Easy Asian Cooking, Part 1 ~ China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam ~ with Gastronaut Skiz Fernando

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  DC/MD/VA! I’m back at the Hill Center in the nation’s capital, once again, promoting something I truly love, which is Asian food. You thought I was all about rice & curry, but I’m venturing out of my comfort zone a little, and exploring some dishes from China, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand, which I cook on a daily basis. Ever seen my cooking show, “Pan Asian?” Well, these are all dishes that I have made before, and I love to show people how quick and easy it really is to make some very complex and flavorful food that you only thought you could get in a restaurant. So please join me as we take a trip to foreign lands and fantastic flavors without even leaving the kitchen! Here are the details:

  Register Here »

  When: Sat, 05/04/2013 - 11:00am to 1:00pm

  Cost: $75
  Category: Food and Garden
  Location: Lorinda “Annie” Hooks Demo Kitchen

  Skiz Fernando returns to Hill Center to take you on a culinary tour of the Far East without ever leaving the kitchen. In this two-hour, hands-on class, Skiz seeks to demystify Asian ingredients and techniques as he instructs you in the preparation of such simple, delicious and healthy dishes as Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce (Hong Kong), Basil Chicken (Thailand), Summer Rolls (Vietnam), and Spicy Stir Fry Squid (Korea). Afterwards, you’re invited for lunch. Skiz is the author of RICE & CURRY: Sri Lankan Home Cooking, a 2011 New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He hosts his own cooking series on YouTube called Pan Asian, in which he cooks dishes from all over Asia and the world.

  Skiz is a second generation Sri Lankan-American and graduate of Harvard University and the Columbia School of Journalism. In 2009 he was featured on Travel Channel’s No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain where he led the crew to Sri Lanka’s hot spots. Check out his blog Rice & Curry and Pan Asian online cooking series.

  Cookbooks will be available for purchase for $19.95.

  

http://youtu.be/qnIRaUoAHxk

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Easy Asian Cooking, Part 1 ~ China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam ~ with Gastronaut Skiz Fernando

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• When: Sat, 05/04/2013 - 11:00am to 1:00pm

  Cost: $75
  Category: Food and Garden
  Location: Lorinda “Annie” Hooks Demo Kitchen @ The Capitol Hill Center

  Skiz Fernando returns to Hill Center to take you on a culinary tour of the Far East without ever leaving the kitchen. In this two-hour, hands-on class, Skiz seeks to demystify Asian ingredients and techniques as he instructs you in the preparation of such simple, delicious and healthy dishes as Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce (Hong Kong), Basil Chicken (Thailand), Summer Rolls (Vietnam), and Spicy Stir Fry Squid (Korea). Afterwards, you’re invited for lunch. Skiz is the author of RICE & CURRY: Sri Lankan Home Cooking, a 2011 New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He hosts his own cooking series on YouTube called Pan Asian, in which he cooks dishes from all over Asia and the world.

  Skiz is a second generation Sri Lankan-American and graduate of Harvard University and the Columbia School of Journalism. In 2009 he was featured on Travel Channel’s No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain where he led the crew to Sri Lanka’s hot spots. Check out his blog Rice & Curry and Pan Asian online cooking series.

  Cook books will be available for purchase for $19.95.

  Space is limited so please reserve your spot asap!

  Register Here »

  

  

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London’s Best Asian Supermarkets — from The Guardian UK

I don’t usually post articles from other publications on my site, but I consider this a public service announcement for all the home cooks looking for hard-to-find ingredients in London town.

Taj Stores supermarket, Brick Lane, London. Photograph: Rejina Sabur

When it comes to buying green finger chillies and rice wine, we Londoners have got it made. Flourishing Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Chinese and Gujarati communities have meant that Asian produce was available in the city long before the big supermarkets cottoned on. In the last decade alone, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Sri Lankan and Thai communities have bloomed across the capital and with them so has the availability of authentic ingredients.

While it’s easy to overspend in certain shops, there are always some excellent bargains to be had (think sacks of rice or big bottles of fish sauce) and exotic products to be pored over. In cities across the land, fresh tamarind pods and galangal are proving easier and easier to locate, and for those further afield, online options are improving (although these can add up and it’s always nicer to handle produce when checking for freshness).

Yes, supermarkets have started selling pak choy and wasabi powder, and have special “ethnic aisles” with bulk bags of lentils and spices, but while these are competitively priced, they’re limited in variety; if you’re trying to find that special brand of miso or roasted curry powder, nothing beats a specialist shop.

Korean

Kimchi Village, New Malden. Photograph: Rejina Sabur

Boasting the UK’s largest Korean community, New Malden – and Burlington Road in particular – is the epicentre of Korean food in the UK. For paper-thin chadol baki (brisket), samgyeopsal (unsalted bacon) or an assortment of ready-prepped bulgogi, head to the New Malden Butchers (104 Burlington Road, New Malden, KT3 4NT). Nip next door to Kimchi Mal (Kimchi Village) for an excellent range of home-made pickles and side dishes or check out Hyun’s Bakery for mochi doughnuts (94 Burlington Road, Town Centre, New Malden KT3 4NT).

Back on the High Street, K Mart sells tubs of fantastic home-made chive and chonggak kimchi and hefty sacks of Rhee Chun rice, or there’s Jinmi for takeaway Korean sushi (127 Kingston Road, New Malden, KT3 3NX). While you’re in the area, don’t forget to pick up persimmons (plumper and cheaper than usual) and deeply fragrant nashi pears. It’s also worth seeking out bulgogi sauce with a high fruit content (for example, the “Choripdong” brand has around 17%) which will cost a little more, but that extra pear factor makes the dish.

Hannah Paek of Su La restaurant (where the bargainous barbecue galbi is a must) has seen major improvements in the availability of ingredients over the past 15 years. Her folks once ran a local supermarket and she recommends the new H Mart for its sheer variety. Offering rarities like fresh, pink pistachios, bunches of dropwort, sesame leaves (their vegetables are flown in on Thursdays), unusual cuts of meat and a live crab counter, if they don’t stock something they’ll happily order it in.

Further down the road, Korea Foods has served the community for a decade and does a great line in traditional rice cakes. It’s a good idea to take a car and fill up with long life products and value sacks of rice. Other decent (but slightly dearer) places include the Centre Point Food Store (20 St Giles High Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 8LN), the K Mart in North London (869 Finchley Road, London NW11 8RR) and Arigato (48-50, Brewer Street, London W1F 9TG).

Japanese

The Japanese tend to be fairly evenly distributed across town, although there are steadily thriving enclaves in Finchley, Acton and Ealing. Reiko Hashimoto (http://www.hashicooking.co.uk) reckons the price of ingredients in the UK is still too high and the availability of supplies too limited, although the basics of soy, mirin, miso, rice and wasabi have gained prevalence over the past few years. She often seeks cheaper alternatives in Korean supermarkets, but would advise against using Korean seaweed or Thai pickled ginger as substitutes for Japanese nori or gari. For Japanese food it has to be Japanese soy sauce (as the Chinese stuff tends to be saltier). She also recommends splashing out on good miso and particularly rates “kyo kaiseki” paste.

Unfortunately, Japanese food is pricey wherever it’s sold, so for the widest selection the Japan Centre is the place to try. For top quality sashimi / sushi grade fish it has to be Atari-Ya. Fumio runs the ShoFooDoh okonomiyaki stall at Chatsworth Road market and prefers the slightly cheaper Rice Wine Shop (82 Brewer Street, London W1F 9UA) and Arigato (see above) as well as buying online from TK Tradings. Every now and again he’ll indulge in the odd Japasta sauce (cod roe with cream, pickled vegetable and tuna mayo flavours are guilty favourites), some quality pickles or shochu. When it comes to eating out he recommends Asakusa 265 Eversholt Street NW1 1BA and the udon at Koya.

Thai

Jasmine rice at Muay supermarket in Earls Court. Photograph: Rejina Sabur

Like the Japanese, Thais are spread across the capital. However the heart of the community is around Earls Court, Putney, Hammersmith and Bayswater. Many will happily purchase Thai specialities in Chinatown’s New Loon Moon or See Woo; but for treats like homemade layer cake, they’ll head to Thai shops like Muay in Earls Court (8a Hogarth Road, London SW5 0PT). Also specialising in a cracking range of fresh curry pastes (made by a local restaurant), they sell home-made chilli pickle sauces, tiny pea aubergines, sweet, glutinous rice, fresh pig’s blood, galangal root and holy basil leaves.

Over in Hammersmith, Thai Smile sells popular brands like Aroy-D and Chao Koh coconut milk. It’s also a great place to stockpile frozen coconut cream desserts, fresh banana leaves, saw leaves and turmeric root. For great value Thai jasmine rice it has to be Tawana Oriental (18-20 Chepstow Road, Bayswater, London W2 5BD).

Mark Dobbie of Nahm restaurant tells me that for fresh lime leaves he always goes to Talad Thai. For an up-market Thai restaurant experience the Nipa Thai does a gorgeous soft shell crab with spicy mango salad, or for a more casual bite Rosa’s Ta Lae Pad Cha (seafood stir fried with mixed spices, chilli and galangal) is a popular choice.

Vietnamese

London Starnight Vietnamese supermarket, Mare Street, London. Photograph: Rejina Sabur

If it’s fresh ho fun noodles or pho herbs you’re after, then the shops of Hackney and specifically Mare Street are your best bet. London Starnight (203-213 Mare Street, London E8 3QE) is a firm favourite of the Hung Viet restaurant on Kingsland Road (Hung Viet’s char grilled quail is just incredible) and Hoang-Nam supermarket (187 Mare Street, Dalston, London E8 3RH) have myriad fruits, vegetables and herbs including rau ngot and cai cuc.

Uyen Luu has lived in Hackney for 30 years and is a big fan of Longdan. She prefers buying her fresh goods on Thursdays (the main delivery day for the area) and likes to spend a bit extra on decent fish sauce. Her favourite is Viet Huong, “the Three Crabs brand. It’s expensive [around a fiver] compared to other sauces, but tastes a thousand times better”.

Bangladeshi

Inside Taj Stores on Brick Lane. Photograph: Rejina Sabur

For anything from Bangladesh, whether it’s a carrom board or a fresh jackfruit, Aldgate (or “Banglatown” as it’s called) has it all. Established in 1936, Taj Stores is the longest-established Asian greengrocers in London. The meat counter brims with alternative cuts and they sometimes have goat, venison, pheasant and pigeon. The fresh Bangladeshi fruits and vegetables vary according to the season (on my visit I spotted four varieties of lemon, countless types of spinach, water pumpkins and five kinds of aubergine) and traditional utensils and cookware are piled high at the back.

A few doors down, the slightly cheaper Banglacity (86 Brick Lane, London E1 6RL) also stocks towering aisles of spices, lentils and exotic vegetables. Around the corner off Hanbury Street is the massive Banglatown Cash and Carry which is a great place to stuff the boot of a car with giant bags of rice or a whole spectrum of frozen fish or halal meats.

For the best take away samosas in the area, try the (Punjabi) Needo Grill or for other savouries the Ambala on Brick Lane also has a reasonable selection. For one of the better curries on Brick Lane, ask for the (off menu) paneer shashlik at Muhib Indian Restaurant (73 Brick Lane, London E1 6RL).

Sri Lankan

Turn left out of South Harrow station and you could quite easily picture yourself in Colombo. Northolt Road is lined with Sri Lankan and Tamil grocers, takeaway shops and restaurants. South Harrow Food and Wine has been around since 1997 and is the biggest in the area. With a roaring trade in the more unusual Sri Lankan vegetables like fresh niwithi leaves, mukunuwenna and white kerala, the shop is a fascinating Aladdin’s cave of rare-find chilli sauces, Sri Lankan noodles, rice flours, dried fish and soy products. They also have a takeaway snack counter, Seeraga samba rice (the tiniest grains imaginable), millet flour, palmyrah cream, red rice and kithul treacle.

Across the road there’s Best Foods (249 Northolt Road, South Harrow, HA2 8HR) and also the Shankar Superstore (231-233 Northolt Road, South Harrow, Middlesex HA2 8HN), both of which have a good, if slightly smaller selection. Sambal Express is the place to assuage an aubergine sambal or mutton roll craving and for authentic Sri Lankan food the devilled chicken at Papaya comes highly recommended.

Chinese

Chinatown is the obvious place to pick up anything from a new wok to bags of fresh gai lan. For live seafood, extremely fresh sea bass or pomfret, head to the Good Harvest Fish Market (65 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6LH). New Loon Moon is crammed with interesting staples and has a decent array of fresh vegetables and fruit as well as an irresistible wall of instant noodles. See Woo has plenty of Thai and Vietnamese fare as well as Chinese, and blogger Su-Lin likes to throw a bottle of her favourite Way-on brand of chilli oil in her basket whenever she’s there.

She also gives the Wing Yip in Cricklewood the thumbs up (she especially adores their selection of Tean’s Gourmet Malaysian curry pastes) and also recommends Hoo Hing on the North Circular. London is of course, full of Chinese restaurants, and two particularly good ones are Hunan (where it’s best just to put yourself in the hands of the owners) and for top dim sum try the Royal China Club (40-42 Baker Street, W1).

Indian

Indian shops are as evenly distributed around the big smoke as the people themselves. Having said that, suburban shops worth making the pilgrimage to, include V B and Sons in Kingsbury (738 Kenton Road, HA3 9QX) Deepak foods with its lengthy corridors of spices (953-959 Garratt Lane, SW17 0LR) and Bhavins (193-197 Upper Tooting Road, Tooting, SW17 7TG) for its astonishing vista of Indian fruits and vegetables.

Wassim Tayyab, the owner of Tayyabs restaurant (where the tandoori paneer is addictive) likes the Asian Mega Mart in Beckton “it’s like the Asian equivalent of Tesco” he tells me. He also shops at Quality Foods in Ilford (there’s also a branch in Southall).

For fantastic snacks, try the fryer fresh Bombay mix or the jalebis at Natraj. For good vegetarian food, there’s Saraswathy Bhavan, where you can order a six foot family dosa if you’re that way inclined (70 Tooting High Street, Tooting Broadway, SW17 0RN).

BY Rejina Sabur

guardian.co.uk, Monday 5 September 2011 06.00 EDT

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Pan Asian: Mussels with Black Beans and Coriander

My default method of cooking mussels has always been the French way–with white wine, garlic, shallots, olive oil,  lemon, and parsley. Simple and delicious, this dish paired with some French bread, to sop up the flavorful liquid, and maybe a green salad makes for a tasty, satisfying meal. Of course, I’ve had mussels prepared the Asian way, as well, but I always considered them just a bit too complicated. That is, until I discovered this new recipe for Mussels with Black Bean and Coriander. Coriander, of course, is another word for cilantro, a herb that smacks of freshness and flavor. When mashed up, the black beans add a saltiness and texture to this dish that is balanced by the acidity of the lime juice and the sweetness of the sugar. Throw in some ginger and garlic for added flavor, and the cilantro leaves at the end, and you have what amounts to my new favorite way of preparing mussels.

The Recipe

2 lbs. mussels

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 tablespoons canned, salted black beans, rinsed and mashed

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

2 long fresh red chilies, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro roots, finely chopped

¼ cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons sugar

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1.)  Scrub the mussels  with a stiff brush to remove any dirt or grit. Remove any beards. Discard any open mussels that don’t close when tapped.

2.)  Heat oil in a large, deep lidded pan. Add black beans, garlic, ginger, chili, and coriander root and cook cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.

3.)  Add wine and increase heat to high. Add half the mussels in a single layer and cover with tight fitting lid. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mussels have just opened. Discard any that do not open. Remove from pan and repeat with the remaining mussels.

4.)  Transfer the mussels to a serving dish leaving the cooking liquid in the pan. Add the lime juice, sugar, and coriander leaves to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the sauce over the mussels and serve immediately with rice.

Serves 4

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Pan Asian: Salmon with Shitake Mushrooms and Glass Noodles

Combining elements of Japanese and Chinese cuisine, this delicious dish is an example of true “Pan Asian” fusion. In addition to being so quick and simple to prepare, the dish also boasts many health benefits. It’s supposed to be good for anyone with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, prostatitis, menopausal symptoms, or the desire to improve his/her complexion. I substituted wood ear mushrooms, which have very little taste, with the more flavorful Shitakes, as well as adding some chopped scallions and red chilies at the end for a little kick. For a twist, try adding some greens (like bok choy) to the same hotpot in which the glass noodles are cooked.

The Recipe

(Adapted from a recipe in Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen by Yuan Wang Sheir & Mika Ono)

½ cup dried Shitake mushrooms

2 ½ cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 tablespoon mirin or dry sherry

¼ teaspoon salt

pinch of white or black pepper

2 bundles (4 oz.) dried cellophane or glass noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1-inch piece fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 fresh, boneless salmon fillets (about 1 lb.), cut into 1-inch wide strips

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

1.)   Soak mushrooms in 1 cup warm water for 20 minutes. Drain and cut into ¼-inch strips.

2.)   In a medium size pot, combine the stock, mushrooms, mirin, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring mixture to a boil. Turn of the heat.

3.)   Add the glass noodles to the pot and stir until they are covered with broth. Cover pot and set aside.

4.)   Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant.

5.)   Add the salmon slices to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes without stirring. Gently turn the fish over to the other side, trying not to break the pieces, and cook for another 2 minutes or until the fish is done to your taste.

6.)   Transfer the noodles mixture to a serving dish and toss with sesame oil, lemon juice and soy sauce to taste.

7.)   Place salmon slices on top with garlic and ginger and garnish with cilantro before serving.

Makes 3 to 4 servings

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Pan Asian: Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce (Hong Kong)

If you’re like me, and you like fish, you’ve probably had a dish like this many times before at an Asian restaurant (Thai, Malaysian or Chinese), where they serve the whole fish (with head and tail intact), usually fried, and then covered in a delicious sauce. Well, here, I present to you the simple and healthy version–a whole steamed fish covered in soy sauce and topped with tasty garnishes. There is very little prep involved and so few ingredients, that this is going to be my goto fish dish from now on.

the snapper lies directly on top of the aromatics on a plate placed on top of the steaming rack

Steaming is a great way to cook food without fat, and if you buy a small metal rack, you can turn your wok into a steamer very easily. It’s also a very quick way to cook, and you will know that your fish is ready when it’s eye pops out in about 7-8 minutes. Using aromatics is a must when steaming, to impart a subtle flavor into whatever you are cooking. In this particular recipe, the addition of the tangerine peel makes for a nice, citrusy-fresh flavor.

Meanwhile, you make the sauce in another pan by combining the soy sauces (light and dark), rice wine, sugar and sesame oil. Dark soy sauce, which may be purchased at an Asian store, is a little thicker and sweeter than regular soy, and by adding a little sugar, you get that sweet/savory taste that is common in Asian cooking.

My favorite part of this dish, however, has got to be the garnishes. Fresh herbs like cilantro leaves add a lot of flavor as well as making the dish aesthetically pleasing. I added some fresh chopped green chilies for a little heat.

For overall taste, ease of preparation and health, you cannot go wrong with this dish. Try it now at home!

The Recipe

1 whole fish (snapper), about 1 lb.

3 spring onions, cut into thirds

3 slices ginger root

1 small piece tangerine peel, cut into matchsticks

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:

1 teaspoon rice wine

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Garnish:

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon ginger, cut into matchsticks

1 sprig fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

4 green chilies, sliced (optional)

1.) Gut and clean fish under running water. Remove and dry thoroughly.

2.) Half-fill a wok with water and bring to boil. Place a steaming rack in the wok.

Arrange the halved stalks of spring onion, ginger slices and tangerine peel slices on a plate and place the fish on top. Place it on the steaming rack, cover and steam over high heat for 7-8 minutes or until fish is cooked.

3.) Transfer the fish onto a hot greased serving platter, and discard everything else.

4.) Meanwhile, to make the sauce for the fish, heat oil is a small saucepan. Carefully pour in the Sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with ginger, spring onions and coriander. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Serves 2

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Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant, San Francisco

Beneath the awning of Old Mandarin Islamic

 

I had not been to San Francisco since the first annual FoodBuzz convention in November 2009, and I was ready to get my grub on. Thanks to all the food TV these days, I had in my mind an image of a place that seemed eerily familiar–an Asian restaurant, off the beaten path, with some very spicy and delicious dishes. Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern or one of those TV hosts had eaten there, and it looked to be right up my alley. My friend Gabe and his Chinese-American wife Kelly had already chosen a spot for our dinner that night, and as we rolled up to it from dark, nearly deserted surroundings, I could see that this was the place I had pictured in my mind’s eye: “Islamic Old Mandarin,” as its lighted sign proclaimed in English sandwiched between Mandarin and Arabic characters. If there was any place I wanted to eat at tonight, this was the one. I just smiled at my hosts and said, “Great minds think alike.”

Inside the well-lit interior, there were only a few tables. At a large round one, a group of elderly Chinese men shared a Beijing Style hot pot–one similar to what I had just had in Sri Lanka at Juchunyaun Restaurant. Thinly sliced meats and plates of veggies and noodles, which were meant to be cooked in soup broth in the punch-bowl shaped object in the center of the table, gave their meal the air of a real feast.  A couple of Chinese girls picked at some stir-fry dishes at another table. The smells were, of course, tremendous, and my  mouth was already watering before I even opened the menu.

 

I must say, I have never seen so much lamb on a Chinese menu, and this must have been the Islamic influence. We ended up getting the stir fried lamb with scallion as well as the boiled lamb with preserved vegetables in a warm pot. We also ordered  an onion pancake, the egg plant in spicy garlic sauce, and one of the chef’s specials, a dish that definitely had my interest piqued, the “extremely hot pepper.”

 

for starters: a scallion pancake and boiled lamb w/ preserved vegetables in warm pot

 

stir-fried lamb with scallion

Chef's Special: "Extremely Hot Peppers"

Eggplant in spicy garlic sauce

 

I have not eaten such tasty and flavorful Chinese food in a long time. From the first bite into the layered pancake, which was crunchy 0n the outside and moist within, this was a meal to savor and remember. The lamb warm pot was rich and soothing, and the preserved vegetables gave it a nice sour flavor–almost like sauerkraut. The tender slices of lamb in the lamb with scallions dish practically melted in my mouth, as did the eggplant. And the extremely hot pepper, a dish of different kinds of chilies, chopped up and stir-fried with pieces of egg and slivers of chicken, certainly lived up to its name. As spicy as it was, however, it had a depth of flavor that you do not find in dishes that are meant to scorch your mouth. I think it was the addition of the sichuan peppercorns, which slowly numb your mouth to the capsiacin (i.e. active ingredient) in the peppers, and which also allows you to eat more of the dish. Washed down with a cold Tsing Tao beer, this was a perfect first meal for San Francisco.

 

the aftermath

Gabe checks out the next table

Gabe and Kelly, who live in the predominantly Asian enclave of Innersunset, pointed out a lot of great places to eat as we drove to Old Mandarin. But Old Mandarin itself has a pretty extensive menu as well, so there will be plenty of new dishes to try the next time around. And there definitely will be a next time!

 

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Off The Eaten Path: Juchunyuan Restaurant In Colombo

specialty of the house at Juchunyuan

Colombo has no shortage of Chinese restaurants, most of which serve food with its own particular character, shaped, of course, by local tastes (meaning, it’s much spicier than the run of the mill storefront Chinese in New York or any western city for that matter).  It’s also probably nothing like the ‘authentic’ Chinese food you get in China. That’s why Juchunyuan is such a find: It’s a Chinese restaurant in the heart of Colombo that obviously caters to a largely Chinese clientele looking for a true taste of home.

You could call this well-worn establishment a hole-in-the-wall because it’s off the eaten path, but a clean one at that exuding an odd charm. Though not heavy on ambience, the downstairs dining room, with its 4 semi-private booths, is at least spotless and cooled by AC. While upstairs offers additional seating, both times I have been there it was empty (which might have something to do with the waitresses not wanting to carry the large chafing dishes of hot soup up the stairs).

the upstairs dining room

Besides the paucity of décor, the first thing you notice upon sitting down is the gas burner built right into the center of your table, definitely an omen of good things to come. Also of interest is the single-page, double-sided menu that flashes Chinese characters at you (another good sign), but fret not as closer examination reveals tiny English subtitles written beneath. And anyway, didn’t you always want to know how to write “pig’s heart” or “sheep’s stomach” in Mandarin?

Once again, don’t be intimidated by the menu, because at least one of the waitresses speaks passable English and she will help you out with ordering.

“So how do we do this?” I shamelessly blurted. I might be a gastronaut, but never professed to being a know-it-all.

Our helpful waitress, Lena, directed our attention to the other side of the menu, which lists the different kinds of soup available. They’ve got fish, chicken, “pig bone” and even duck with beer among the offerings. You can order it spicy or not. We settled on the “three sort sea food with short rib soup,” extra spicy, of course.

Soup's On!

Soup is not only the starter here, but the star, as well as the medium in which you will cook your meal. That’s right; if you thought the chef was going to do all the work, guess again. This is, after all, not just any restaurant, but  a “Resraurant” as the sign proclaims.

Sign by Scooby Doo

The flip side of the menu features a dizzying array of ingredients. In addition to the afore-mentioned offal, they also have more normal stuff like prawns, cuttlefish, beef, mutton, and vegetables such as mushrooms, kelp, cabbage and kan kun.

“What’s good, today?” I asked Lena. She recommended the prawn wonton.

“We’ll have an order of those.”

I also got up to peek at the table next door, filled with a group of Japanese men happily swilling cold beers with their hot soup, and decided on getting some prawns, white cabbage, kan kun, and noodles.

“That should be enough for now.” I said, thinking about the “three sort seafood and short rib” that came with the soup.

Lena disappeared and reemerged with our utensils, an array of tools fit for us budding soup chefs, which included a tiny soup bowl and porcelain soup spoon, two metal serving spoons, one with holes; a fork; and a set of chopsticks. She flitted back and forth behind the scenes, returning with a delectable assortment of condiments—fresh chopped garlic and cilantro, peanut sauce, soy sauce, and a thick chili oil.

condiments and raw ingredients for the soup

“Wow! This is getting more interesting by the minute,” I said to my cousin Cane, who had turned me onto this place, though he had only eaten some fried rice on his initial visit. Cane was visibly excited because like most Sri Lankans, this was an entirely new dining experience for him.

Lena appeared next with a large stainless steel bowl of soup, whose broth was practically bright red from the preponderance of chilies. It’s good to see that extra spicy meant exactly that. She rested it on the gas burner in the center of the table, and turned on the flame. Then the stuff we ordered started appearing on the table in quick succession, raw, of course.  Our mouths sufficiently watering by now, we wasted no time, sliding a couple jumbo prawns (with head and tail intact) into the mix along with whole leaves of white cabbage, some freshly made prawn wontons, and kan kun  (stems and all).

Cousin Cane ready to get into some soup

While this stuff quickly cooked in the bubbling cauldron, it was time to assemble our bowls of soup. First in went the pre-cooked rice noodles, over which I ladled several spoonfuls of the spicy broth. Next I added a bit of all of the condiments, and finally some of the now cooked vegetables, wontons and a rosy red prawn. I gave it a little stir and sipped a spoonful of the broth.

“Wow! Flavor” I said as both mine and Cane’s eyes seemed to light up at the same time.

YUM!!!

The broth alone was something worth writing home about with its three kinds of seafood and pork ribs. We found out after the meal that the seafood in question was actually dried squid, oysters, and mussels, which had been imported from China, according to Lena. As far as I knew, you couldn’t get this kind of stuff in Colombo.

The "three sort seafood" flavoring the broth -- dried oysters, squid, and mussels

More raw ingredients went into the broth and fished out cooked into our bowls. After much slurping and chewing it seemed like we actually made a small dent in the huge chafing dish of soup. But this was clearly a meal fit for a minimum of four people.

So we went away happy and satisfied with our taste buds thoroughly titillated, and resolved to bring the rest of Cane’s family to help us conquer the next bowl of soup (and next time we did go for the pig’s heart and cow’s stomach).  Juchunyuan proved itself a marvelous and surprising find in the middle of Colombo, and if you ever find yourself with curry-fatigue, it’s got just the tonic for you.

 

Juchunyuan Restaurant

450 B Charles Drive (off Duplication Road)

Colombo 3

011-402-1246

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Pan Asian: Boiled Beef Slices In A Fiery Sauce (Shui Zhu Niu Rou) Sichuan, China

Boiled beef slices in a fiery sauce

The Recipe

1 head of celery (about 1 pond)

4 scallions, white and green parts

small handful of dried chilies (8-10)

1 lb. lean beef (flank steak)

1 tbsp. Shaoxing rice wine or medium dry sherry

1/3 cup peanut oil

2 tsp. Sichuan pepper

3 tbsp. chili bean paste

3 cups chicken stock

2 tsp. dark soy sauce

4 tbsp. potato flour (mixed with 4 tbsp. cold water) or 6 tbsp. corn starch (mixed w/ 6 tbsp. cold water)

1.)   Clean and remove fibrous outer edge of celery stalks. Chop each stalk into 3 or 4 sections, then slice these lengthwise into 1/2-inch sticks. Gently crush the scallions and chop them into 3 sections to match the celery. Snip the chilies in half. Remove any fat from the beef and cut it, against the grain, into thin slices about 1 x 2 inches. Add 1/4 tsp. salt and Shaoxing rice wine, mix well, and leave to marinate while yopu prepare everything else.

2.)    Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a wok until hot but not yet smoking. Add the chilies and Sichaun pepper and stir-fry until fragrant and browned. Then quickly slide the spices out into a bowl and reserve oil in wok. When the spices have cooled down, finely chop on cutting board and set aside to use later.

3.)   Return the wok to the stovetop and heat over high flame. When smoking add the vegetables and stir fry for 1-2 minutes, adding 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt to taste. Cook until hot but still crunchy. Place onto serving bowl.

4.)   Heat another 3 tbsp. oil in wok over high flame until smoking. Turn heat down to medium , add chili bean paste, and stir fry for about 30 seconds until oil is red and fragrant. Add stock and dark soy sauce, season with salt to taste and return to a boil over high flame. Then add potato and corn starch mixture to beef and stir well to coat all pieces. When the sauce is boiling vigorously, drop in beef slices. Use a pair of chopsticks to gently separate the slices. Simmer for a minute or two until the beef is cooked. Spoon beef onto vegetables and pour over sauce.

5.)   Swiftly rinse out wok and dry well. Heat another 3-4 tbsp. oil in wok until smoking. Sprinkle the chopped chilies and Sichuan pepper over the beef dish and then pour over the smoking oil. If you are quick, the dish will still be sizzling when you bring it to the table.

Serves 2 as a main dish; 4 with rice and two to three other dishes.

Adapted from Land Of Plenty: Authentic Sichuan Recipes by Fuchsia Dunlop

 

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Pan Asian: Dry-Fried Chicken (Szechuan – Gan Bian Ji)

 

This spicy Sichuan specialty is a great quick and easy dish to make as long as you have a few key ingredients on hand like the chili bean paste and rice wine. Using only 1/4 cup of oil, the recipe is healthy as well. It’s earthy, fiery flavor is strangely reminiscent of deep-fried chicken–maybe because the meat develops a tasty crust.

Fried chicken remains the most popular menu item at most New York store-front chinese establishments (we call ‘em “ghetto chinese”), but they sure don’t make this dry-fried Sichuan dish. So why not make it at home?

The Recipe

2 celery stalks, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces

1 lb. Chicken meat (thighs, breasts) preferably on bone

3 whole scallions, sliced diagonally

1/4 cup peanut oil

6-8 dried chilies

1 tsp. whole Sichuan pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp. chili bean paste

1 Tbsp. Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry

1 tsp. dark soy sauce

salt to taste

2 tsp. sesame oil

 

1.)   Wash and cut chicken into 1-inch chunks.

2.)   Heat wok. Add oil when it starts smoking. Add chicken and stir fry over high heat for 4-5 minutes (until most liquid has evaporated)

3.)   Turn heat down to medium and add chilies and Sichuan pepper. Stir-fry until fragrant. Add chili bean paste, Shaoxing rice wine, soy sauce, and salt. Continue stirring over low heat for 10-15 minutes, until chicken is dry, toasty, and fragrant.

4.)   Add vegetables and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until tender. Check salt.

5.)   Remove from heat, stir in sesame oil and serve with rice.

voila! Served with brown rice

Serves 2 with one other dish and rice

 

[Adapted from Land of Plenty by Fusia Dunlop]

 

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