July 2013 – Wong Eats

Chinese Banquet 2

As the continuation on a series on Chinese Meal and Banquets (see last two blogs), I will be writing about a Chinese Banquet that my parents and their family were invited to by a good friend of my father while we were back in Kuala Lumpur for my parents’ Golden Anniversary. Since I missed partaking in these kinds of dinners and such quality of cooking is frequently amiss outside of Asia, I did not pass up on this opportunity when inquiries were made about who wanted to join this meal gathering. Since my Australian nephew, mentioned in the last blog, was in attendance, it was an opportunity for me to reinforce what he had learned about the sequence of dishes in a Chinese Banquet.

1) Appetizer: Three Seasons. Unlike my parents’ banquet, here we have a slightly abbreviated version of the usually served Four Season dish. On this occasion, we were served Shrimp and Melon with Wasabi Sauce (a Japanese influence here), Panko-breaded Scallops with Sweet and Sour Sauce (again more Japanese influence), and Chicken and Chinese Mushroom in Steamed Bun Cup. Here we see the chef’s creative streak in infusing some Japanese ingredients and technique, and updating the traditional steamed bun by making it into a cup. This is a study of contrasts in flavors, ingredients, and textures, as most banquet first-courses showcase in their platters.

2) Soup: Lobster and Birds Nest Soup. As I mentioned in the last blog, usually Shark Fin Soup is served in banquets, but they have fallen out of favor with the current generation. As an alternative, here we were served this luscious soup made with rich lobster meat and expensive birds nest that has the same texture as shark fin. Again, the addition of Chinese black vinegar and Chinese mustard adds more taste interest to this thick soup.

3) Protein 1: Roast Duck and Chilled Pigs Feet. Savory crispy skinned duck was paired with thin slices of deboned and poached pig feet. Again, we see a study of contrast of flavors, textures, and in this case, temperatures. I must say that the pigs feet tasted better than it sounds and I enjoyed its slightly gelatinous quality.

4) Protein 2: Tuna with Green beans and Crispy Tofu Skin. Pieces of tuna have been broiled with a thin sticky coating most likely made with some Miso paste judging by the color and taste. The crispy tofu skin was a good foil against the moist fish, along with the sweet al dente young green beans.

5) Vegetable/Tofu dish: Broccoli, Chinese Mushroom, and Abalone on Tofu. When this dish arrived, we marveled at its presentation as well as the amount of baby abalone, a pricey mollusk rarely served in banquets. These pieces of seafood have the texture of squid but exude a richer seafood flavor, and this rendition was perfectly cooked sitting on pieces of silky tofu stuffed with a flavorful shrimp meat paste – this was heavenly. The pieces of broccoli and Chinese mushrooms were equally well-cooked; however, they took a distant secondary role to the marvelous seafood.

6) Rice/Noodle dish: Fried Rice. At this stage of a banquet, either starch is served. In the hierarchy of grains, rice takes the lower rung. Hence, this dish is a “throwaway” dish, meaning that the diner needs to fill-up with this grain before the last course. This version was well prepared but was not memorable since it was a completely mild dish. Some chefs have “exotified” this humble dish by adding dried baby white bait fish and other non-Chinese seasoning.

7) Dessert: “Malay” Steamed Cake & Longan, White Fungus, and Sea Coconut in Syrup. This moist steamed sponge cake is perhaps a Chinese creation a la Malay with layers interspersed with a layer of caramel, giving the cake a sweet interest. The side of sweet chilled soup was not too sweet with bits of slightly firm sea coconut, slightly bouncy white fungus, and fleshy longan fruit.

This blog ends the series on Chinese Meals and Banquets. I hope this gives one an idea of how the dishes are ordered in such meals in a logical fashion. Furthermore, I hope that the series has inspired the reader to look forward to partake in such a gastronomic delight when the opportunity arises. I wish these opportunities presented themselves to me monthly, but alas, such is life for this epicurean!

Chinese Banquet 1

Cooking, Food

In my last blog, I wrote about my family coming together from disparate parts of the world to meet up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in order to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. I described the delicious dishes of first Chinese dinner that we ate on the first night together. This type of dinners was always a gastronomic highlight for me, of which I find such quality cooking missing from my experiences outside of Asia. To continue with this series, I will describe a couple of formal Chinese banquets that we were ingratiated with during our brief trip.

The first banquet took place in celebration of my parents’ Golden Anniversary. Many relatives and friends were invited to partake in such a joyous occasion, and since some were Muslim, the meal was completely halal (Muslim kosher), thus no pork was served at all. However, such dietary restriction is never in the way of good creative Chinese cooking as in their banquets. Since my nephew from Australia was sitting next to me, it was a good opportunity to explain to him the logical sequence of dishes in a banquet, very much like the order of the Chinese dinner in the last blog.

1) Appetizer: Four Seasons. In a formal banquet, the meal starts with this kind of opener, unlike a dinner. This platter holds such a name as it is a dish with four different elements that distinguish themselves in texture, flavor, and ingredient. On this day, we were served a cold spicy papaya salad, crispy soybean skin stuffed with a fragrant lemongrass filling, crispy spring rolls coated with a sweet sauce, and chicken cooked with Chinese mushrooms.

2) Soup: Shark Fin Soup. This soup is almost de rigueur in a big celebratory dinner, as was in this case. The thick soup comes with fine strands of shark fin that has been cooked until it is tender. Although it has not much in terms of flavor, a good stock gives it character and body. Furthermore, a customary splash of Chinese black vinegar and English mustard (a new local trend for me) gives it some more flavor interest – this soup is a favorite of my mother. Unfortunately, this dish has fallen out of favor for many due to its unsustainable ecological practices.

3) Protein 1: Steamed Pomfret Fish. Like the Chinese dinners, the fish is simply cooked, steamed as in this case, and paired with a light soy sauce. The diner is always looking for a fresh sweet quality from the flesh, not covered by too much or too heavy of a sauce. The fish that arrived on the table was really huge, more than enough to serve 10 guests per table.

4) Protein 2: Roasted Chicken. Since the meal was halal, poultry was the obvious alternative (never beef or lamb since many Chinese find their flavors too strong for their palate). Here the meat was well-seasoned and the skin made crisp in the oven, which can be dipped in a white pepper/salt combination for more seasoning. The clouds of Shrimp Crackers are equally tasty echoing the crispy nature of the dish.

5) Vegetable/Tofu Dish: Sautéed Lotus Roots with Sweet Peppers. This was a new dish for me. Slices of fresh lotus roots have been stir-fried with sweet peppers in a light sauce. I have had this root in mostly soup dishes, but I quite enjoyed its slight crunchy texture with equally crunchy sweet peppers.

6) Noodle/Rice Dish: Longevity Noodles. This dish is a must-order in such celebrations as my parents’ anniversary. Here the noodles are paired with roasted chicken, Chinese chives, bean sprouts, and Chinese mushrooms, brought together by a light sauce. It is imperative that server does not cut into the noodles to ensure the intention of wishing the celebrants longevity in their marriage and lives together.

7) Dessert: Longan in Syrup and Lotus Seed Pancakes. This is one of my favorite banquet desserts. Fresh longan fruit has been cooked in light syrup, paired with a hot pancake with filling made from mashed lotus seeds, a divergence from the traditional use of black bean paste. In the past, this pancake was served with a hot sweet peanut soup, which I enjoyed very much. However, this was equally satisfying for its light quality, especially after so many courses.

In the next blog, I will be writing about another Chinese banquet. I hope this posting is giving you an idea what a Chinese formal entails, and how much I miss such delicious delights being away from my childhood home.

Chinese Dinner 1

Cooking, Food

Recently, members of my family and their spouses and children travelled long distances to meet up in the country which we were grew up in. The purpose of such reunion was for our parents who had been planning to come back to mark their Golden Anniversary with the renewal of their vows in the church where they first exchanged them 50 years ago, and to invite all their respective relatives to a big dinner that night. On the first night of the reunion, the whole gang of 16 decided to have a Chinese dinner in a reputable restaurant not too far from the hotel where we were staying at.

Many of you have read that I have hesitated for the longest to write a blog on Chinese food in the DC restaurant scene. This stems from the fact that I have been spoiled by quality Chinese food either in the restaurants, hawker stalls, or at home as I was growing up in that part of the world. When I would come back to Kuala Lumpur to visit my parents before their migration abroad, I looked forward to the home cooking and to our meals at high-end eating establishments that were always a epicurean highlight for me as I was growing up. Here is one such meal, albeit not quite a banquet, but a quality Chinese dinner.

First Course: Protein – Chinese Barbeque Pork. Customarily, in a regular dinner, there are no appetizers. This rendition comprised of small slabs of pork belly, mostly likely a suckling pig, that has been roasted and basted with a molasses-like sweet and salty sauce. This is my father’s favorite dish, and it is usually not amiss among the other orders.

Second Course: Another protein – Roast Duck. The restaurant does a wonderful version here. The meat was still moist yet flavorful with the skin completely rendered of its fat and quite crispy. The flavor was less “gamey” than the ones I have tasted in other countries – this dish would win over the not-so-aficionado of this bird meat.

Third Course: Seafood. The Chinese prefer to have their seafood cooked simply in order to showcase the freshness and sweetness of the protein. Here a Wild Patin fish has been steamed with some rice wine and ginger juice before lightly covered with a light soy sauce mixture along with some green onion garnish. The flesh was indeed moist and sweet, however, the price of this dish was a bit of a sticker shock – Asians never ask the price before hand. However, it was a worthwhile order for the quality ingredient and cooking. I was just a bit dismayed that they had chopped off the fish’s head, to which the diner would find it a bit suspicious (Asians prefer to see the whole animal/fish intact).

Fourth Course: Tofu Dish. Here, pillows of this soybean cake have been fried lightly to give it texture and body, and they are braised along with some Chinese vegetable resembling a large zucchini in a savory sauce.

Fifth Course: Vegetable Dish – Chinese Broccoli/Gai Lan. The vegetable has been quickly parboiled and paired with mild sauces like soy sauce or oyster sauce. With this vegetable, it is important not to cook it too long so that the sweetness is retained along with the crunch of the stems. Like the seafood, mildness of flavor and freshness of ingredient are qualities sought after here.

Sixth Course: Noodle or Rice Dish. Customarily, a noodle or rice dish served in a banquet is considered more or less a “throw away” dish, meaning, if you are still hungry, you better fill up with this dish. However, in a Chinese regular dinner, it is a bit more purposeful, and in this case, we ordered something that we missed very much – Sang Ha Meen. Crispy bits of egg noodle have been paired by large freshwater prawns in a thick eggy sauce spiked with lots of ginger and green onion. It is favorite among my family members, but it took the restaurant so long to serve it and we waited very impatiently. But once the dish arrived, we attacked and ate it with muted hungry mouths.

Dessert: Since we had waited for a long time for the last dish and we had young toddlers in the group, we opted to skip this course. Usually, fresh fruits or fruit cocktail would be on the order.

In the next couple of blogs, I will write about the Chinese Banquet Meals that I managed to savor on this trip. Hope this blog builds up an appetite for what is to come.

English Eats

Food, Restaurants

I recently returned from a week trip to London which gave me the opportunity to catch up with friends and relatives who reside in that part of the world. It also gave me the chance to catch up with some English eats, food that I grew up on during my high school days in a British all-boys boarding school. Most of us would turn our noses up when mentioning this Continental cuisine, and my classmates and I did stage a food strike in school, the only one in its history as a school (it has closed down not too long ago). However, there is a lot to redeem itself from such maligned status, and I indulged in some typical English food which most would take for granted. This was my culinary journey.

One single dish that definitely comes to mind when mentioning British food is Fish and Chips which I longed for during my visit. On a day trip to the enormous British Museum, I asked a London Underground employee where I could get some decent lunch. I knew he would lead me to a proper shop liken to asking a cop where to find some fresh donuts. Entering the shop, it was quite empty since it was still quite early for lunch at it was sweltering outside and inside (most establishments do not have AC). The cook assured me that he was going to make me a fresh batch of fried fish when I placed my order. The plate arrived with some lightly battered moist Cod accompanied with some chips (fries) and my perennial English favorite, Mashed Peas, which conjure up some vile thoughts among most Americans. The fresh tasting house tartar sauce was the perfect partner to the mild fish which was packed with fresh dill. The chips were proper and a heavy dousing of malt vinegar (a must!) hit the right spot for me. As for the mashed peas, I couldn’t get enough of it. This is definitely a must-have for those visiting across the waters. Just don’t be surprised that an immigrant is running the shop, as was the Albanian for my lunch. If you happen to be around the British Museum, check out Alen’s Fish & Chips.

For one of my lunches, I met up with an Aussie-Malaysian that has become an expat in this metropolis for the last year. Although we were still struggling with the heat, or the lack of cool places, we elected for a pie shop. Pieminister has one of their branches located in Farringdon, the heart of London’s Business District. Looking at the array of pies, I picked something I ate during a rugby trip more than 30 years ago – Steak and Kidney. Each order of pie came siting on a mound of mashed potato, topped with cheese curds, mashed peas and fried onions, swimming in a pool of savory sauce in a retro enameled metal plate. The pie was exactly what I expected, meaty with melting chunks of beef, a bit bitter from the organ meat, and savory from the rich thick gravy inside. The other sides were decent, but they brought this simple dish a bit over the top, especially in this heat. It would have been the right dish in the cold winter but I had to get this fix in on this trip.

Well, something lighter and more digestible for the summer heat is an English Sandwich. Yes, the simple bread and filling concoction that would make most roll their eyes. Well, the English are famous for making fantastic combinations of this light meal that are easily available everywhere during these hot months from the Public Houses (aka Pubs) to the grocery stores. A visit to a pub for a lighter fare after the monstrous pie meal was rewarded by a menu featuring some sandwiches. My order came with slices of hearty country white bread (not the spongy Wonderbread crap) filled with some quality Wiltshire ham, with a clean and barely salty flavor, and slices of ripe tomato. But what makes the sandwich British is the slathering of pungent British mustard that is biting enough to clear the sinuses. Other favorite combinations that I have savored in the past are the classic Buttered Cucumber Sandwich and the Cheese and Chutney version. Try these different light bites when visiting the Isles in the warmer months.

What’s is the next meal after lunch around these areas? No, it is not dinner but tea. When it was a bit cooler, my cousin treated me with some of her baking and she made some Scones for teatime. Round pillows of short and buttery dough have been baked with a firm outer crust but soft and light when split open. My cousin noted that the secret to making scrumptious ones is the use of a nutmeg in the mix. To top of this pastry, she added some clotted cream, much like a thick whipped cream akin to mascarpone cream, but more of a buttery flavor. To sweeten the deal, a huge dollop of fruity jam topped it off. A good cuppa (cup of tea), stronger than the American version, with a touch of milk makes the perfect drink to go with these tasty bites. Sorry, but I forgot to take a photo of the scones, but in lieu, I am posting a photo of some tea servers I came across at the British Museum.

On my last night, I met up with a former classmate that attended boarding school with me 30 years ago. He and his girlfriend met me up at the tourist-packed Piccadilly Square, and we walked to Chinatown looking for some quality Chinese food that it is known for. Looking at a throng of people waiting outside its doors, we decided to chance it and walk into Four Seasons on the busy Gerard Street. For our appetizer, we ordered the Peking Duck – the meat was flavorful and the lacquered skin, the most important part, well rendered and quite crispy, making the wraps delectable and irresistible. For the mains, part of the meal was a combination of Chinese Roast Pork and BBQ Pork. My friend and his gal were constantly reaching for this dish during the meal mainly due to the skillful seasoning and cooking of these cuts of meat. The BBQ version was glazed with a sweet and savory sauce, and the Roast Pork pieces were slightly salty and made crispy from perfectly cooked and crunchy crackling. The pool of addition sauce under the meaty mound was scooped up and poured over our bowls of rice until its last drop. These fine dishes took me back to my youthful trips to London in hunt for excellent Chinese food as a relief from the trying boarding school fare that were served (hint – hunger strike).

What comes after the mains around here? No, not necessarily sweet desserts but a Cheese Plate. A visit back to my high school brought back lots of memories, from the train station and little village that has not changed in 30 years, to the ride up the hill that I used to trek up with my luggage, to the school that housed a lot of my memories of my early teen years, and the wonderful monks who still remembered me after countless of students that walked through its hallways. One memory was having a Cheese Plate on special feast days for our lunches. Different cheeses were usually served with Cream Crackers and a vegetable pickle called Piccalilly, something that I had not touched in 30 years but was resuscitated in my memory bank on this trip. Somehow, I always manage to fit in a few slices of Stilton, Aged Cheddar, and Brie before dessert.

For the pudding or dessert lover, ok, here are a couple of them. The first is Trifle, a mixture of cut fruit, whipped cream and pastry cream or thick custard. This is a combination of the freshness of seasonal fruit, sweetness of the custard, and the richness of the cream, all brought together in one single bite. Not the most beautiful looking dessert but it is indeed satisfying. Another sweet ending at this time of the year is Summer Pudding, consisting of white bread that has been soaked by the juices from a compote of different berries. The bread will have taken the sweetness of the berry juices, holding together the fruit bits that can be topped with some sweetened whip cream or yogurt. You can get good renditions of these desserts in the local supermarkets if you are too bothered to make them.

Walking around London, I noticed people hanging around outside of pubs while holding a pint of their favorite beverage, trying to stay cool from the uncomfortable heat. On my few visits for a cool down, I ordered some Hard Cider, a drink that is not easily found on this end of the Atlantic Ocean. The American version of cider is a dealkalized version of the UK drink, much like unfiltered apple juice. But the Continental version has a bit of alcohol punch and it is served very cold, much to my relief on those warm days. These days, these apple brews come infused with different fruit flavors which I found revelatory on this trip. If cider is not your cup of tea, there is always the myriad of beers and ales that would satisfy the thirsty traveler.

My return to the UK was definitely a nostalgic journey, from visiting my old High School, to getting reacquainted with old friends, relatives, and teachers, and to catch up on some British foods that I grew to love. Yes, the food scene has changed considerably in the last 3o years, and various international influences have made roadways into the local eats. So, when you are in this part of the world, discard what you have heard about English eats, and be open-minded to some wonderful culinary creations that can even surprise anyone – you may find a favorite among the many dishes.

Le Channel

Food, Restaurants

During my recent visit to London, I stayed with my cousin who used to take care of my siblings and me when we had little weekend breaks during the school year in boarding school. She would spoil us with her wonderful cooking, from French crepes for breakfast to aromatic Malaysian curries for dinner, interspersed by a trip to a good Chinese restaurant. She is equally an avid foodie like I am, and our meeting-ups are filled with conversations constantly revolving around the topic of gastronomy, to which her sons are perplexed about. So, on this last trip to the UK, she asked me to reserve a day to make a day-trip to Calais, France.

Having driven with her and another couple for an hour-and-a-half to the white cliffs of Dover, we took a ferry that transported us smoothly across the English Channel sailing for around an hour (Hovercrafts are just too choppy of a ride, albeit faster). After getting off the boat, we immediately used GPS to search for Le Channel, a Michelin-worthy restaurant hugging the French coast not far away from the port that we disembarked from. Since we had arrived earlier than our reservation time, we walked around parts of the city while our anticipation for fine French cuisine was stirring in our minds and the increasingly hungry bellies. At 12:30 p.m., the time of our reservation, we walked into the restaurant and took our seats by the expansive window. I will write this review starting with the photos and the food description of the various diners’ dishes, followed by the review.

Amuse Bouche: Cantaloupe, Iberian Ham, Shrimp, and Russian Vegetable Salad.

First Course 1: Fruits de Mer – Crab, Shrimp, Scampi, Welts, Oysters, and Brown Shrimp.

First Course 2: Foie Gras with Black Salt and Armagnac, Eggplant and Buffalo Mozzarella Caviar, Tender Artichoke Hearts, Yellow Tomato Gelee, Brioche and Cooked Vegetables.

Second Course 1: Oven Roasted Red Mullet Fillet, Basque Red Pepper Sauce, Fried White Onions.

Second Course 2: Salted Cod Brandade, Sea Bass Beignets, Fresh Peas, Creamed Emulsion of Cooking Juices.

Second Course 3: Skillet Steak with Raw Butter, Smoked Eggplant Rounds, Parmesan Cone with Mushrooms, Avocado Sauce.

Second Course 4: Sole Murniere, Seasonal Vegetables.

Cheese and Dried Fruit Plate – the waiter’s recommendation of three of the strongest cheeses in the house.

Chariot de Dessert: Mille Feuille, Opera, Multi Fruits, Paris Brest, Iles Flottantes, French Trifles, Mousse de Chocolat, Mousse de Café.

Dessert Plate: Multi Fruits, Iles Flottantes, French Trifle.

As the saying goes, “A picture speaks a thousand words” or in this case, many photos. Looking at them, they represent what the true experience was about: top-quality fresh ingredients as in the huge starter of Fruits de Mer, exceptional cooking, creative pairing of ingredients as in the Avocado Sauce and Smoked Eggplant with the Steak, well-seasoned components as in the heavenly Potatoes cooked in stock with my Sole Murniere and the Basque Red Pepper Sauce with the Red Mullet, the eye-opening variety in the menu with the incredible array of Desserts and Cheeses, and the incredible value for this to-die-for meal at this high fine dining level (31 Euros and 39 Euros). The décor was impeccable yet not intimidating, service was efficient and a bit cheeky at times, and the ambience conducive to truly enjoying the experience and savoring the delectable dishes without being pressured or rushed – we took 3 hours (aren’t we supposed to, anyway?). All the diners at my table were constantly effusive about their own selections with the exception of a couple who found some of the cheeses way too strong in smell and flavor to be palatable. I enjoyed every crumble of strong cheese that I would not get to taste in the US due to pasteurization laws, and the dried fig and apricot were the perfect foil and palate relief to the assertive dairy.

Having lunch at Le Channel was truly a highlight for me and I am thankful to my cousin for organizing this wonderful gastronomic trip. Interestingly, we all walked away from the table well-sated on my levels, yet we were not waddling out of there despite the quantity of food we had ingested. I tagged along my cousin to the local Hypermarket where she stocked up on all the local produce to bring back to her home in London. Walking around, I couldn’t help but marvel at the quality and variety of ingredients that inspire the French to appreciate good cooking and make food an integral part of their culture. A simple meal on the trip back of French Baquette, Mushroom-scented Brie, and French Ham was a good end to this marvelous trip that is well-imbedded in this reviewer’s mind, and it will be replayed over and over again until the grove is worn down.