Poh Poh Authentic Recipes & Food Adventures
By Hayley Chueng Photographs by Hayley Cheung
ABOUT Honoring my Poh Poh ‘grandma’, I have collected all my favourite dishes my Poh Poh makes and put them together all in one place. All future generations are able to take this book and learn tips and tricks in our culture cuisine. “她吃東西的時候看起來很開心” This translates to “When she eats, she looks so happy!” This is the reason she fed me a lot because it made her happy watching me eat. I’m so grateful for her, showing me where I’m from and what my culture is about, plusss always feeding me whenever I see her. I additionally added food experiences people are able to go on where you can explore more Asian cuisines and if you like it, learn how to make it at home too!
目錄 CONTENTS 11 13
Grandma’s Recipes
15 17 19 21 23 25
Main Dishes
Grandma’s favourite ingredients
Soy Sauce Chicken Steamed Egg Mapo Tofu Braised Pork Belly Gai Lan
27 29 31 33 35 37
Noodles and Soups
39 43 47 51 55 58
Food Adventure/Experiences
Tomato Potato Soup Hot & Sour Soup HK Style Ham and Macaroni Shanghai Rice Cakes Shanghai Noodle Soup
Chinese Hotpot Yum Cha Chinese BBQ Meats Hong Kong Style Cafe Hong Kong Street Food
Disclaimer When my Poh Poh cooks, she does not measure. She has always eyeballed all her measurements which makes it difficult for me to watch and teach myself. “Just that much” as she pours, looks at me and smiles. So get a spoon and keep tasting your food. If it’s not salty enough, add some soy sauce, if not sweet enough, add some sweetness. Poh Poh always said less is better. You can’t turn back when it’s too salty!
MAIN INGREDIENTS USED Chinese Cooking Wine Throughout all my Grandma’s recipe, you’ll see that she uses Chinese cooking wine a lot! This is because many Chinese people do not enjoy the taste of meat that is gamey. We also usually buy heaps of meat in bulk and leave it in the freezer. This will remove the smell/taste of ice.
Dark Soy Sauce Grandma loves using dark soy sauce! It gives certain dishes extra colour, this is not as salty as soy sauce but we use it to make the dish darker e.g. chow mein, braised pork etc.
Adding this to vegetables is different as the vegetables become more fragrant and flavorful.
Chicken Bouillon Powder In most Chinese food, there is MSG. We add a little of this for extra flavour to make the dish saltier and sometimes even use it as our soup base for macaroni and noodles.
Soy Sauce Our family uses soy sauce a lot! It is put in dishes to provide flavour, as seasoning like salt and for colour.
13
MAIN DISHES
15
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單
SOYSAUCECHI CKEN 1 0CHI CKENWI NGS 2S T AL KS GREENONI ON GI NGER DARKSOY SAUCE ROCKSUGAR CHI NE SECOOKI NG WI NE
T I P S
秘 密
SE CRET 加入冰糖使這道菜略帶甜味。 我知道你只想用普通的糖，但 相信我，它會有所作為 Addi n gr oc ks u ga rgi v e st h i s di s has l i gh ts we e t n e s s .Ik n o w y ouwa n tt oj u s tu s en or ma l s u ga r ,bu tt r u s tme ,i tma k e sa di ffe r e n c e ! ! !
豉油雞
SOY SAUCE CHICKEN Preparation: 15mins
cooking time: 20mins
INGREDIENTS 6 chicken wings 1 stalk green onion, chopped into 3rds 4 slices of ginger 2 tbs Canola oil
SAUCE 3 tbs dark soy sauce 3 tbs soy sauce 2 medium pieces rock sugar Splash of Chinese cooking wine Water
This is the brand of rock sugar we use. Should be able to get it at all Asian stores
serves 2
LETS COOK step 1 : Heat up a medium saucepan with oil. Step 2 : SEAR your chicken wings and put them to the side. Fry green onion and ginger together. Add dark soy sauce, soy sauce, cooking wine and water to cover the wings then add rock sugar. Step 3 : Allow this to simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat. Step 4 : Plate up and garnish with green onion. Serve with rice.
Chinese cooking wine
Ginger Dark soy sauce 17
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單
S T EAMEDE GG 4E GGS 1CANCHI CKEN S T OCK WHI T EPEPPER
T I P S
秘 密
SE CRET 在蒸之前用塑料薄膜包裹混合 物。這使雞蛋保持濕潤和光滑 Wr a pmi x t u r ewi t hpl a s t i cwr a p be f or es t e a mi n g.Th i sk e e pst h e e ggmoi s ta n ds moot h .
蒸蛋
STEAMED EGG
Preparation: 7mins
cooking time: 10mins
serves 2
INGREDIENTS
Eggs
4 eggs Pinch White pepper 1 can chicken stock
LETS COOK
Ground white pepper
Chinese chicken stock
Step 1 : Whisk together eggs, white pepper and chicken stock. Step 2 : Put egg mixture in a heatproof circular tray. Wrap with cling wrap. Prepare your steaming set-up. Use a wok/deep skillet/pot that has a lid. Place a small metal elevated rack (or Empty tuna can) at the bottom for the plate to sit out and fill with 2 cups of water. Steam for 10 minutes on stove.
Egg mixture wrapped in cling wrap, held up with metal elevated rack
Step 3 : Carefully take your egg out, you will know its ready when the egg slightly jiggles Step 4: Serve with rice
19
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單
MAPOT OF U 530GT OF U 60GPORKMI NCE 3CL OVE SGARL I C SPRI NGONI ON CHI L IBEANP AS T E ( T OBANDI AN) SOY SAUCE SUGAR
T I P S
秘 密
SE CRET 烹飪前先將豆腐煮沸，以獲 得絲般光滑的質地 Boi ly ou rt of ube f or ec ook i n g f oras i l k ys moot ht e x t u r e .
麻婆豆腐鱼
MAPO TOFU
Preparation: 15mins
cooking time: 15-20mins
INGREDIENTS
serves 2
LETS COOK
530g Tofu (cubed) Brand: Evergreen Original Tofu 80g minced pork 2 cloves garlic minced 3 tbs canola oil 1 stalk spring onions (thinly sliced)
SAUCE
Step 1: Marinate your mince pork with a little white pepper and soy sauce. Get your tofu ready (look at secret tip!). Step 2: Heat a pan with oil, fry your minced pork and garlic till fragrant. Add your tofu, stir softly as you don’t want to break your cubed tofu.
2 tbs Chilli bean paste (Toban Djan) 1 tbs soysauce 1 tsp sugar to taste Evergreen firm tofu
Step 3: Add your Toban Dian and soy sauce then add ½ cup of water. Your tofu will start becoming a beautiful light red. Stir in your thinly sliced green onion and let simmer for a further 3 minutes. Step 4: Serve in a medium dish and garnish with more green onion. Enjoy with rice!
Green onion
Toban Djan (Chilli bean paste)
Pork mince 21
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單
BRAI SEPORKBEL L Y 1 KGPORKBEL L Y 1CANBRAI SEDBAMBOO
34SL I CE SGI NGER 1CL OVEGARL I C
2S T AL KSGREEN ONI ON ROCKSUGAR SOY SAUCE DARKSOY SAUCE CHI NE SECOOKI NG WI NE
竹笋炆豬肉
BRAISED PORK BELLY Preparation: 15mins
INGREDIENTS 1KG pork belly 1 can braised bamboo shoots 3 slices ginger 1 clove garlic (leave whole) 2 stalks green onion (sliced into thirds)
SAUCE 1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine 5-6 tbs dark soy sauce 90g rock sugar 5-6 tbs soy sauce
Braised bamboo shoots
cooking time: 1hr 45mins
serves 4
LETS COOK Step 1 : Heat a medium pot with oil. Fry ginger, garlic spring onion and pork belly till browned. Step 2 : Add dark soy sauce and rock sugar. pork belly should be covered in a beautiful and red brown colour. Add bamboo shoot and soy sauce. Add 1.5L of water. Cover the lid and Leave on high heat for 20 mins. The water should have reduced. Step 3 : Once water has reduced, Turn heat off. Allow this to stand for 1 hour so the pork can soak in the sauce. Step 4 : After an hour, place pot on stove and heat for another 15 mins. Sauce should become a thick, sticky consistency. If too thick, add a little more water. If not, turn heat off and let stand for another 30 mins. Step 5 : Before serving, warm up your braised pork and serve with fresh boiled rice.
This is the brand of rock sugar we use. Should be able to get it at all Asian stores
Pork belly (chopped into bite size pieces) 23
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單 GAILAN
2BUNCHE SGAILAN ( CHI NE SEBROCCOL I ) 3SL I CE SGI NGER
CHI NE SECOOKI NG WI NE
芥蘭
GAI LAN
Preparation: 8mins
INGREDIENTS
cooking time: 15mins
serves 4
LETS COOK
2 bunches gai lan (Chinese broccoli) 3 tbs canola/vegetable oil 3 slices ginger 1 tbs salt 2 tbs Chinese cooking wine Sprinkle of sugar
Chinese cooking wine
step 1 : wash and cut your gai lan into thirds. Step 2 : Heat your pan with oil, fry sliced ginger for 30 secs. Step 3 : Add your gai lan and cook for 2 minutes then add Chinese cooking wine, salt and sugar. Cook for a further 3-4 mins until gai lan is tender. Step 4 : Serve onto a medium dish and enjoy!
When having dinner at my grandma’s, she usually cooks different dishes and gai lan is one of them. This is considered a side dish and our serve of vegetables.
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)
I was not a fan of this when i was younger and I have no idea why because I’m obsessed with it. I fight my brother for the last strands. Ginger
25
NOODLES & SOUPS
27
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單
T OMA T O, POT A T OSOUP 90GBEEFSI DE SKI RT 2BROWNONI ONS
3T OMA T OE S 2CARROT S
番茄土豆湯
TOMATO, POTATO SOUP Preparation: 15-20mins
INGREDIENTS
cooking time: 30mins
serves 4
LETS COOK
90g beef Side Skirt (sliced thinly) 2 Brown onions 3 tomatoes 2 potatoes (peeled) 2 carrots (peeled) (Cut all vegetables into bite size pieces) 2-3tbs salt (to taste)
Step 1 : Marinate beef with a little soy sauce and white pepper. Heat a medium size pot with oil.
Beef side skirt
Step 3 : Simmer on medium heat for 30-45mins. Soup should be ready when soup is an orange tint and vegetables are soft. add beef in now and cook for 5mins.
Step 2 : saute all the vegetables except tomato until golden brown. add water till all vegetables submerge. Now add your tomatoes as they soften the fastest.
Step 4 : Salt soup to taste. Pour yourself a bowl of this yummy goodness and enjoy! You can enjoy this with rice, or macaroni. Onion
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Carrots 29
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單
HOT& SOURSOUP 300GSI L KENT OF U 1CANBAMBOOSHOOT S
SHI I T AKEMUSHROOMS BLACKF UNGI MUSHROOMS
60GPORK E GG GREEENONI ON SOY SAUCE DARKSOY SAUCE SE SAMEOI L CHI NE SEBLACK VI NE GAR CORNF L OUR
酸辣湯
HOT & SOUR SOUP Preparation: 15mins
INGREDIENTS
serves 6
LETS COOK Step 1 : Marinate pork with soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper, let sit until needed. Boil 10 cups of water. Rinse you bamboo shoots, this does smell when you open the can, but will go away later.
1 can bamboo shoots (striped) 5-6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced) Handful of Wood Ear mushrooms (rehydrated) 90g pork (sliced) 1 tub silken tofu 1 egg (whisked)
Add shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, boil this for 15 mins. This will add flavour to the soup.
SOUP BASE 2tbs chicken bouillon powder ¼ cup dark soy sauce 2 tbs sesame oil 4 shakes white pepper Corn flour slurry. (4 tsb cornflour, 1 cup water) 1 egg ¼ cup black Chinese vinegar (optional, my family adds this themselves) 1 stalk green onion (to garnish) Chinese black vinegar Bamboo shoots (rinse with water)
Wood ear mushrooms
cooking time: 1hr
Step 2 : Add your rehydrated wood ear mushrooms and pork. boil this for further 15 mins, then add chicken bouillon, dark soy sauce and sesame oil into the pot. Now add your tofu. Step 3 : Add corn flour slurry to thicken The soup. Whisk an egg and slowly drizzle into the soup while stirring. Once Soup is bubbling, your soup is ready. Step 5: Serve and garnish with green onion. My family usually adds more vinegar or chili oil depending on what each person likes. Silken tofu Dry shittake mushrooms
31
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單
HAM & MACARONI 2CUPSMACARONI SL I CEDHAM
CHI CKENBOUL L I ON
通心粉
HK STYLE HAM & MACARONI Preparation: 8mins
INGREDIENTS 2 cups of macaroni 5 pieces of ham (sliced)
SOUP BASE 3 tsp chicken bouillon (to taste) drizzle of sesame oil 2 pinches white pepper
cooking time: 10mins
serves 2
LETS COOK Step 1 : Cook macaroni according to packet. Strain and rinse with cold water. Step 2 : Boil 3 cups of water, add chicken bouillon, sesame oil, white pepper and macaroni. Step 3 : Bring to a boil and add ham. Simmer for a further 3-4 mins. Step 4 : Serve in a bowl. Shake white pepper on top and enjoy.
My family usually cooks this for breakfast. This is the ultimate comfort food and I always eat a lot of it at a time!
Chicken bouillon powder
Grandma always cooked it for me before school when I was younger, especially on a cold morning as this will keep me warm. I still cook this for breakfast for my family as they really like it too. This dish is a very popular breakfast dish in Hong Kong, you can order it at cafes in a combo, which comes with soft white bread and scrambled eggs. These places are called Cha Chaan Teng, you can find some in Sydney. You can learn more about Cha Chaan Tengs on page 55. Macaroni (you can buy any brand you’ll like)
33
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單
SHANGHAIRI CE CAKE S 2 00GSL I CED RI CE CAKE 1 / 4NAP ACABBAGE 4SHI I T AKE MUSHROOMS 2 0GPORK 1CL OVEGARL I C SOYSAUCE DARKSOYSAUCE CHI CKENBOUL L I ON
酸辣湯
SHANGHAI RICE CAKES Preparation: 15-20mins
cooking time: 10-15mins
INGREDIENTS
LETS COOK
200g Chinese sliced rice cakes (soaked in water) ¼ napa cabbage (Bite size pieces) 4 shiitake mushrooms (rehydrate and sliced) 50G pork (Sliced) 2 tbs veg / canola oil 1 clove garlic (minced)
SAUCE 1 tbs SOY SAUCE 1 tbs DARK SOY 1 tsp CHICKEN BOUILLON (to taste) ½ cup water
Dry shiitake mushrooms
serves 2
Chicken bouillon powder
Step 1 : 30mins before cooking, soak your rice cakes and shiitake mushrooms in room temperature water. This softens them before you start to cook. Step 2 : Heat pan with oil,. Fry your garlic till fragrant. Fry your pork and shiitake mushrooms till slightly cooked then take out. Add Napa cabbage, once soften and water has released, add pork, shiitake mushrooms and rice cake. Add 1/2 cup of water, this and the water released from the Napa cabbage will cook the rice cake. Step 3 : Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and chicken bouillon and cook for further 7 mins until rice cake is soft and bouncy. The sauce should become thick, taste for seasoning. Step 4 : Plate up in a medium dish and enjoy!
Sliced rice cake (Korean brand) Napa cabbage
35
SHOPPI NG L I S T
購物 清單
SHANGHAINOODL ESOUP 1 / 2CABBAGE 67SHI T AKEDRY MUSHROOMS 60GPORK F RE SHSHANGHAI NOODL E S SOYSAUCE DARKSOYSAUCE SE SAMEOI L CHI CKENBOUL L I ON
上海面
SHANGHAI NOODLE SOUP Preparation: 10-15mins
cooking time: 20mins
INGREDIENTS ½ Cabbage (cut into bite size pieces) 6-7 dry shiitake mushrooms (rehydrate and sliced) 60g pork (Sliced) 1 bag fresh LEI MEIN noodles
SOUP BASE ¼ cup soy sauce 4 TBS cup dark soy sauce DRIZZLE OF sesame oil 2tbs chicken bouillon 8 cups of water or until all ingredients are submerged.
serves 4
LETS COOK Step 1 : BLANCH LEI MEIN NOODLES FOR 3 MINs, WASH WITH COLD WATER AND LEAVE TO THE SIDE. fry cabbage, shiitake mushrooms and pork these in a little oil until fragrant. Step 2 : Add WATER AND BRING TO A BOIL. ADD soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chicken bouillon AND SESAME OIL. IF THIS IS TOO SALTY, ADD MORE WATER. Let this simmer for 15 mins. Step 3 : Give your soup a taste, if it needs a little more flavour, add MORE soy sauce. Step 4 : ADD YOUR NOODLES, LET BOIL FOR EXTRA 3 MINs, THIS LETS THE NOODLES SOAK UP ALL THE YUMMY GOODNESS.
Fresh Shanghai noodles (our favorite brand to use)
Step 5 : Serve using a BIG bowl (you’ll thank me later), add chili oil to your liking.
Dry shiitake mushrooms
Cabbage
37
39
Growing up, I lived in the western suburbs, my friends at school were mostly western. During my younger years, I wanted to bring a Vegemite or jam sandwich to school, not dumplings, quail eggs or noodles. I felt very left out, I think a lot of other Asian people felt the same as me whilst growing up. I grew out of that stage the older I got, I started not to care what other people thought. The people around me were growing and developing new palettes and whenever I posted foods I was eating, they would comment they wanted it. How the tables have turned. I still have many friends that are afraid to try new Asian foods, they have never tried it before, too scared and don’t trust the places around them. I remember bringing one friend to Korean BBQ for the first time, she ended up loving it and it brought me joy. It gave me happiness when I saw her bringing her friends to try it as well. This is what food is about, letting people reach out and experience a whole new culture. I am the friend that will bring you to new places to try things you have always been afraid to try. Message me, ring me, I’m here and ready to eat and for an adventure.
42
HOT P T O
打边炉 WHAT is
Chinese Hotpot? Chinese hotpot is an interactive meal where a group of friends sit around a boiling pot of soup (of your choice). There is a variety of raw ingredients like meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu, noodles and dumplings that lay around the soup. Everyone can add whatever they want into the soup, you then retrieve the cooked food from the pot with wired ladles. You can add flavour with individual dipping sauces that you can get at the beginning of the meal. Hotpot is a personalised meal, each person can individually mix their own dipping sauce and choose exactly what they want to cook and eat. Mini Hotpot A new kind of hotpot was introduced in the last couple of years. Some people say this is a more hygienic way of having hotpot. Essentially, it’s the same as normal hotpot but more personalised. Each person receives their own pot of soup, where they can order different soup base flavours like ma la, mushroom, chicken, tomato (it’s so good!) or even have 2 in 1. The tables at these restaurants have a built-in heating hot plate that make your pot bubble. You order the food the same way as normal, there is just no big pot of soup in the middle of the table.
make it at
home!
Hotpot is an easy meal to prepare, you just need to buy the food you want to eat! The essential equipment that is needed is a gas stove, pot, ladle, bowls and chopsticks which most people have in their kitchens already. My most favorite part is buying the ingredients. The world is your oyster as you can buy whatever you desire but buying soup base is an essential unless you want to make it yourself. If you are like me and crave hotpot all the time...buy the soup base! There’s a variety you can choose from, tomato, mala, mushroom, chicken etc. Place your pot in the middle of the table and surround it with all your ingredients. Turn the gas on safely, start cooking and enjoy sharing food with all your family and friends.
Half and half pot (You can use a normal pot but you will only get 1 flavour soup)
Ladle and hot pot strainer
Bowls to share with your friends Portable gas stove Chopsticks! Hope you can use them, otherwise I’ll be very disappointed
FOODs YOU CAN order/buy MEATS SLICED BEEF SLICED PORK SLICED LAMB FISH CRAB PRAWNS FISH BALLS FISH ROE BALLS FISH TOFU BEEF BALL
SAUCE INGREDIENTS SPRING ONION CORIANDER CHILI GARLIC SESAME SEEDS OYSTER SAUCE SOY SAUCE VINEGAR SESAME OIL MUSHROOM SAUCE
VEGETABLES NAPA CABBAGE BOK CHOY iceburg lettuce bamboo shoots SHIITAKE MUSHROOM ENOKI MUSHROOM OYSTER MUSHROOM woodear mushrooms
STAPLES hand made noodles udon noodles pork and chive dumplings tofu bean curd tied shirataki noodles
Picture of homemade yum cha
46
A
YUM CH 飲茶
WHAT is yum cha?
Yum Cha literally means ‘drink tea’ in Cantonese. Going to Yum Cha is something you do with your family every Sunday for most families. It is a tradition that has lasted many generations and you usually get to see all your aunties and grandparents (they enjoy it the most). As a child, I really disliked going, I would always say “Yum Cha again, I don’t want to eat that stuff anymore”, little did I know I regret saying that now. I LOVE Yum Cha, I don’t think I go enough now and it is always a treat when mum says Poh Poh wants to go. Yum Cha is a very common meal in Hong Kong, you usually go for breakfast or early afternoon tea. Like drinking coffee with your toast in the morning, Chinese people enjoy drink tea with their dim sum.
yum cha
mannerisms
There are some manners when eating, I have been taught when I was little and still make some of these mistakes (sorry dad!). When someone is taking food off the Lazy Susan, you should not spin the Lazy Susan as this is very disrespectful to the person picking up their food. Try not to stand your chopstick straight up, like in buns or rice as this resembles incense offerings for people that have passed away. We don’t use 1 standing white candle or put 3 candles together on cakes either as it represents the same issue.
cartladies When you arrive at Yum Cha, you are asked what type of tea you would like for the table, some places may charge you tea per head and some don’t. You will also receive a card, upon seating, this card allows the server to stamp what you have ordered. Each dish is differentiated into small, medium, and large. Depending on the dish you have received, the cart ladies will stamp your card. You will see many ladies pushing carts around the whole restaurant, these carts have a built-in heating system that keeps all the fresh dim sum hot. They usually come around to each table, listing what they have in their cart, and you can choose any thing you desire. (Little warning, it very easy to over order which I always do but it’s so worth it!) The card at the end of your meal should have filled up and this is essentially your bill. You take this card up to the register and they will calculate how much you have eaten.
make it at home!
If you are craving some yummy dim sum, I do recommend buying them from the shops and steaming them at home yourself. Unfortunately my grandma did not teach me how to make my favourite har gao (prawn dumplings) but she did buy and steam them for me. All you need now are some bamboo steamers to put your dim sum in. I always line the bottom with baking paper, this stops the dumplings to stick. Remember to poke holes in the baking paper to ensure even cooking. Have some chopsticks and sauces ready to dig in. Don’t forget the tea Some brands that are Yum Cha worthy at home: • Mr Chen’s (Prawn hargow, Dumpling favourite (Hargow, prawn and ginger, scallop and prawn)) • Chan’s Yum Cha at home (Prawn hargow, prawn and ginger) • Hong Kong Dim Sim Kitchen Barbeque Pork Bun
Har gao plings) (Prawn dum
Egg tart (Dan tart)
This is available are Costco
Available from Asian grocery stores
Vegetarian dumplings
Mango pancakes
Available from Woolworths and Coles
Rainbow jelly
Siu Mai (Dim Sum)
50
Canton -Eastwood
C H IN E S E
BB Q
M EA T 燒味 WHAT is CHINESE BBQ Meats?
If you like meat, you’ll love to visit a Chinese BBQ restaurant. From the moment you walk up to the front, you’ll see a window full meat, from pork, duck and chicken. You’ll also see a man or woman in a white apron holding a massive knife chopping the meats with ease. Upon entering the restaurant you are hit with the most amazing aroma of charred BBQ meats. Some BBQ meat shops are just shop fronts, where you can only buy meat, others you are able to enter and order food. At these BBQ joints, the meat is typically sold by weight, you usually order by the half/whole depending on how many people are eating. When ordering, you are able to choose up to 3 types of meat (your choice, this is usually called combo) which is served with rice, choy sum and a splash of soy sauce, this is one of the most popular dishes to order and it’s served fast. You are also able to order egg noodles if your not feeling like rice that day. These BBQ meat joints don’t only sell meats and they also don’t waste other parts of the animal either. Some people may find this weird, but lots of people really enjoy it. Intestine, pig ear, orange squid and sausages that are all marinated in different types of sauces.
crispy roast pork (Siu yuk) Siu yuk is made with pork belly and is seasoned with salt, vinegar and Chinese 5 spices. This is then put into a furnace at a high temperature where the fat on top turns crispy and the bottom into tender and juicy meat. The siu yuk usually comes with a little mustard that you can dip in, which gives the siu yuk more depth in flavour, you can also have it plain with rice and soy sauce (which is equally as good).
BBQ Roast Duck
BBQ duck is marinated usually with yellow bean sauce and aromatics to make the duck succulent and flavourful. People usually buy the duck in whole and slice it at home to make Peking Duck. To make roast duck, it takes a few hours of preparation. To get that crispy skin, you need to air dry the duck before roasting and the juicy meat comes from the marinade that is poured into the duck’s cavity and sewn to prevent leakage.
BBQ PORK (Char sui)
To make char sui, the pork is marinated in a sweet BBQ sauce and then roasted in a very hot furnace. Constantly drizzling the sweet sauce over the pork to soak in all the flavours. It’s a combination of salty and sweet with hints of spices and burnt pieces on the sides. Char siu is served heavenly with rice and blanched Chinese broccoli or choy sum with a splash of soy sauce.
soy sauce chicken (See yao gai) Soy sauce chicken isn’t cooked in the oven or open fire like Cha Sui or Siu yuk, it is poached in stew soy sauce, aromatic and spices. The skin is soft, and meat is tender with the perfect amount of saltiness. This is chopped into small bite size pieces served with extra soy sauce. My family usually buys this for a quick and easy meal, you can either have it with rice or noodles soup or even by itself.
Try it in Sydney! BBQ One Eastwood Shop 10/181 Rowe St, Eastwood NSW
Tai Wong Barbecue 12 Campbell St, Sydney, NSW
This BBQ joint is a local of mines, I’ve been there since I was young. You are able to get takeaway meats and sit down and eat, they have a variety of foods to try from like Hong Kong style dumplings and fishball noodles.
This place isn’t the prettiest to look at, like a hole in the wall but it’s so worth it! Very affordable and fast.
The way of Hong Kong service is based on speed and less on customer service, they want you in and out and they let their food do the talking.
You are able to get takeaway and sit down and eat. They only serve BBQ meats with rice or combos. This is a very small restaurant and looks very similar to the ones in Hong Kong.
54
Kowloon Cafe - Haymarket This photo belongs to Kowloon Cafe
WHAT is
Cha Chaan Teng? Cha chaan teng is called Hong Kong style café in English. These types of restaurants are found in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. The cafes are known for their affordable menus which have dishes from both Hong Kong cuisines and Hong Kong style western cuisine. They are similar to Western cafes due to their casual settings and menus having coffee and tea. These cafes are everywhere in Hong Kong, you turn a corner and there’s another one. When I was younger, my parents always took us here for breakfast as it was cheap and fast. I remember always ordering the ham and macaroni soup, that’s probably why I love it when my Poh Poh cooks it.
FOOD A Cha Chaan Teng serves a lot of different types of food, from steak to wonton noodles soup to fried chicken and chips to Hong Kong style French toast. Everyone loves coming to these cafes as you are able to get such a variety of foods, not feeling like noodles? Have rice, stir fries or sandwiches. You are also able to get set meals (only some in Australia do this). There are several sets available throughout the day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea (the cheapest) and dinner, these are usually labeled Set A, Set B, Set C, Set D etc. Examples of set menu include: Congee + Chow mein (drinks not included), HK style macaroni + scrambled eggs and toast + drink. Menus are usually placed in between the table and a piece of glass on top.
Drinks There are few inventions of drinks that were created at cha chaan tengs. Drinks like yuenyeung (鴛鴦), iced tea with lemon (凍檸茶) and coca-cola with lemon (檸樂). Yuenyeung : A mixture of coffee and tea, this was created as some people like tea and some like coffee, so they tried mixing it and it tasted good. This became an iconic drink and you can only get it in Hong Kong (Some Cha Chaan Tengs do it in Sydney. Black and white Yuenyeung: A mixture of Ovaltine and water, you can only find this in Hong Kong. This is a favourite for the children! It does come hot but you can always ask for it cold. Some places in Hong Kong charge extra to add ice, but you can ask for a cup of ice on the side, no charge. I’ve never really understood that! Black Coffee: Hong Kong people usually call this ‘jaii fea’ which means vegetarian coffee.
tables and seats Normally you’ll be seated at a booth seat or a square table of 4 or round table for 6-8 people. During lunch or afternoon tea, customer sometimes need to ‘daap toi’ this means they have to share a table with other customers as during those times it is very busy! This helps save a lot of space and customers that are in hurry can be seated quickly.
Try it in
Sydney!
Kowloon Cafe Sydney Shop 7A-9A 421-429, Sussex St, Haymarket, NSW 2000 Kowloon Cafe is inspired by a Cha Chaan Teng’s in Hong Kong. They bring authentic Hong Kong cuisines inside the aesthetic cafe for you to experience what it’s like if you were there. Tea Square Cafe Mandarin Center, Shop 224/65 Albert Ave, Chatswood NSW 2067 Hong Kong Kitchen serves authentic Hong Kong Cha Chann Teng cuisine. My mum and aunty said it brought them back to when they were younger when the food was a lot better and cheaper.
MUST TRY G N O K HONG Fun g n heu
Egg Waf fle
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D O O F T E E R T S
Cheung fun is made by steamed rice noodle sheets, rolled then cut into bite size pieces. This is usually topped with peanut, chilli and soy sauce and sprinkle of sesame seeds. The Cheung fun is served on thin paper with skewers. The steaming hot cheong fun should be al dente chew and when cooked correctly it should have a smooth texture.
A favourite snack of heaps of kids and adults also. The egg waffle is shaped like an egg and it’s one of Hong Kong’s long standing street foods. It comes in a golden colour shaped like honeycombs; they are hollow on the inside but has a strong cake flavour. The hollowness of the egg waffle gives you fun experiences when biting into it, crispy outside and softness inside. The waffle recipe has been improved and many people have created different flavours like chocolate, strawberry, matcha etc. They have also made the egg waffle into a cone shape that can hold different ice-creams and toppings. My favourite is still the original.
Fishball n
oo so dle up
Fish Ball noodle soup is a must try in Hong Kong. You can find the best and famous one on the side of the road or even under a bridge hidden. The bowl of goodness is filled with rice noodles, hand-made fish balls or fish slices, choy sum and garnished with green onion.
Pin e
Some stalls sell their fish balls on the side covered with curry sauce, if you just want a quick snack (Curry fish balls are my favourite, I always ask mum and dad to take me to the best ones when we’re in Hong Kong).
bu n e l p ap
Pineapple bun doesn’t actually have pineapple in it. They have called it this as it looks like the skin of a pineapple. When I was younger, I was convinced it had pineapple in it and didn’t believe my parents. In fact this yellow, crumbly bakery treat served warm with a big slice of butter is the best thing you will have. The bun is crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside. I was always happy to have one of these at school for lunch! 59