Eleanor Hoh

Immerse Yourself in a Truly Gastronomic Indonesian Culinary Experience at Krakatoa

May 9, 2024 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Immerse Yourself in a Truly Gastronomic & Exotic Indonesian Culinary Experience at Krakatoa Cuisine is the first Culinary Experience I chose to revive my Wok Star Supper Club after a hiatus of six years! And just in time to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month (Asian American Pacific Islander).

It’s exactly the kind of community event to gather people together for an unforgettable evening of exotic Indonesian flavors and camaraderie. The Special 4-course set menu was lovingly designed exclusively for this event.

Fun Collaborating

It’s been so much fun collaborating with Chef Abe & John. Like discussing how two delicious appetizers, Bala Bala & Urap can be presented in one course or adjusting pumpkin soup or how everyone will get your own personal Rijsttafel, in the middle of the night. They will be savored the authentic Indonesian way—on leaves and eaten with hands. There’s yet another surprise they’ve got in store for you but I’m going to spill it cause too good not to – Indonesian Mojito with basil & kaffir! And non-alcoholic version for people like me, thanks Chef Abe & John.

Special 4 Course Set MENU…

Appetizer: Kolak Labu: pumpkin soup with coconut milk, flavored with fresh pandan leaf and vanilla.

Second Course, served together on a Cabbage Leaf: Bala-Bala: Crispy vegetable fritters. Urap: A medley of seasonal vegetables with Chef Abe’s bumbu kuning seasoning with highlights of turmeric and coriander combined with fresh grated coconut as a dressing. Accompanied with Krupuk (crackers) and sambal sauce (optional).

Bala Bala: addictive crispy vegetable fritters served with krupuk & dipping sauces

Main: Nasi Campur – A stunning presentation on banana leaf: your own personal rijstaffel (Dutch for rice table). This main attraction will be a beautiful combination of Opor Sapi (beef), Ayam Balado (Indonesian Jerk Chicken), Udang Kecap (Indonesian Sweet Soy Shrimp) with turmeric rice and salad.

Dessert: Cendol – a popular Southeast Asian dessert drink, originated in Indonesia but also commonly found in Malaysia and other neighboring countries. It’s made with rice or sago flour mixed with pandan leaf extract to give it a green color & flavor. Cendol is served with coconut milk, coconut sugar syrup, jack fruit and ice.

Cendol: pandan flavored sago droplets with coconut milk & jack fruit

Decor

As you enter Krakatoa Cuisine, you’ll feel the warmth of this small Indonesian café, decorated with vibrant masks, puppets, photos, and memorabilia from Chef Abe’s Indonesian journeys. He always says, “if in the cooking process it took me back to a childhood memory then it was perfect.”

Front includes Store with Sauce Bottles you’ll WANT!

About Krakatoa…

This is not just a sit down dinner, Chef Abe & John are wonderful hosts with a great sense of humor and they love to make sure you have a good time. You’ll be treated to Chef Abe telling us about each dish, yay and hear his stories about Indonesia.

Krakatoa Cuisine made its debut in South Florida at Yellow Green Market in Hollywood in 2014. Following an overwhelmingly positive reception, they expanded to Hollywood Boulevard’s restaurant row. Offering a deeply personal and authentic culinary experience, Krakatoa Cuisine celebrates the rich flavors of Indonesia.

Chef Abe Moiz grew up in Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia and co-manages Krakatoa Cuisine alongside his partner, John. They also conduct cooking classes, showcasing Chef Abe’s latest creation: bottled Indonesian sauces that transform everyday dishes to exotic delights. I’ve tried several of them and can confirm his Creamy Nutmeg Guanjillo definitely transformed my tofu puffs, just like that. It saves you having to pound those spices and get the flavors balanced. Alright, that will be another post to show how I used several of Chef Abe’s sauces. Yay, these bottled sauces will be available for purchase at the restaurant!

Tofu puffs using Creamy Nutmeg Guijallo, instant flavor!

Indonesian Flavors?

To give you an idea about Indonesian flavors…I am familiar with names of dishes like Nasi (rice) or Cendol! My mom was born in Singapore and I noticed many of Chef Abe’s Indonesian ingredients are ingredients my mom used like galangal, nutmeg, turmeric! I remember my mom could speak to the Indonesian wait staff in Hong Kong and understand each other. There were hardly any Malaysian restaurants except for Banana Leaf in those days, so Indonesian food was the closest thing.

Cendol was my family’s favorite drink and we are ending our dinner with this as a dessert because it has jack fruit and coconut milk. The best part about Cendol are the green sago jelly droplets. The droplets are similar to boba that everyone adores except these are FRESHLY made. My mom taught us to roll long strips of green sago and cut them into diamond shapes by hand. Oh yes, Asian food is very time consuming. People don’t realize how much work goes into every small thing.

What a fun visit with friends and so honored Chef Abe & John sat with us.

Reservations & Prepay

PLEASE specify VEGAN or VEGETARIAN and who you want to sit with in Special Request box, marked in red below. It will help Krakatoa accommodate your requests. Spice levels will not be an issue, they will provide spicy dips on the side.

Don’t miss the opportunity for this culinary adventure filled with Chef Abe’s favorite dishes and exceptional flavors. Reserve your seat TODAY and savor the magic of Indonesian cuisine with us!

Fantastic deal, 4-course Culinary Experience + Indonesian Mojito
$65 INCLUDES tax and tip https://www.krakatoacuisine.com/reservations-wok-star-supper-club

More about Wok Star Supper Club

My popular Wok Star Supper Club gatherings is a series of events held throughout the year in South Florida. These events are focused on celebrating Asian culture and cuisine and supports mostly chef-owned restaurants, while introducing attendees to good Asian-inspired food. So far, I’ve produced 9 of these Wok Star Supper Club gatherings, from Hakkasan to the last one with Cake Thai at Gaijin Izakaya in 2018. My vision is to produce these Wok Star Supper Club gatherings on a monthly basis and may expand beyond Asian? Chime in the comments below what kind of cuisines you’d enjoy? I’m thinking of Asian fusion like Cuban Asian, Peruvian Japanese (Nikkei), you get the flow!

Enjoy a Perfect Day in Miami Design District

April 30, 2024 By Eleanor Hoh 6 Comments

Enjoy a Perfect Day in Miami Design District, starting with strolling around and admiring all the luxury brand stores and ever changing whimsical sculptures!

If you’re visiting Miami, pondering about moving here or even if you live here, this is a great way to discover neighborhoods and I’ll be covering more neighborhoods for you to enjoy. Here’s a great site to visit for 17 premier bucket list of activities.

Best is to use the very detailed map of all the stores, restaurants organized by Miami Design District. Developer and art collector, Craig Robins of Dacra envisioned the Miami Design District two decades ago, dreaming of a vibrant neighborhood spanning four city blocks. Sign up for the Miami Design District events calendar—many events are complimentary.

Start at Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye Dome at Palm Court and walk along beautiful Paseo Ponti, a paved cobblestone lane. Stop for a coffee and croissant at Table by Antonio Bachour, the famous ‘pastry impresario” (always check opening hours).

Or go to end of the lane and try a Kakigori (Japanese shaved ice) from the most adorable mini truck called Japo w or wander off the lane to the side and try a spirit-infused ice cream at Abu Ramsa.

Continue to Institute of Contemporary Art on 41st street. It’s free entrance and always has interesting exhibits. Definitely check out the store for a lovely gift to take home. And step outside to the garden for more art and enjoy.

After all the art, you’ll be ready for lunch…Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink is always a fabulous choice with outdoor dining and seasonally driven menu, my fav is Pork Belly with Kimchi.

Mia Market back at Palm Court is a lovely food hall with 10-12 vendors. Jaffa, a wonderful Israeli-infuenced cuisine has a delicious Crispy Beef Kibbeh which comes on a beautiful tiered presentation, enough for two.

Walk off your lunch and stroll up to Upper Buena Vista, surrounded by lush foliage and huge trees, there’s something new going on all the time. There’s a lovely collection of unique boutiques, restaurants and a huge tiki hut for music events. Take a nap under one of the huge trees.

Don’t forget to make a wish at the wishing tree and get a photo with Pinochhio.

For dinner, you’ll definitely need a reservation for Bioa de since it’s now a one star Michelin restaurant. Don’t be deceived by its outside appearance with a neon exclamation mark for its signage. It’s by far, one of the best dining experiences I’ve encountered!

Boia de is modern, whimsical Italian cuisine. It’s intimate and cozy with wait staff who are knowledgeable and want you to have as much fun as them.

Steak Tartar with the most delicious crackling!

Best Oils to Use for High Heat Wok Cooking

April 25, 2024 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

As a wok cooking teacher, I’m constantly asked what are the best oils to use for high heat wok cooking. The topic of best oils has changed over the years, we find more and more how vegetable and seed oils are highly processed and are NOT good for your health. Let’s discuss Smoke Points, Flavors and why and how they affect your health!

CHART FOR OILS, SMOKE POINT, FLAVOR

BEST OILS FOR HIGH HEAT WOK COOKING

HEALTH

Vegetable oils which everyone thinks is so nutritious is actually highly processed and full of Omega 6 fatty acids which is inflammatory and has terrible health consequences.

Here’s a functional doctor I highly respect who started off as a traditional family practitioner, Dr. Hyman. It’s best you get the history about the complete switcheroo from vegetable and seed oils to saturated fats. This short video explains it really well.

HOW TO KEEP OILS

I know Costco stocks huge bottles of Avocado and Olive Oil but it’s best to buy smaller quantities because they can go rancid. Keep these oils in a dry, cool, dark place. Never put oil bottles close to hot cooking areas which makes them spoil even faster. And close the lid quickly because oxygen contributes to rancidity, eww.

SMOKE POINT

Smoke Point basically means at what temperature the oil reaches before it breaks down and degrades its flavor, smell and nutrition.

I have also lowered the temperature of my stir frying. I start HIGH at 500 on my Nuwave and HIGHEST on my Iwatani gas stove. OK, sorry I’m introducing yet another angle to stir frying but ever since I started using the GLAZING TECHNIQUE which involves stock or water for vegetables, the smoke point doesn’t come into effect so much. I’ll work on a GLAZING blog post next.

Coconut oil is not that high and gets very smoky, so I’ve backed off using it for my stir fries.

Stir Fry Medley Vegetables – snow pea shoots, oyster mushrooms

FLAVOR

Only Avocado oil has a neutral flavor. For me personally, I love the flavor of ghee in my food, it makes everything look very glazed, taste delicious and has a creamy texture. My husband as you all know is the Omelet Master only uses ghee now.

Coconut oil also imparts a strong flavor. Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO) makes everything taste Italian? Just joking but it does have a strong flavor and is expensive, I use it for mostly dressing. All this boils down to is depending on your personal flavor preference.

How to: Fry Eggs in your Wok

As mentioned, I will share the Glazing technique. In the meantime, Try this Stir Fry for Cooking Flavorful Vegetables so you’ll love them and so will your partner and the kids! In this post, I used a similar technique but less ratio of oil and liquid.

Try this stir fry for cooking flavorful vegetables so you’ll LOVE them!

CONCLUSION

To conclude, please ELIMINATE using any highly processed vegetable or seed oils like tea seed oil, canola oil, grape seed oil, safflower oil. If you see mentions of those oils in my old blog posts, PLEASE remember to replace with avocado oil, ghee, coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil.

PS whenever I go out to dine, I get terrible bloating and takes a week to get back to normal. I’m trying to start a campaign to get chefs to NOT use those dreaded highly processed vegetable or seed oils. I was so thrilled to hear Los Felix and sister restaurant right next door Krus Kitchen in Coconut Grove do NOT use seed oils, yay.

Ask me any questions in comments and I’ll try to answer as best I can.