Wok Star Eleanor Hoh

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Eleanor Hoh

Chinese New Year Wok Star Supper Club at Gaijin Izakaya (Updated)

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Extracted from Gaijin’s Eventbrite page written by food journalist & Gaijin staffer, Korakot “gabby” suriya-arporn. I added my two cents…
My Wok Star Supper Club will be celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year of the Dog at Chef Cake’s newish Japanese gastropub, Gaijin Izakaya in midtown, Sunday, February 25, 5:30pm. A $50 per person scrumptious 5 course menu starts with a welcome cocktail and passed hors d’oeuvre that’ll get the New Year off with a bang. My main goal in these gatherings is to support and showcase mostly chef owned restaurants and introduce you to good Asian inspired food. All ticket sales go to Gaijin Izakaya. My Wok Star Supper Club, an event held periodically throughout the year, is about celebrating Asian culture and cuisine in South Florida.
Please don’t leave till last minute and be disappointed you can’t get in!
Please view MENU below PRIOR to reservations.  NO exceptions, substitutions or deviations, we want to make it easy for Chef Cake and staff.  Please understand, it’s difficult to deal with 70 people already so if you have any food allergies or diet restrictions, please visit on another occasion and order what you want.

photo: Gabby Korakot

Some fun rules you should know…
1) Get cozy – EVERYONE will mix and mingle at the bar as they enter and meet new friends. 

2) Get even more cozy – seats and dish portions will be arranged in 2 and 4, so guests will be sitting with new friends and sharing dishes family style.

The lucky folks who’ll get first dibs into this popular event are subscribers to my newsletter. You can subscribe in the right sidebar of my site to gain priority access to this and future events plus get the latest food ideas, resources and beyond.

Yes, they are real washing machines where you can put your bag and personal belongings, how cute is that!
Bar area as you enter where we’ll meet and mingle over a special surprise welcome cocktail with passed hors d’oeuvre of tuna rice rolls which have a little kick to them, yummy!
Chef Cake will be bringing you the ultimate tasting experience with his unique Japanese-Chinese hybrid to celebrate Year of the Dog. The multi-course meal of prosperity and good wishes is a showcase of Cake’s culinary prowess as well as his imaginative flair.  I love the ‘artsy’ and eclectic mix of furniture and furnishings from the previous owner who was an artist.  Chef Cake has added hand picked Japanese posters and blends in well with the existing decor.
About Chef Cake, Phuket Thongsodchareondee:
Cake grew up in a resort island in Thailand, acquainting himself to cooking since early age at a family hotel business. After he moved to Miami, he soon found direction under Makoto Okuwa and trained under him at his namesake restaurant for four years. Cake then decided to venture out on his own, opening a little Thai haunt in MiMo neighborhood called Cake Thai Kitchen, which has gathered him many accolades, including Best Thai Restaurant  2015 from Miami New Times, One of Eater 38 (best restaurants in Miami), and StarChefs’ South Florida Rising Star. With lingering passion for Japanese cuisine, he finally opens Gaijin Izakaya in July 2017, fulfilling his dreams to own a fun, rigidity-free izakaya with high quality food and great selections of beverages.
About Eleanor Hoh, aka Wok Star:
Eleanor is a cooking teacher, entrepreneur, blogger and presenter. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and love of wok cooking she learned from her mom. After 17 years in the computer industry in London, she embarked on an entrepreneurial journey starting in Key West, FL, where her passion for teaching has evolved into a roadmap technique, eliminating recipes and encourages creativity and intuition.  Currently, she teaches monthly cooking classes and produces corporate team building and wellness programs in upscale design showrooms in south Florida and also offers online classes on Udemy to reach a worldwide audience.
Passed hors d’oeuvre: tuna rice rolls has a good kick, very yummy.
Yusheng – a New Year dish with sashimi fish and shredded vegetables to toss and bring in the New Year! Light and refreshing.
1st course: Fried short ribs, very tasty. Eggy fried rice and Stir Fried Bok Choy with mushrooms (not shown.)
2nd Course: Amazing smoked duck with noodles and bok choy.
For this shot, we had Cake’s mom hold 2 of my hubby’s iphone lights, it was quite funny.
 
Join us for this memorable gathering, plus a chance to meet and mingle with Chef Cake, myself and fellow food lovers who enjoy Asian culture and cuisine.

2018 Chinese New Year Wok Star Supper Club Menu*

Welcome cocktail
Passed hors d’oeuvre:
Tuna crispy rice
szechuan peppercorn, yuzu butter, capelin roe
Appetizer:
Yusheng “Prosperity Toss”
local raw fish, cucumber, sesame seeds, salmon roe, umeboshi dressing
Mains:
Salt & pepper beef short ribs
Also garlic eggy fried rice, wok-fried bok choy and oyster mushroom
Applewood smoked duck breast
egg noodles, duck fat, bok choy
Dessert:
Jelly orange

*SUBJECT TO CHANGE UPON SEASONAL AVAILABILITY
*NO MODIFICATION OR ALTERATION

Here are the details, you know the drill…you’ll be paying directly to Gaijin Izakaya…
When: Sunday, February 25, 5:30-8:30pm
Where: Gaijin Izakaya, 3500 N. Miami Ave., Midtown Miami. 
What: Eleanor Hoh and Cake Thai, Chinese New Year Wok Star Supper Club
Cost: $50 includes Welcome Cocktail, tips and tax and EXCLUDES other beverages.
Drinks:  Special beverage and sake pairings is $25 and not part of dinner price.
Max: 70 seats
Parking: across at midtown shops parking or street parking
Reservations & payment:  through Eventbrite from Gaijin or myself through newsletter.
Call Gaijin directly  if you have any problems:  305-456-3207
We look forward to seeing you there!

 
 

Wellness Getaway at Grand Velas Resort, Los Cabos (Updated)

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Traveling and teaching Wellness in exotic and serene surroundings is a dream come true and recently, I got to do it for the first time at Grand Velas Los Cabos, a $150 million all inclusive luxury spa resort in Mexico. Their Wellnessing Getaway with theme, Grateful Journey was so appropriate because I had so much to be grateful for: getting invited by Miami Curated to teach my delicious, no-recipe approach for a healthier lifestyle; my mom for teaching me how to cook; instant friendships made with fellow instructors at this Getaway.

Look at this view! Spa Atelier is on the left with Azul restaurant facing ocean views where I gave my class. On right are 3 infinity pools.
My Wellness Suite had 2 storeys with massage table and exercise room on top floor and bedroom opening out to plunge pool and ocean views!
My signature Rainbow Lettuce Wrap Appetizer, tasty, full of texture and colors with every bite and always a big hit. Photo: Grand Velas staff

Wellnessing Getaway at the Spa was a week full of activities guests could enjoy from Ceremonial Smudging, an ancient practice for energy cleansing to Mandala and fitness workshops, as well as yoga and meditation to finding your Dosha culminating with an Ayurvedic dinner which I’ll be posting in another blog. 

Ocean views from Azul terrace.
Azul terrace faces ocean and beach views.

My cooking classes were set up on the balmy terrace of Azul with ocean views.  Thanks to Chef Juan Licerio Alcala, Executive Chef at Grand Velas and especially to Chef Luis Quiroz, Executive Chef at Azul, responsible for gathering all my ingredients.  I got a chance to interview many of the restaurant chefs and discovered Chefs Juan and Luis had worked in the US (in separate blog soon.)

Chef Juan Licerio Alcala, Executive Chef of all 7 restaurants at Grand Velas, hamming it up. What an honor to meet him. He loved the ‘nice balance’ of my Rainbow Lettuce Appetizer. Photo: Ana, Grand Velas
Executive Chef Luis Quiroz toasting my pumpkin seeds for Rainbow Lettuce Appetizer!
Chef Christian helped prep my Rainbow Lettuce Appetizer. I discover he’s also a musician and loves Asian food. I gifted him Hoisin Sauce as a ‘thank you’!

The most rewarding part of this experience was hearing from guests who enjoyed my dishes and were surprised by how fast and easy wok cooking was with so few ingredients and seasonings. I was happy to debunk many misconceptions about wok cooking like the kind of wok and stove to use. I was also happy to encourage moms to cook with their kids at a young age. Giving them small tasks with prepping and the stir fry give them a feeling they can cook and they end up eating what they cook. The kids were definitely paying attention and amazed me with how much they absorbed like ‘using what you have in your fridge’ instead of hunting for ingredients from a recipe or ‘keeping everything dry for a stir fry.’

I’m looking forward to focusing on corporate wellness programs especially if they involve staying at stunning resorts like the Grand Velas Los Cabos, bring it ON!
 

Kids eager to learn and of course eat! Photo: Grand Velas staff
Lovely fun family! Photo: Ana, Grand Velas
Adorable, she ‘got it’! Photo: Ana, Grand Velas
Beautiful capture. Photo: Grand Velas staff

Ana Valdovinos, PR Grand Velas stir fries a Mexican version of Lomo Soltado! She’s gonna be a Wok Star! Thx Ana for all your help organizing my class and setup.
 
 
 
 
 

Facebook Live Wok Star Cooking Challenge, Nina Malavia -1

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Here’s my first Facebook Live Wok Star Cooking Challenge with Nina Malavia, talented Social Media Maven and ex-pastry chef.
She wokked up a dish using surprise ingredients I presented without using any recipes or measuring any ingredients, just like how she learned in my cooking class.
I hope to showcase more Wok Stars and want you to share your ethnic dish or something unusual you make in your wok. If you have my Wok Star Kit Bundle (cast iron wok and gas stove setup), click the contact tab at the top and let’s collaborate.
Look forward to hearing from you.  See what Nina wokked up…

and leave your questions, comments, feedback here