Chinese Food Picture Album

[hzrt8w]

I am fortunate enough to live very close to a few Cantonese style seafood restaurants which offer great, authentic Cantonese cuisine. Occasionally I drop by some of the best Chinese restaurants in the San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles areas. I want to create this new thread to post a series of Chinese food pictures with descriptions on how the dishes are made. Chinese dishes that are offered in restaurants.

Many Americans know Chinese food as Egg Rolls, BBQ Pork Fried Rice, Egg Foo Young, Sweet and Sour Pork, Chow Mein, and the latest Orange Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian beef popularized by franchised Chinese fast food operators such as the Panda Express and Pick Up Stix. But Chinese food is much more than that. Through my perspectives, I hope that you would find some dishes that you may not know about or may have overlooked on the menus.

And to the poor souls living in a foreign land where Chinese food cannot be found easily, I want to apologize in advance!

Edited November 4, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[hzrt8w]

Picture:

Chinese name: 薑蔥霸王雞

English name: Steamed Chicken with Ginger and Green Onions; Emperor Chicken

Category: Cantonese dinner entree, Poultry

Description: Whole chicken, first marinated then steamed to perfection. Chopped into pieces when served. Shredded ginger, green onions and sliced chili are laid on top of the chicken. Fuming hot oil is poured on top, followed by a splash of light soy sauce.

Condiment: (Optional) Grated ginger and chopped green onions mixed with salt. Fuming hot oil poured on top.

(Offered at: Yeung City Seafood Restaurant, Sacramento, CA, USA)

Edited November 4, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[Jake]

Mmmm. Looks delicious and a fabulous idea for a new thread, thanks again hzrt8w!

[prasantrin]

Picture:

Chinese name: 薑蔥霸王雞

English name:  Steamed Chicken with Ginger and Green Onions; Emperor Chicken

Category: Cantonese dinner entree

Description:  Whole chicken, first marinated then steamed to perfection.  Chopped into pieces when served.  Shredded ginger, green onions and sliced chili are laid on top of the chicken.  Fuming hot oil is poured on top, followed by a splash of light soy sauce.

Condiment:  (Optional) Grated ginger and chopped green onions mixed with salt.  Fuming hot oil poured on top.

(Offered at:  Yeung City Seafood Restaurant, Sacramento, CA, USA)

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This is one of my all-time favourite dishes. I also like it when it's done with fish, but chicken is my favourite. I keep hoping you'll add it to your pictoral home-cooking series (hint hint, nudge nudge ).

[hzrt8w]

...  I keep hoping you'll add it to your pictoral home-cooking series (hint hint, nudge nudge  ).

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Sure. Thanks for the suggestion. This is pretty easy to make at home. Time to sharpen the cleaver and have the Chinese round chopping board ready!

[Marco_Polo]

And to the poor souls living in a foreign land where Chinese food cannot be found easily, I want to apologize in advance! 

Objection objection, can I please request that the eGullet moderators BAN this post immediately. It is too cruel and unusual punishment for those of us who, as anticipated above, are unable to find decent (or even half- or quarter-decent) Chinese food where we live - I'm way down in the boondocks of Southwest England.

On second thought, I've been enjoying the Chinese home cooking pictorials so much, and this thread will only add to the virtual vicarious pleasure of it. If I can't go out for good Chinese food (or even half- or quarter-good) then the next best thing is drooling over this monitor.

Sad, ain't it?

But thanks again in advance!

[I_call_the_duck]

Sure.  Thanks for the suggestion.  This is pretty easy to make at home.  Time to sharpen the cleaver and have the Chinese round chopping board ready! 

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Yeah!

Question: I have the sharp cleaver, need the chopping block, but I have trouble when it comes to hacking a whole chicken. I have the tendency to lift my cleaver and hack away, as I see them do it in the duck shops. Is this not the correct way? Is there a trick, or does it just take practice? Do I need to put drop cloths around my entire kitchen when hacking to avoid splattering?

[hzrt8w]

[...]  Is this not the correct way?  Is there a trick, or does it just take practice?  Do I need to put drop cloths around my entire kitchen when hacking to avoid splattering?

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I observed the butchers in the Cantonese BBQ shop... first the chicken is cut in halves with a cleaver - along the spinal cord. Now deal with half a chicken. First cut off the wing. Then lay it flat and chop the wing into a few pieces. Then cut off the leg right at the joint - just soft cartilages, easy. Cut off the drum stick at the joint. Then chop up the drum stick into 2 pieces. The thigh: lay flat and chop into 3 to 4 pieces. Next: the back and the breast. Make one cut to separate the back and the breast. Make a few chops on the back (mostly vertebrate and rib bones). Finally the breast. Make a few chops perpenticular to the spinal cord. Finished. Repeat the same process on the other half. I think the key is whenever you have a piece of chicken to chop up, you have to prepare it in a way that it lays flat on the chopping board so that the bones will be sharply cut and not crushed.

Having the small pieces of chicken and fat splattered around is what I don't like about doing this at home. My MIL uses a trick - though it is not visually appealing but it is very practical. She lays some used newspaper on the floor to cover a 4ftx4ft area. Put the round chopping block right in the middle, then chop the chicken right on the block on top of the kitchen floor. Afterwards, just discard the newspaper. May be some spots on the cupboard doors or drawers need to be wiped but not too bad usually.

Edited November 4, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[canucklehead]

I've tried to keep a pictorial of the Chinese Restaurants in Vancouver BC - so I will attach the link here. Chinese in Vancouver

I will continue to post in the Vancouver thread - but I am not sure if I should post here also (seems like it would be double posting).

Enjoy!

Ugh - now I want Chinese food for lunch...

[hzrt8w]

I've tried to keep a pictorial of the Chinese Restaurants in Vancouver BC - so I will attach the link here.  Chinese in Vancouver

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Thank you for the link, Lee! There are some awesome pictures!!!

[I_call_the_duck]

I observed the butchers in the Cantonese BBQ shop... first the chicken is cut in halves with a cleaver - along the spinal cord.  Now deal with half a chicken.  First cut off the wing.  Then lay it flat and chop the wing into a few pieces.   Then cut off the leg right at the joint - just soft cartilages, easy.  Cut off the drum stick at the joint.  Then chop up the drum stick into 2 pieces.  The thigh: lay flat and chop into 3 to 4 pieces.  Next: the back and the breast.  Make one cut to separate the back and the breast.  Make a few chops on the back (mostly vertebrate and rib bones).  Finally the breast.  Make a few chops perpenticular to the spinal cord.  Finished.  Repeat the same process on the other half.  I think the key is whenever you have a piece of chicken to chop up, you have to prepare it in a way that it lays flat on the chopping board so that the bones will be sharply cut and not crushed.

Having the small pieces of chicken and fat splattered around is what I don't like about doing this at home.  My MIL uses a trick - though it is not visually appealing but it is very practical.  She lays some used newspaper on the floor to cover a 4ftx4ft area.  Put the round chopping block right in the middle, then chop the chicken right on the block on top of the kitchen floor.  Afterwards, just discard the newspaper.  May be some spots on the cupboard doors or drawers need to be wiped but not too bad usually.

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Thanks, Ah Leung. I think my problem is getting the exact spot that I need to chop without cutting off my fingers in the process. I can easily cut the joints and the ribs, but for example cutting the drumstick in two pieces. Do you just exert pressure on the bone, or actually lift the cleaver up a few inches and bring it down like a guillotine? I like my fingers, and would like to keep them intact. Please clarify...I'm a bit slow today.

My mom used to freak when my dad would splatter grease all over the place. (I got hit several times from a few feet away when I was vulturing for the chicken feet.) When she starting taking over the cooking duties, mom chopped the chicken in the sink. I would think it would be more difficult but it works for her.

Edited November 4, 2005 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[hzrt8w]

[...]  Do you just exert pressure on the bone, or actually lift the cleaver up a few inches and bring it down like a guillotine?

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Oh, you definitely have to swing you arm up and sway the cleaver down to chop. The momentum - by the heavy weight of the cleaver and your arm swinging motion - along with the sharp edge is what cut the chicken bone clean, without crushing. The chopping block is important too. The best is the soft kind where it absorb the pounding. If you chop chicken on the modern white plastic boards the result is not as good.

[hzrt8w]

Picture:

Chinese name: 蒜子魚腩煲, or 紅燒魚腩豆腐煲, or 斑球豆腐煲

English name: Braised Fish with Roast Pork in Garlic Sauce, or Cod Filet with Tofu in Clay Pot

Category: Cantonese dinner entree, Clay Pots

Description: Cod filets, tofu (with skin deep-fried first), a few pieces of roast pork and whole garlic braised in a clay pot with sauce made from oyster sauce and soy sauce.

(Offered at: Won Kee Seafood Restaurant (408-955-9666), Milpitas, CA, USA)

[I_call_the_duck]

Oh, you definitely have to swing you arm up and sway the cleaver down to chop.  The momentum - by the heavy weight of the cleaver and your arm swinging motion - along with the sharp edge is what cut the chicken bone clean, without crushing.  The chopping block is important too.  The best is the soft kind where it absorb the pounding.  If you chop chicken on the modern white plastic boards the result is not as good.

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I thought as much. I'll have to practice. Wish my fingers luck. Thanks again for the advice.

Picture:

Chinese name: 蒜子魚腩煲, or  紅燒魚腩豆腐煲, or 斑球豆腐煲

English name: Braised Fish with Roast Pork in Garlic Sauce, or Cod Filet with Tofu in Clay Pot

Category: Cantonese dinner entree, Clay Pots

Description:  Cod filets, tofu (with skin deep-fried first), a few pieces of roast pork and whole garlic braised in a clay pot with sauce made from oyster sauce and soy sauce.

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*mouth watering*

[Laksa]

I think my problem is getting the exact spot that I need to chop without cutting off my fingers in the process.  I can easily cut the joints and the ribs, but for example cutting the drumstick in two pieces.  Do you just exert pressure on the bone, or actually lift the cleaver up a few inches and bring it down like a guillotine? I like my fingers, and would like to keep them intact.  Please clarify...I'm a bit slow today.

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Well, as the resident chopper of chicken in my house, I gotta say that chopping well ain't easy. The biggest challenge is chopping through the thigh and leg bone. If I don't bring the cleaver down from above my shoulder, my chop is too feeble to cut through the bone. If I raise my cleaver high to generate adequate force, my aim suffers terribly. Another challenge is to keep the cleaver horizontal from tip to handle at the point of impact, so that you don't make big nicks in the cutting board.

So what I've been doing to compensate for a lack of chopping skills is to use a two-step approach. I first chop with a compact swing, which improves accuracy. My compact swing isn't usually strong enough to cut clean through, but the cleaver will cut partly through and lodges itself in the bone. Now the piece of drum or thigh is attached firmly to the cleaver. I then raise the cleaver together with the piece of chicken and bring it all down with the force of a falling meteor. The sound from the impact should startle children and small animals within 2 miles or you're not doing it right.

Best done on a dry cutting board. Learnt the hard way.

The drawback to this method is that I sometimes get a few bone shards. It will help to have a really sharp cleaver.

[SuzySushi]

I'm not a big fan of cleavers because I can't seem to get the leverage (or arm strength?) needed to chop properly -- I much prefer my Japanese kitchen knife and leave any cleaver work to my husband!

But I'll add to the predominant advice here and say that the cutting board is very important. At our favorite Chinese roast pork/roast duck take-out place, the cleaver-wielder is a master! He uses a h-e-a-v-y cleaver, wears elbow-high industrial rubber gloves, and uses a thick (8", I estimate) slice of the trunk of a tree as his cutting board. It's well-worn from use and scrubbing, and actually a little concave in the center, but it works well to grip the cleaver blade and prevent slipping - or bones flying - during cutting. I'm not sure what type of wood it is, but I've seen similar cutting boards in Chinese restaurant supply houses.

[I_call_the_duck]

So what I've been doing to compensate for a lack of chopping skills is to use a two-step approach.  I first chop with a compact swing, which improves accuracy.  My compact swing isn't usually strong enough to cut clean through, but the cleaver will cut partly through and lodges itself in the bone.  Now the piece of drum or thigh is attached firmly to the cleaver.  I then raise the cleaver together with the piece of chicken and bring it all down with the force of a falling meteor.  The sound from the impact should startle children and small animals within 2 miles or you're not doing it right.

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I've used this approach myself, mainly with raw ribs. This method may be a little harder to manage with a steamed chicken, which Ah Lueng will hopefully post the recipe soon. (more hint, hint, nudge, nudge.) But I'll give it a try. Definitely will need to cover my kitchen with drop cloths.

Sorry if I managed to go off on a tangent from the original topic. Thanks everyone for their advice.

[prasantrin]

Question:  I have the sharp cleaver, need the chopping block, but I have trouble when it comes to hacking a whole chicken.  I have the tendency to lift my cleaver and hack away, as I see them do it in the duck shops.  Is this not the correct way?  Is there a trick, or does it just take practice?  Do I need to put drop cloths around my entire kitchen when hacking to avoid splattering?

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I don't have the sharp cleaver, or chopping block. But that's not such a bad thing if you consider that I can't get a whole chicken, or even chicken pieces with bones in them. I might be able to pick up a whole chicken at Costco, but then I'd have to get the sharp cleaver and the chopping block. Oh the dilemmas!

I wonder how bad it would be to use boneless chicken to make it...

[Dejah]

Question:  I have the sharp cleaver, need the chopping block, but I have trouble when it comes to hacking a whole chicken.  I have the tendency to lift my cleaver and hack away, as I see them do it in the duck shops.  Is this not the correct way?  Is there a trick, or does it just take practice?  Do I need to put drop cloths around my entire kitchen when hacking to avoid splattering?

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I wonder how bad it would be to use boneless chicken to make it...

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"Hacking up" a cooked chicken is much easier than cutting up raw bone-in meats such as spareribs.

My method is to use the tip of my cleaver to cut through from the neck to the butt along one side of the breast bone. At the butt end, you will have closer contact with the cutting board, and a hard a "push" on the top of the cleaver with the hand that is not holding the cleaver helps cut thru' the chicken into two still connected halves.The rib bones ( that are at the bottom in contact with the cutting board) are pretty flimsy. Place your cleaver full length along these rib bones on one side of the back bone, a push on top of the cleaver with one hand to add pressure will help you to cut thru' the rib cage. Now you have 2 halves.

Using the tip of you cleaver, chicken half cut-side down on the board, cut along where the drummet joins the body of the chicken. After the inital cut, pull the wing away, cut the tendon and put the wings aside. Leave these parts whole.

Do the same proceedure with the thigh and drumsticks, then pull the thigh away from the drumstick and sever the connective tendons. The thigh bones are strong, so you will have to be firm. If you are worried about hacking off your fingers, cut into the meat, then keeping your cleaver buried in the meat, hold the tip of the thigh with the other hand, raise both hands high enough to bang down on the cutting board with enough force to cut through the bone. If the first try doesn't cut through, as Laksa said, the cleaver is now embedded in the bone, and your second swing will be that much safer! These are usually cut into 3 pieces.

I am starting to sound like PROJECT!!!

The same can be done with the drumsticks. You can leave these whole or cut into 2 pieces.

With the rest of the chicken, it is fairly easy to cut up. If a rib bone resists, give the cleaver a downward jerk and it should cut thru'. To minimize splatter, cut the chicken with the skinside UP. This will also keep the chicken from sliding around on your cutting board.

If you arrange the pieces on a plate as you cut, you can keep the shape of a whole chicken for better presentation. I cut up one half, arrange on the plate, then cut up the second half. Otherwise, it ends up an alien chicken!

You can certainly use boneless chicken for this, prasantrin. Just ignore all the above!

For a variation, try a lightly thickened sauce made with rich chicken stock. This is good with just breast meat.

[hzrt8w]

Project: Chopping Chicken Whole

1.0.1 Lay drop cloth around kitchen area. Protect cupboard.

1.0.2 Lay newspaper on the center of floor, a 4ft by 4ft area.

1.0.3 Locate chopping block. Place on top of newspaper.

1.1.1 Locate cleaver. Check edge. Sharpen if necessary (see 1.1.1A)

1.1.1A (Alternate plan) Locate grind stone. If cannot be found, use file (See 1.1.1AA)

1.1.1AA (Alternate alternate plan) Try to locate the file in garage.

.....

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prasantrin: don't worry too much for not having whole chickens. I cook many Chinese dishes that call for whole chickens with just chicken breasts. My wife is a "pure white meat" person. You just adjust for the cooking time. White meat cooks faster and is not as tolerating as dark meat from overcooking. The meat is a little bit rough without the protection of the skin. That's the trade off. Cook the whole breast. Cut up into pieces with a chef knief when ready to serve.

Edited November 5, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[jo-mel]

Project: Chopping Chicken Whole

1.0.1  Lay drop cloth around kitchen area.  Protect cupboard.

1.0.2  Lay newspaper on the center of floor, a 4ft by 4ft area.

1.0.3  Locate chopping block.  Place on top of newspaper.

1.1.1  Locate cleaver.  Check edge.  Sharpen if necessary (see 1.1.1A)

1.1.1A  (Alternate plan) Locate grind stone.  If cannot be found, use file (See 1.1.1AA)

1.1.1AA  (Alternate alternate plan) Try to locate the file in garage.

.....

.....

 

prasantrin:  don't worry too much for not having whole chickens.  I cook many Chinese dishes that call for whole chickens with just chicken breasts.  My wife is a "pure white meat" person.    You just adjust for the cooking time.  White meat cooks faster and is not as tolerating as dark meat from overcooking.  The meat is a little bit rough without the protection of the skin.  That's the trade off.  Cook the whole breast.  Cut up into pieces with a chef knief when ready to serve.

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ROTFLMAO etc!! I'm feeling real punk today, and needed the laugh!

About the cleaver and chopping. When I'm just doing plain cutting/slicing, I have my hand on the handle AND partially on the top of the blade itself, so as to have complete control of the knife. But when I am chopping I grasp the handle only -- firmly, and use hard wrist action --- a firm flip from a height of a foot or more. And as Dejah said, if you knick the thick bones, so that the cleaver is stuck, the next flip of the wrist should do it. I also keep my other hand behind my back so that I won't be tempted to hold the piece.

[sheetz]

I've tried to keep a pictorial of the Chinese Restaurants in Vancouver BC - so I will attach the link here.  Chinese in Vancouver

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We seriously need to organize a Vancouver Chinese food tour...

[hzrt8w]

We seriously need to organize a Vancouver Chinese food tour...

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I think we should have a MOE (Member Organized Event) to meet in Vancouver for an annual 6-days/7-nights gathering. Just to eat!

Edited November 6, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[I_call_the_duck]

Project: Chopping Chicken Whole

1.0.1  Lay drop cloth around kitchen area.  Protect cupboard.

1.0.2  Lay newspaper on the center of floor, a 4ft by 4ft area.

1.0.3  Locate chopping block.  Place on top of newspaper.

1.1.1  Locate cleaver.  Check edge.  Sharpen if necessary (see 1.1.1A)

1.1.1A  (Alternate plan) Locate grind stone.  If cannot be found, use file (See 1.1.1AA)

1.1.1AA  (Alternate alternate plan) Try to locate the file in garage.

.....

.....

 

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Oh my, I've created a monster!! How about a pictorial about cutting a chicken?

We seriously need to organize a Vancouver Chinese food tour...

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I think we should have a MOE (Member Organized Event) to meet in Vancouver for an annual 6-days/7-nights gathering. Just to eat!

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Love that idea. I always plan my vacations around food.

[sheetz]

We seriously need to organize a Vancouver Chinese food tour...

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I think we should have a MOE (Member Organized Event) to meet in Vancouver for an annual 6-days/7-nights gathering. Just to eat!

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Or even better we could rotate between different cities, alternating between the East Coast and the West. It could be Vancouver, then NYC, then LA, then Toronto, etc.