XO sauce is the most valuable Cantonese condiment, with various umami flavors concentrated from dried scallops, Jinhua ham, and dried shrimps.  XO sauce got its name from the XO (extra-old) cognac. It is believed the chef developed the recipe at the Peninsular Hotel, a famous hotel in Hong Kong. The name is a misnomer since …

Sambal prawn (sambal udang) is the favorite Malaysian dish prepared with sambal tumis, a relish made with chilies, tamarind, dried shrimps, and belacan. It is cooked with sambal, the chili paste with a balance of spicy, savory, tangy flavor. Sambal prawn is usually served as the side dish. The sauce takes center stage as it …

Steamed minced pork with preserved vegetables is a no-frills typical Cantonese dish. All you need is minced pork, preserved vegetables, and some basic seasonings. It is a homecooked dish regularly served during my childhood, but I have never had it after leaving home for further studies. Recently, my wife suggested making it again to rekindle …

Here is a quick and easy asparagus chicken stir-fry recipe that is worth including in your regular dinner rotation. It is easy to prepare, a balanced meal by itself, and cooked with only the commonly available seasoning in the kitchen pantry, Although asparagus is not the most common vegetable in Chinese cooking, the cooking method …

You can prepare Char siu (Chinese barbecue meat) with chicken, not just pork.  Here is the recipe for char siu chicken. Cha siu chicken is an improvisation from the traditional Chinese BBQ Pork prepared with pork belly and shoulder loin. The flavor of char siu chicken is as good as char siu pork but is …

Suan la fen (酸辣粉, Hot and Sour Noodles) has won over me finally, although I grew up in a Cantonese family with little exposure to other forms of cooking in the early days. Perhaps I was born to love hot and sour stuff, and being devoid of having this spicy food since I was young …

Deep fried pork ribs come in different flavors and cooking styles. The best one is called ‘pork ribs king’ (排骨王), popular in Chinese restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia. The pork ribs are marinated, deep-fried, and doused in a sweet and sour sauce. It tastes heavenly when serving immediately while still crispy on the outside and …

Do you want to create a new recipe?  We all have moments of running out of ideas on what to cook. Although most of us would prefer preparing dishes that we are familiar with, we often repeatedly serving the same dishes at home. After cooking for more than a decade in the restaurant and being …

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 of these dishes as it is not the main item in most Chinese restaurants. Lotus …