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When I was growing up in Guangzhou, every now and then my mom and grandma would bring home Teochew (4hr drive from GZ) meat loaf from the market. These cylinder-shaped loaves would be sliced thin and pan-fried, or cut into strips and stir-fried with noodles or vermicelli. Simple, comforting, and very much a taste of home. The recipe turned out to be much easier than I expected and now I can recreate a beloved childhood delicacy anytime and share it with friends.
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It genuinely hurts me when my partner orders a $20.99 salt-and-pepper pork rib dish at a restaurant and the plate arrives with… eight tiny pieces of ribs. Eight. Altogether barely the size of two palms. That disappointment, combined with my love for anything fried, salty, and peppery (pork ribs, chicken wings, you name it), pushed me to recreate this classic Cantonese dish at home.
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The spring roll with an air pocket is my favorite dish at Fuhuihua, the new and buzzworthy Chinese fine-dining restaurant in San Francisco. When I first saw Chef Ge serving a spring roll, I was skeptical, how different could it really be? But the moment I bit into it, the top layer cracked gently like flaky pastry. Beneath that dramatic air pocket, Chef Ge had hidden the ocean itself: crab leg, crab roe, fish maw, and fish fin.
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Enoki mushrooms and fatty beef have always been a favorite from my parents’ home-cooked menu. It’s a simple dish, but the bold black pepper sauce enhances the delicate enoki, while the glossy, starchy coating locks in the beef’s rich flavor. Charles may think the photo doesn’t do it justice, but I’m sharing it anyway—for easy home cooking and my own future cravings!
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Word on the street is that my partner and friends actually prefer this puffy beef pancake over my layered beef pancake (link here)?! Personally, I love the soft, bready texture of a good scallion pancake, so when I stumbled upon this recipe for a fluffier beef-pancake version, I knew I had to try it. Who knows—maybe one day, I’ll even adapt it into a scallion pancake!
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If you’ve been following my recent posts, you might have noticed—I’m definitely obsessed with red yeast rice fermented tofu! I’ve been using it on everything from wings to short ribs to pork jowl, and I can’t get enough. Since it’s a bit harder to find than regular fermented tofu, I treasure every jar I can get my hands on. I first tried red yeast rice fried chicken wings in Teochew/Swatow while visiting home earlier this year, and honestly? My version tastes even better—and it’s way healthier thanks to the magic of air-frying!
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I’ve always loved short ribs and enjoy exploring new ways to cook them. When I discovered this Crispy Garlic Chili Ribs recipe, I was hooked to try it! The ribs are packed with bold, garlicky goodness (thanks to a genius garlic water soak!) and deliver that crave-worthy, deep-fried crunch — but with the magic of air frying. Less […]
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This is Charles’ favorite dish from House of Pancake, but I’ve only made it once—back during the pandemic—when I tested both Xiaogaojie and Laofangu’s recipes (as recorded here). Now, with some ground beef waiting in my overstuffed freezer and a childhood friend visiting, it’s the perfect time to refine the recipe and finally add it to my home-restaurant’s menu!
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A classic Cantonese dish, paper-wrapped garlic & fermented bean curd ribs have long been a restaurant favorite. While parents often hesitate to order them due to the traditional deep-frying, kids dive in whenever they get the chance at a banquet—I know I always did.
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I had tried making Yuxiang Eggplant a few times before, but I was never happy with the results. No matter what I did, something always felt off, and I started to believe that cooking eggplant just wasn’t my thing. Then, a friend shared Made with Lau’s Yuxiang sauce recipe with me… With this sauce, the flavors finally came together, and for the first time, I truly loved the Yuxiang Eggplant I made. It felt like a little victory in the kitchen, so I knew I had to document the recipe and share it!
