Beer Battered Perch

Growing up as a kid in Malaysia, an occasional dining experience in restaurants specializing in serving Western cuisine would be what we kids called a treat. And kids being kids, we simply love the out of the norm food that we would usually get in those restaurants. One of the classic favorites would be the chicken chop, which I learned only years later that it is by no means a Western specialty surprisingly.

Unique to Malaysian mostly, this is more of a local creation that almost everyone from all ages has come to love and adore, but has somehow mistakenly linked it to the Western cuisine for a reason obviously unknown to me and stayed the way it is since. So much so that picturing and describing it here with words seem a little difficult. Here is a photo of it.

black pepper (gravy on the side) served with fried, coleslaw and mashed potatoes

That aside, I had always have a special liking for fish and chips in those restaurants all the same. And the preferences stay through all the years growing up. Leaving Malaysia to study abroad, while chicken chop was nowhere to be found, I was in a city with fish and chips aplenty. In Glasgow, Scotland, it is so popular you see them everywhere, pretty much like a Glasgow version of fast food. The Counting House right in the city center was where I had my first fish and chips away from my homeland, and somewhere in the same city was where I had my very first taste of beer battered fish and chips.

Re-creating the beer battered fish at home using perch fillets, it was a pleasant surprise to see how well they turned out to be. Perfectly browned with a light and crispy texture, they were nicely infused with beer flavor on the outside, yet nicely retaining both tender and flaky qualities on the inside.

ocean perch (on top) and yellow lake perch (bottom)

Wonton Noodles (Dry Version) 干捞云吞面

Having made some wontons, this is a continuation from the previous post Fried Wonton. Better known as Wantan Mee, the sight of a food stall selling both the soup and this dry versions of wonton noodle is almost always guaranteed in any Chinese food court alongside many others popular local favorites in Malaysia. Simply fresh egg noodle tossed in a specially mixed dark soy sauce, this dry version is often served with Chinese barbequed pork (char siu), wontons in a small serving of soup and some Chinese mustard green (choy sum), complete with pickled green chilies on the side.

Over time, there has been a lot more variations to this type of noodle seen. Apart from probably the most basic one featured here, some are served with roasted pork, roasted duck, braised chicken feet with mushroom, shredded chicken, fried wonton or any combination of these. Regardless of the preferred toppings, a good plate of wonton noodle is usually defined by the quality of the egg noodles used and the sauce that gives the primary flavoring to this heavenly plate of noodle.

Fried Pork and Shrimp Wonton 炸云吞

A popular snack in Chinese cuisine great on its own, this makes an awesome accompaniment to many other dishes even. There are multiple ways in serving this - deep fried, boiled or served in a bowl of soup. And likewise there are plenty of variations in pleating and wrapping the wontons, almost like an art work itself. The one featured here will be the one using just the few simple ingredients with no fancy wrapping method - exactly how I would usually make them at home most of the time.

spring onion, garlic, shrimps and pork

Dolsot Bibimbap 돌솥 비빔밥

A signature dish in Korea, this is pretty much the Korean version of mixed rice. Served in a hot stone bowl, it is a surprisingly versatile dish - a bed of cooked rice, topping it with an array of vegetables, a choice of meat, a runny egg and completing it with the gochujang (red pepper paste). There is not a defined line of ingredients that must be used in making this. Prepared individually either seasoned or sautéed, the selection of vegetables including the choice of meat served can always be tailored to one's personal preference. Right before serving, the runny egg will be broken and mixed up with everything else in the bowl creating a concoction of taste, colors, and texture in every bite.

bean sprouts, spinach, shiitake mushroom, carrots,
wood ear fungus, zuchhini and pork

Shredded Pork with Tofu and Hot Peppers 双丝小辣椒

I first had a taste to this dish in a Shanghai-style restaurant in Canton, Michigan. While the restaurant's name Best China may have easily misled anyone to think that it is one of those many Chinese take-out restaurants in town, this eatery is a contrary to that. In fact, Best China was listed as the best Chinese restaurant in Michigan on CNNGo earlier this year.

This shredded pork with tofu and hot peppers is one of the first few dishes that we tried there, and had since become one of our favorites. A simple dish with simple ingredients, this dish stands out easily with its fiery hot jalapeno peppers balanced with the tender well marinated shredded pork and tofu strips.