prawn. The shrimp were jumbo, and were topped with lots and lots of minced garlic. Mmmmmmm.

House Specialty Prawn

The dish we were all waiting for...their famous black pepper crab! This was AMAZING. The black pepper sauce just coated the giant crab. Unlike the crab I have had in the past, this one needed a lobster cracker. The shell was very thick and hard, and could not be bitten with your teeth. The meat was incredibly juicy and tender, and the black pepper sauce went perfectly with it.

Black Pepper Crab

After the crab came the fried rice with silver fish and bean sprouts. Can you spot the little guys? If not, look for their little black eyes.

Rice with Silver Fish

Our meal ended with dessert of the day: pineapple soup. This was a light refreshing dish. Really enjoyed it.

Pineapple Soup

Longbeach has an impressive display of live seafood ranging from King Alaskan crab, tiger sea mantis, green wrasse, and marble goby. I was fascinated by the Canadian Geoduck. I had never seen this saltwater clam live in person.

Canadian Geoduck

Long Beach Seafood Restaurant
1202 East Coast Parkway
#01-04 East Coast Seafood Centre
Singapore
Telephone: 6448 3636

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Cafe Orient, Ottawa

I went to lunch at Cafe Orient with my mom and a few of her friends, and we all spent the afternoon chatting while pigging out on noodles, rice, and congee. Cafe Orient is a bustling little place located on Somerset in Chinatown. They specialize in Hong Kong dishes, and offer over 300 dishes on the menu, including dim sum. My friend Wals is a big fan of their dim sum, especially their xiao long baos.

We ordered a bunch of dishes to share, communal style.

First was the preserved egg and sliced pork congee. Preserved egg, also called century egg is made by preserving duck or chicken eggs in ash and clay for several weeks to several months, until the egg turns a dark green/black color. There is no doubt that this is an acquired taste, but once you catch on, preserved eggs are really good.

Preserved Egg and Sliced Pork Congee

Next was the fried Chinese donut. This is basically sweet dough that is deep fried...not as sweet as a North American donut though.

Fried Chinese Donut

I'm an offal fan, so the beef tendon and tripe egg noodle dish was right up my alley. The tendon and tripe is stewed until tender, and then served over a bed of noodles.

Beef Tendon and Tripe with Egg Noodle

It is also served with a bowl of broth, where you eat the two together.

Beef Tendon and Trip with Egg Noodle

Next was the fried spaghetti with beef and black pepper. If you love black pepper, this dish is for you.

Fried Spaghetti with Beef and Black Pepper

Next was the Indonesian style fried vermicelli: thin rice noodles stir fried with shrimp, beef, scallion, and bean sprouts. It was garnished with a generous amount of coriander.

Indonesian Style Fried Vermicelli

Salted fish and chicken fried rice is one of my favorite dishes. A small warning, this is a very fishy smelling and tasting dish. Again, it is an acquired taste. Day old rice is stir fried with chicken, cured fish, scallion, egg, and lettuce, producing an awesome combination of tastes.

Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice

Next was the chow mein with chicken, squid, and veggies. This is a pretty standard Chinese dish. The chow mein noodles are deep fried until crispy, and the noodles soften up when the stir fried veggies and meat is thrown on top.

Chow Mein with Chicken and Squid

Last was the fried flat rice noodles with beef, onion, and bean sprouts. This is one of my sister's favorite dishes. The noodles and beef are stir fried in both a dark and light soy sauce.

Fried Flat Rice Noodles with Beef

It was a lot of food, but it was good! All of the dishes were nicely made, but we did find some to be a bit too oily. Next time, we will ask the chef to use less oil.

Cafe Orient
808 Somerset Street West
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-563-2422

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Bo Bi Rice Paper Rolls

The Bo Bi rice paper roll is a unique Chiu Chow/Vietnamese fusion dish that is commonly eaten by the Cantonese population who migrated to Vietnam. The name 'Bo Bi' is Chinese, and translates to 'thin pancake'. The original Chiu Chow Bo Bi dish uses a thin pancake instead of rice paper, but because rice paper is more commonly found in Vietnam, the Chinese who tried to re-create this dish started using rice paper out of convenience. The ingredients in the roll may vary depending on the family and their preferences.

I had Bo Bi rice paper rolls with my family the other night, and I instantly thought to snap pictures to share with everyone.

This dish is not very complicated to make, but there are many ingredients that need to be prepared. Here is the low down on how to make it.

1. Steam some Chinese sausages and slice them thinly.

Sliced Chinese Sausages

2. Boil julienned carrots and turnips until tender and top it with fried onions. Be sure to make a large pot of this.

Boiled Carrots and Turnips

3. Roast some peanuts

Roasted Peanuts

4. Roast some preserved turnips and slice up a few fried eggs

Fried Eggs and Turnips

5. Wash some lettuce

Lettuce

6. Throw the above ingredients + dried rice paper on the dinner table. Get a big bowl of lukewarm water to dip your rice paper in. Give each person a big plate for wrapping, and away you go.

To make the wrap, dip the entire rice paper in lukewarm water for a few seconds, and set it on your plate. Place a bit of each ingredient in the middle of your rice paper.

Fold in the sides, and roll.

Voila! Once you have it, dip the roll into your favorite sauce. In my household, Sriracha hot sauce, hoisin sauce, and hot chilli oil are the most popular.

I mentioned above that some of the ingredients may vary from family to family. Other ingredients that could be used are jicama, dried prawns, and sauteed scallions. Of course, you can also try it the traditional way and use a thin pancake instead of rice paper.

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Chinese Corn Soup

Soup season has officially started. With the cold weather, all I want to do is make soup. Warm, thick, hearty, make your heart feel good soups.

I try to make a different soup each week so that I don't get sick of my own cooking. This week, I made a Chinese corn soup. I used to have this as a kid when I used to visit my aunt. Years later, I finally got the recipe.

This soup is ridiculously easy to make. I love how it is both sweet and salty, and I also really like the crunchy bits of corn you get in every spoonful. This recipe uses shrimp, but you can easily substitute it for chicken or pork.

This soup is usually eaten as an appetizer, so the the serving size is smaller than normal.

This recipe yields 8-10 servings (depending on serving size)

Chinese Corn Soup
- 250g shrimp, de-veined and shells removed
- 2 cans (14 fl. oz, 398mL each) cream style corn
- 1 can (12 fl. oz, 341mL) whole corn kernels
- 3 cups of liquid chicken broth
- 3 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp powdered chicken broth
- 1/8 tsp sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
- salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Cut the shrimp in 1/2 inch pieces. In a bowl, mix the shrimp, 2 tsp of cornstarch, powdered chicken broth, white pepper, sesame oil, and sugar until the shrimp pieces are evenly coated. Set aside to marinate. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tsp of corn starch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir until corn starch has dissolved.

2. In a pot over medium heat, combine the liquid chicken broth, cream style corn, and whole corn kernels until it just starts to boil. Stir occasionally. Add the shrimp and corn starch water, and stir frequently in one direction for 5 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked. Stirring frequently in one direction will prevent the corn starch from clumping. Turn off the heat.

3. Pour the egg white very slowly into the middle of the pot. With a fork immersed in the soup, beat the egg white as you are pouring it into the soup. This will break up the egg white and create a cloud like look. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

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Din Tai Fung, Sydney

Din Tai Fung is the place to go for world-famous xiao long baos.

I was so excited when I heard one had opened up in Sydney, and it immediately made it on the top of my list of places to eat while in Sydney. There are restaurants in North America that have borrowed Din Tai Fung's name, but do not be fooled my friends. Outside of Asia there are only two original Din Tai Fung branches: one in Los Angeles California, and one in Sydney Australia.

Din Tai Fung is figuratively synonymous with the Chinese xiao long bao. Xiao Long Bao is a Chinese steamed dumpling that is made in the shape of a mini bun. The traditional filling is pork but vegetarian or seafood filling is sometimes used.

BUT, it gets better. These dumplings are filled with a solid gelatin, which melts into a flavorful broth when steam-cooked. This results in a dumpling filled with soup broth. The more broth within the dumpling, the better.

Bamboo Basket Wall Mural at Din Tai Fung

CK and I had an amazing lunch at Din Tai Fung, and I'm already dreaming of my next visit...whenever that may be!

We started out with the vegetarian delight. This was a cold salad of seaweed, bean curd, and beansprouts. The salad was tossed in a chilli and sesame oil dressing. It was light and yummy.

Vegetarian Delight

Next came the famous xiao long bao. I ordered the steamed pork, crab and roe xiao long bao. This was a limited time menu item, so I took the opportunity and ordered it. The regular pork xiao long baos are available all the time. These were dipped in a vinegar sauce with shredded ginger pieces.
If you look closely, you can see that the broth fills more than half the dumpling.

Pork, Crab, and Roe Xiao Long Baos

To get our veggie intake, we ordered a serving of the vegetable dumplings.

Vegetable Dumplings

Look at the wonderfully chopped veggies.

Vegetable Dumpling

Something new to the menu is the pork + vegetable won tons in spicy sauce dish. The spicy sauce was divine, and had the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and sour. Surprisingly, this was my favorite of all the dishes we ordered.

Pork and Vegetable Won Tons in Spicy Sauce

*Drool, Slurp*, can't get enough of them.

Pork and Vegetable Won Tons in Spicy Sauce

Last was the dan dan noodles served in a spicy peanut and sesame sauce. I had never tried dan dan noodles before, and I'm glad I did. It is a peanuty dish that is slightly on the sweeter side.

Dan Dan Noodles

To finish, we ordered the deep fried red bean paste bread. I love any type of red bean dessert so no complaints from me.

Deep Fried Red Bean Paste Bread

One other thing to mention is their excellent service. The staff here are very professional and extremely attentive to their customers. The wonderful service really made the experience that much better.

I highly highly recommend you try this place. While the xiao long baos are great, the spicy won tons are a must-try.

Din Tai Fung
World Square Shopping Centre, Level 1
644 George Street
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Telephone: 02 9264 6010

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