Chef Danny Kou and his kam lu wantan
Chef Danny Kou KOUSINE PERUVIAN ASIAN anny Kou’s life goal is to share his culture’s flavors with the world. Peruvian-born of Chinese descent, his life has always been a blend of cultures and flavors. His grandfather immigrated to Peru from China in the 1940s and established one of the first Chinese restaurants in Lima. By the time Kou was born, his father owned and operated six restaurants, so continuing the family business was second nature to him. But before opening his two South Florida restaurants, Kou cut his teeth in California kitchens and refined his skills at Gastón Acurio’s esteemed La Mar restaurant in San Francisco as its executive chef. Five years ago, when Kou was ready to open his own concept, he decided to equally spotlight his Peruvian and Chinese heritages with Kousine Peruvian Asian, his take on both cuisines. He opened his first location on Fort Lauderdale Beach and chose Boca for his second location, a city he was very familiar with thanks to childhood vacations to visit family and friends who lived here. Peruvian Chinese cuisine, known in Peru as chifa, has a tumultuous history of Chinese immigrants arriving to Peru as inexpensive laborers after slavery was abolished in the mid-nineteenth century. They brought their food with them and cemented it into the Peruvian culinary scene with ingredients like rice, soy sauce and ginger. They also introduced the wok to Peru. These days, many dishes are prepared
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TIPS
• Find the best quality fresh fish—sushi-grade for ceviche. • Invest in a wok to develop the techon the deep cooking pan, nique. To make a stir fry: Make sure including classic dishes it’s very hot, add a little oil (sesame or called the lomo saltado, or canola), sear the protein (one minute stir fry, and arroz chaufa, or each side for beef). Vegetables always fried rice. go at the end. Add soy sauce, oyster “The two cultures, they sauce, chicken stock, red wine vinegar go very well (together),” and finish with butter. he explains.“So, it’s been natural for me to develop • Watch the heat; don’t get burned. my dishes.” Kousine’s signature • Go to a Latin grocery store and check dishes include the causa, out the products for yourself. similar to a layered terrine, made with whipped potato prepared in a yellow pepper and lime juice sauce and topped with avocado, tuna tartare mixed with sesame oil and Peruvian rocoto pepper sauce and finished off with jumbo shrimp. Another dish he’s proud of, the Kam Lu Wantan, is a stir fry dish made with barbecue pork, shrimp, beef and chicken mixed with Chinese vegetables like bok choy, bean sprouts, snap peas and pineapple that’s then tossed in a homemade tamarind sauce served with fried wontons. The sauce, a secret recipe that was passed down to Kou from his grandfather, has been a staple in all the family’s restaurants since Peru. Kou’s favorite dish: ceviche.“I could eat classic ceviche every day. I feel like I have more energy, and it’s so light.”
bocamag.com • • • • May/June 2023
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