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Anti-traditional Chinese food


hzrt8w

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I just saw the episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" on "Hong Kong", in which he visited a restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong (I think) where the owner/chef is a Chinese but he cooks/prepares the Chinese food ingredients in a anti-traditional way. Anthony described him as "taking the traditional Chinese ingredients or recipes but completely turning it upside down to create something new".

One example is: (If I heard it correctly) he takes the Chinese sausage (laap cheung), grind it up, and mix it into ice cream? I think that's quite an idea.

Has anybody eaten at that restaurant or something similar to it in Hong Kong (or elsewhere)? What is your impression of those traditional Chinese ingredients/recipes prepared in an anti-traditional way? Do you like it?

I think running such a restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong makes sense because it is a place frequented by foreign visitors who may like innovative ideas. But I don't think such eateries would be easily accepted by the locals.

W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
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The restaurant that immediately comes to my mind as applying Chinese techniques or ingredients in an unsual way is Susur (in Toronto).

Hong Kong chef trained in both Chinese and French techniques. But I would not call it anti-traditional or fusion. He takes flavours that I am used to in a Chinese setting and uses French techniques to refine and sharpen the flavours. It all works in a harmonious and intelligent way. For example - as part of a dessert plate - he served what looked exactly like a salted duck egg - but when you bit into it - luscious cake and custard. Very funny and clever if you are in on the joke - but still worked as a dessert if you did not 'get it'.

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Though this wouldn't really qualify as fusion, I stopped in to buy a couple 卷饼 on a little back street here in Guilin the other day. The boss asked me if I wanted some "sth. sth. 酱“ with them. He then pulled out a small jar of French's Golden Mustard, spooned some into a little bag and sent me on my way.

Seeing as most Guilinese are less than accepting of foreign cuisine, I can say that's probably the most surprising food-related thing that's ever happened to me in China.

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Is that supposed to be a Chinese style burrito? What about something like pizza in China? I wonder how lop cheung, black mushrooms, and bitter melon tastes on a slice of thin crust.

I think lapcheung and dong goo would be wonderful on pizza, as with BBQ duck or char siu. Not too sure about bitter melon. :unsure:

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

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California Pizza Kitchen, being that they want put a lot of non-traditional (Italian) toppings on the pizzas, offers "Peking Duck" pizza. Though I haven't tried it.

W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
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California Pizza Kitchen, being that they want put a lot of non-traditional (Italian) toppings on the pizzas, offers "Peking Duck" pizza.  Though I haven't tried it.

Hubby had the Peking Duck pizza in Tarzana, CA while there for research. He liked it alot. Unfortunately, he can't remember details like I would! :angry::laugh:

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

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It's the amazing Old Beijing Chicken Wrap from KFC.

Well, I guess nothing brings back memories of Old Beijing like a chicken wrap from KFC. :biggrin:

What's in it? Chicken, hoisin sauce, cucumber, spring onions, and?? Anything else? Is it just a regular flour tortilla, or do they actually use paoping (sp?)?

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Well, I guess nothing brings back memories of Old Beijing like a chicken wrap from KFC.  :biggrin:

What's in it?  Chicken, hoisin sauce, cucumber, spring onions, and??  Anything else?  Is it just a regular flour tortilla, or do they actually use paoping (sp?)?

It's a plain flour tortilla. Yep, fried chicken fingers, hoisin, cucumber and spring onions. Basically they just substituted chicken fingers for the duck meat and skin. I think it was about 8-10 RMB each? They aren't very big; I'd estimate I'd need to eat 5 of them for a meal (yes, I am a big eater).

They have/had a value meal where you get a burrito, a side order of the ubiquitous "corn cup with mayonnaise" :laugh: and a drink for about 20 RMB. That said, if I were to spend 20 RMB, I could get 3 bowls of almost any noodle soup I want - wonton, fresh la mian, etc., and still have change for the bus.

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I've had Peking Duck Pizza back in my student days, not only that but Chicken Tikka and Donner Kebab pizza too.  It seemed like such a good idea at the time...

"There's a time and a place for everything, it's called college"

I think that's an old simpsons quote, not sure.

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I've had Peking Duck Pizza back in my student days, not only that but Chicken Tikka and Donner Kebab pizza too.  It seemed like such a good idea at the time...

After hearing my friends raved about California Pizza Kitchen, I finally went there with some friends and my first pie was Peking Duck Pizza. That pizza was the same reason I vowed never to go back.

The duck wasn't good and what was worse was that whoever did the hoisin sauce zigzags over the pizza went overboard so all I tasted was cloyingly sweet hoisin sauce in every single bite. The pizza didn't get finished. :shock:

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  • 3 weeks later...

i had a fabulous canape of "roast duck" (ie peking duck) in beijing, in which the duck meat was made into a sort of "chicken salad" ie with mayo, topped onto a crisp canape cracker thingie, and topped with a layer of crisp fatty deeeelish-ious duck skin.

i ate three, then noticed that everyone else ate one or two. so i stopped for the sake of politeness. anyhow, i think it was in Royal restaurant, the one near capital tower.

Marlena the spieler

www.marlenaspieler.com

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  • 3 weeks later...
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