My cast-iron wok has served our family for over five decades.  It’s more than a wok. It is our diary. It reminds me of my childhood years, frying noodles before going to school. It’s like a film roll, flashing out endless footage, depicting moments in different phases of our life. It’s more than 50 years …

If you ask any Chinese family whether they have ever cooked lotus root stir-fry (清炒莲藕) at home, chances are most of them will say yes.  However, if you are a non-Chinese living outside of Asia, you may not have heard these dishes as it is not the main item in most Chinese restaurants. Lotus root …

Sweet and sour pork 咕噜肉/咕老肉 is the traditional Chinese cuisine with a universal appeal. It is easy to prepare, kids friendly, which is perfect for any busy home cook. The pork pieces are doused in a thick, spoon-coating sauce with a constant pull between sweet and sour. The deep-fried pork is well balanced with the …

Sweet and sour fish was once a popular street food in Malaysia at the hawker stores at a reasonable price. Subsequently, the larger restaurant took the opportunity to make a few twists, using better quality fish to transform it into a restaurant-style presentation with proper garnishing.  In this article, I will explain how to prepare …

Is Manchurian chicken originated from China? Not quite. It is an Indo-Chinese dish. This dish was created by the Chinese chef Nelson Wang from Calcutta, India.  Manchurian chicken has similarities to the Chinese sweet and sour pork (Ku lo yuk /  咕噜肉).  It is deep-fried chicken doused in a gravy consisting of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, …

The last time I have chicken herbal soup seems eons ago. My mom would always boil the best soup for me. Now, who is going to make this soup for me?  So I took out the crockpot, which hasn’t been used for a long time. Remove all the stains, fix the loosened electric plug, and …

What makes Bo Kho (Vietnamese beef stew) stand out from the rest? The unique flavor! If you prepare beef stew with rosemary, thyme, and paprika, make a change by replacing them with lemongrass, fish sauce, coconut juice, and basil leaves! This article will explain how to prepare Bo Kho in detail.  If you live in …

What could be better than savoring Thai red chicken curry, the authentic street food with spices attacking all your senses?  Thai red curry is prepared with a blend of unique spices. The intense flavor of galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime, dried chili, fish sauce, shrimp paste, coconut cream, and basil leaves are concentrated into a thick …

Savory, spicy, and packed with the flavor of basil and fish sauce, that is what flashes across my mind when I think of Thai basil beef. It is a perfect one-pot meal, as it can make it in less than 30 minutes and satisfy almost every palate. The star of the dish is the whole …

Can you imagine how it tastes when a can of Coca-Cola is concentrated into just a few tablespoons? That is what you expect when it comes to Coca-Cola chicken 可乐鸡! I remember it was a hit in the ’90s in Asia, with a legion of fans, mainly the youngsters. The craze might have subsided, but …