Chinese food

Easy to Make Singapore Noodles!

November 4, 2018 By Eleanor Hoh 2 Comments

You’re going to LOVE this easy Singapore Noodle dish, so simple a novice can make it! It’s so delicious and addictive with curry flavors, colorful, crunchy veggies and two different meats, an irresistible one-dish meal. I discovered this popular dish is not from Singapore, what a shocker. I don’t care, my mom who was born in Singapore used to make it for us and that’s all that matters.

How I decided to make Singapore Noodles was because a journalism student, Lei Huang is producing a documentary for her thesis and wanted to videotape me cooking a dish that reminded me of my family and the stories behind it.

The KEY to Singapore Noodles is to fry everything separately, it’s the same concept to a stir fry dish. Once you’re in the flow, it goes really fast. You can apply this technique to ANY noodle dish. Remember, put your personal spin on, that’s what being a Wok Star is all about!

My short Singapore Noodle video gives you an idea of the steps.

Lei’s beautiful version of my Easy, Yummy, Singapore Noodles . Behind the scenes of Lei’s shoot.

Noodles – start by soaking 3 bundles of rice vermicelli in hot water in a pot and cover for about 5 minutes, test if done. Drain in colander and run under cold water, drain well. Add a few swirls of sesame oil and use chopsticks to separate the noodles. Cover with kitchen towel so they don’t dry out. When anything is wet, it’ll stick to the wok and becomes mushy and messy.

Vegetables – typically, onions, green, red bell peppers and bean sprouts, use only a handful and literally flash fry them, otherwise they get watery. I’ve used shredded savoy cabbage (Napa tends to give out water), rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms (don’t use fresh ones, too watery).

Protein – typically, shrimp and Char Siu (Chinese Roast Pork) are used but feel free to try different meats. Use tofu or seitan for vegetarian or vegan version.

Stir Fry in sequence as with any stir fry dish…Vegetables, Eggs, Protein, Noodles and combine.

If you’re a noodle lover, I found this great article all about different types of noodles.

As a Wok Star, I don’t use recipes or measure but I’ve given some guidelines below. This quantity is for 4 people, there was leftovers after 3 of us had 2 servings each. I also got some roast duck and Char Siu as a side dish.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. shrimp
1/2 lb. Char Siu
2 eggs beaten

1/4 each green, red, orange, yellow bell peppers, julienne
Handful rehydrated dry shiitake mushrooms squeezed dry and thinly sliced
2 scallions cut diagonally
3 cloves of garlic diced
thumb size ginger shredded
cilantro chopped

3 bundles of rice vermicelli

Grapeseed oil for frying
Toasted sesame oil for noodles

Curry powder (either from myspicesage.com or Babas curry powder)
TSPC: San-J tamari, medium sherry, white Pepper, cornstarch

Wok Stars, you know the drill…

Soak, drain, add sesame oil to noodles, cover as directed above.
Leave all cut veggies on chopping board as shown in photo
Beat eggs
Pat shrimp dry, marinade with TSPC. Slice Char Siu into thin slices.
Heat wok till piping hot, squeeze 3 rounds of grapeseed oil, add 1/2 G&G (garlic & ginger), immediately add all the veggies and fry till how you like it, sprinkle Tamari and curry powder till all gets covered, taste and adjust, plate them on serving platter.
Heat wok till piping hot, squeeze 3 rounds of grapeseed oil, add egg and swirl to make omelet. Once it sets, chop into small chunks with spatula, add to plate of veggies.
Wipe out wok, repeat: heat wok, this time swirl in 4 rounds of oil, add G&G, add shrimp in one layer and let fry till golden before flipping and frying. Just as they’re near ready, add in Char Siu to warm through. Sprinkle curry powder till all gets covered, add to plate of veggies and egg.
Wipe out wok, repeat: heat wok, swirl in 4-6 rounds of oil, add in vermicelli, sprinkle curry powder and move quickly with spatula to toss the noodles. Keep adding curry powder to noodles till all covered. If you keep moving noodles, they won’t stick. Now, add in veggies, eggs, meats and toss to combine well. Plate and garnish with cilantro and serve at once! ENJOY!

Do share your version of Singapore Noodles in comments and let us know how yours turn out?

Good Chinese Food in Miami at No Name Chinese

May 31, 2018 By Eleanor Hoh 2 Comments

Starved for good Chinese food in Miami? Starve no more, welcome No Name Chinese. Opened by Asian food lovers, business partners of Uvaggio Bar & Restaurant fame, Heath Porter and Craig DeWald and helmed by Executive Chef Pablo Zitzmann Sicard and his wife and pastry chef, Natalia Atuesta. Be prepared for a refreshing take using Chinese techniques with a modern twist borrowing from Vietnam, Thailand and Japan.

Please don’t miss my guest post on Miami Curated for another perspective of No Name Chinese especially if you enjoy good wines, hint, there’s a video!

About the decor…
You’ve guessed it, No Name Chinese not only has no name but doesn’t have a sign at their entrance. However, when you enter, you’re immediately struck by the serene ambience. It’s bright and zen with wood floors and exposed brick walls with little decoration so you focus on the food, smart! They succeeded in creating a feeling that you’re here to EAT!

For food lovers: a huge, gorgeous marble counter with blue velvet high chairs gives you front row seat to gawk at chefs chasing high flames while they wok up tantalizing dishes.

An intimate corner flanked by a beautiful fig plant and tile mural showcasing Chinese junks and pagodas. Opposite the counter is a wall lined yellow leather banquette with mirrors above so you can catch the wok chefs in action, neato.

The main dining area has floor to ceiling glass panes with modern wood chairs and industrial looking tables.

The rear bar lounge is a lovely cozy space with green velvet high chairs and a smaller dining area.

About the Food…
No Name Chinese clearly has my vote, hats off to Chef Pablo who’s worked with Michelle Bernstein, Nobu and Jean-George Vongerighten as well as worked in Asia and Japan, learning many of the techniques he’s put into practice at No Name Chinese. I’m all for non-Asian chefs putting their twists on Asian flavors and techniques. It reflects the way I teach which is to base your dishes on technique and driven by ingredients rather than following recipes.

You’ll notice he adds seasonal fruit and citrus components to many of his dishes which is a very refreshing element instead of goopy sauces that you find in many Chinese restaurants.

His small menus for lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch showcase popular Asian dishes. I’d rather have less choice and GOOD food, rather than a bunch of bad food. I got a chance to chat with Chef Pablo to find out his cooking style and his love of music. If you enjoy this video, give it a thumbs UP and subscribe to my Youtube channel to get notifications of new videos!…

There are still so many dishes to try at No Name Chinese like Salt & Pepper Shrimp or Angus “au poivre.” For Brunch, I spy Braised Brisket in Beef Broth topped with a slow poached egg and Cajun seasoning I’m dreaming about.

PLAN OF ATTACK…
When eating at Chinese restaurants, you must have a Plan of Attack…

Gather as many family and friends so you can share “family style” instead of just ordering your own dish, this way you get to experience a variety of flavors.
Check menu and discuss with your server who is happy to guide you with how many dishes you’ll need. Try a dish from each section of the menu from Fresh & Light to Bowl if you love carbs or Sung for low carb but you MUST have DIM SUM because that’s Pablo’s specialty. Forget low carb for this visit.
Busy and need to get back to work? Have the Sum Sum Box!

After visiting four times with friends, I have a pretty good handle of my favorites and will mark it
WA (WokStar Approved) in photo captions.

I met Cheryl Tiu on Instagram @chertiu She is an international lifestyle, food and drink journalist and fellow Asian food lover.We both love promoting Asian Cuisine and Culture. She uses @cross.cultures an “events platform promoting the exchange of cultures through food!” and I do it through Wok Star Supper Club! I gather people and visit good Asian fusion restaurants, so if you’re interested, subscribe to my newsletter in right sidebar. I hope to visit No Name Chinese this fall, these gatherings get filled up and I give first dibs to subscribers. —->>

Here’s my foodie buddy, Brenda Benoit Dudley, on Instagram @masalacha She’s a food writer, an amazing photographer and she calls herself “A Grenadian Soul living in Miami.” We like to visit restaurants and take photos and blog about them! It’s so interesting how we sometimes have totally different perspectives of the same restaurant, so check out her take on No Name Chinese and subscribe to her blog for her latest restaurant hops!
A Few Notes about the food…
Turnip cake
The consistency and flavor is definitely unusual, I am SO SO SURPRISED Americans like this dish. Pablo says it’s one of their most requested dish, beware, only available for dinner. I love that Dim Sum dishes usually only available in Asia during lunch time are also available for dinner at No Name Chinese, very smart.

Turnip cake has a special meaning for me, my mom’s Malaysian spin was to pan fry in the wok with pounded red chillies and scallions with crispy edges and dip in chili sambal and rice vinegar, oh my, so good. Just writing this brings back such fond, fond childhood memories and now I’m going to have to hunt down some to fry!

Smashed Cucumber Salad, Jiaozi and Shiu Mai
I learned how to make these 3 dishes at Pablo’s cooking class in Wynwood, video and blog coming soon! One of my colleagues at the class used the Smashed sauce for steak, who’d have thunk?

Love this article, “What’s the difference between Gyoza and PotStickers”

WA Clockwise: Crudo Yusheng, fish changes daily, interesting to have strawberries with fish but works; Smashed Cucumber Salad, toss for the sesame cream at the bottom; Shrimp Dumplings and Xie & Xia Noodle Salad with Shrimp, Crab, cold buckwheat noodles and an exquisite spicy peanut dressing, make sure you toss well so all the flavors meld together.

WA Turnip Cake, interesting combination of Japanese OKONOMIYAKI STYLE (a savory pancake) and a popular Chinese dim sum called Lo Bak Go. Topped with KATSUOBUSHI (bonito flakes) and Kewpie Mayo, a version of Japanese mayo made with rice vinegar. Only available at dinner time!

WA Mr. Lee’s Jiaozi, named after the dumpling master Pablo learned from in Hawaii. These are substantial dumplings, juicy inside and crispy outside. Fear not, I will share how to make these soon.

WA Grass fed beef with oyster sauce, pickled cucumber, scallions, picked onions, fresh strawberries, red chillies to wrap with Bibb Lettuce or mooshu pancakes. Sarina, the bar manager who’s super efficient, gave us both to try!

Kung Pao Chicken with Szechuan peppercorns,Tianjin chilies, smoked cashews, orange slices garnished with cilantro and scallions. My friend, Brenda ordered it.

Wok Shaken Farm Chinese Eggplant with maple and black bean sauce, crushed nuts and herbs.

Crispy potatoes, special dish Pablo sent over, my friend, Brenda was in heaven!

Duck “a la Hoisin”, Magret duck breast, seasonal fruit (Asian pear), leeks, pickles and cucumber with mooch pancakes, a very interesting combination.

WA Walnut tart got it spot on with the crunchy tart and baby meringue pearls and not too sweet, def order this, I’ve had it twice, so good!

Hakkasan, Only At Fall Menu

November 9, 2016 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Visualize an angled crispy noodle nest spilling out with Crispy Beef Tenderloin that’s battered and so tender, you only need to pop it in your mouth without even chewing. This enchanting dish was a crowd pleaser and part of a collection of 8 small bites, main dishes and dessert with cocktail pairings from the Only At Fontainebleau Menu. This Fall Menu was launched to celebrate Hakkasan’s 15th anniversary with sister restaurants simultaneously showcasing their individual local culture and cuisine at 11 locations globally. Each location will use seasonal ingredients and Hakkasan’s signature modern approach to traditional Cantonese cuisine. The Only At Menu will change twice a year and judging from this tasting, I can’t wait to see what they’ll offer for the next one.

Crispy Beef Tenderloin spilling out of angled noodle nest was quite the crowd pleaser! Photos: Eleanor Hoh

I was honored to be invited to a media tasting to experience this luscious Chinese banquet style cuisine which I miss so much now I live in the US. If you’re lucky enough to experience dining at Hakkasan, this is a food experience that will elevate your perception of Chinese food. I was so pleased to read Wall Street Journal’s article, “Chinese Food in New Translations” and how chefs are putting their takes on one of the most complex cuisines and not pandering to American palates. I think Hakkasan succeeds in both.
Chef de Cuisine Jian Heng Loo put his spin on a traditional Stir Fry French Beans usually made with dried shrimp but he used preserved olives so it’s vegetarian, how thoughtful and still gives that umami flavor. His artistry extends beyond food, his playful use of two noodle nests and lobster shell to present his dishes engage and entice you before you even taste the dish. Seafood was featured in 4 dishes and I’m thrilled because Asians excel in preparing them. To top it all, Hakkasan’s mixologist paired each course with cocktails like Serpent’s Tongue and Old Cuban.
As if 8 dishes weren’t enough, we ended with a very creative dessert which was very light even though there was cream involved! Do not take your eyes off the Chocolate Raspberry Sphere in this video.
My Chinese New Year was hosted by Hakkasan and they put on a scrumptious 13 item Yum Cha (dim sum with tea) that we still talk about a year later. You can read about it here.

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