Category: Asian food

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Spicy garlicky soybean paste prawns and soba noodles

prawn noodles with Korean fermented soybean paste

Although my recipes in this blog are mostly vegetarian, I equally enjoy eating and cooking meat and seafood. Unfortunately my husband cannot eat most shellfish, which in fact is my favorite protein. So whenever I am not dining with him or he’s out of town I go hard on eating and cooking shellfish. Not that he banned me from eating them when he’s around, (he only pouts a little if I order them at restaurants sometimes) but sharing our food together is so important to us that I don’t want to cook or eat anything that he cannot enjoy. He was away for over 2 weeks recently, and I was able to come up with a couple of shellfish dishes that I really like during this time. This prawn soba is one of them, and it is simple, healthy, and delicious. Continue reading Spicy garlicky soybean paste prawns and soba noodles

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Hearty belly warming Korean stew – Deulkkae Sundubu

Korean deulggaesundubu

I have been wanting to post this recipe for quite a while. The reason it took me so long is mainly because of this dish being almost impossible to plate pretty for the pictures and the summer here has been hot as hell (too hot for belly warming stew…!) Weather has finally become so much cooler now, but I have to say this was definitely the most challenging food to photograph. Continue reading Hearty belly warming Korean stew – Deulkkae Sundubu

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Balinese “Gado Gado” inspired vegetables in peanut sauce

I came back from Bali earlier this month. And as expected, it was a paradise and more. Actually Bali had been off our holiday destinations list for a while. It was because of an unfortunate incident my husband had, which led to him getting stranded at the airport (old one, not the shiny new one they have now) and having to sleep in a room with a rat many years ago. Understandably he was quite traumatized by what happened and I almost gave up on going to Bali ever. So it was a real surprise that he suggested Bali as our late summer holiday destination. And I am so happy that he’s recovered from the mortifying experience, because I love-love-loved Bali. Continue reading Balinese “Gado Gado” inspired vegetables in peanut sauce

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Hangover breakfast – Kimchi and barley flour pancakes

kimchi pancakes

There aren’t that many things that I like more than Kimchi and eggs in this world. Especially when I am hungover and craving for something rich, spicy and refreshing at the same time. If I come home tipsy and I know that I will be hungover the next day, I head to the kitchen and make myself a Kimchi omelet no matter how late it is. This omelet makes me wake up with a puffy face but it also keeps me from having a splitting headache and nausea. I don’t know whether Kimchi actually cures the hangover or our brains and stomachs are just programmed to think that way but Kimchi is one of the most common hangover cure food in Korea. (As you could probably guess, we eat Kimchi for almost anything). Continue reading Hangover breakfast – Kimchi and barley flour pancakes

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The most delicious journey through Jeju Island, Korea

If you are planning a trip to Korea for the first time, you should definitely go to Seoul. A city that truly never sleeps. You could shop, eat, drink and party around the clock. You could easily have 4-5 meals a day as well as snacks and street food if you can handle it. But if you have been to Seoul and looking for some peace and quiet away from the hectic city, Jeju island (Jejudo in Korean) is the place for you. Jejudo is a volcanic island dominated by Hallasan (shield volcano and the highest mountain in South Korea). There is no place like Jeju island in Korea in terms of natural beauty, clean air and more importantly the food. This was my second time visiting and I fell in love with it all over again. Continue reading The most delicious journey through Jeju Island, Korea

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Coconut miso chicken breasts with toasted sesame seeds

To be honest, I used to hate chicken breast. I just could not understand why anyone would ever eat that tasteless dry meat. I am a huge fan of fatty and flavorful cuts of meat like pork belly, rib eye and duck breast (with skin on of course), so the idea of having chicken breast as main protein in my meal seemed too boring. It was only last year when I started to care more about eating healthy that I decided to give a go with chicken breast. I had tried as many cooking techniques as I could find for months, but perfectly cooked juicy chicken breast I wanted seemed almost unachievable. Continue reading Coconut miso chicken breasts with toasted sesame seeds

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Indian cooking class in Delhi – Spice, Family and Love

I think it’s pretty obvious that I love spices ;-). I truly believe that they bring magic to the dish with smell, color, depth and complexity of flavor. Although I was a fan of them as long as I remember, my passion really began with the Moroccan cooking class I took in Marrakesh. So when I decided to spend over a week in India, I could not plan my trip without signing me and my husband up for a cooking lesson. I always thought I knew Indian food. Living in London for 4 years, having Indian food almost every week here in Hong Kong and watching lots and lots of cooking shows. But now I see that whatever I knew before was nothing compared to what I had seen, smelled, tasted, and learned during my trip and an amazing class with Jyoti at Gourmet Desire. I am planing on recreating a dish or two based on recipes I learned from her soon. This post is a kind of preview, so stay tuned 🙂 Continue reading Indian cooking class in Delhi – Spice, Family and Love

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‘Tteokbokki‘ – Spicy Korean rice cakes with 7 minute eggs

Spicy rice cake, known as ‘Tteokbokki’ is an ultimate Korean street food. Every single one of us grew up eating this and it was the very first dish I ever cooked at home using my little brother as a taste tester. It is still extremely popular anywhere in Korea, where we have countless little joints, street vendors and even one of the streets of Seoul named after it (guess what kind of restaurants you can find there 😉 ). And if you are a foodie planning a trip to Seoul, this area is worth stopping by. Continue reading ‘Tteokbokki‘ – Spicy Korean rice cakes with 7 minute eggs

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Soybean paste chicken with rice and broccolis

I had the most amazing holiday in New Zealand earlier this month, and thanks to all the delicious meals I had there, I came home feeling like a big balloon :-(. In order to prepare myself for even more rich and festive meals ahead this month (don’t you just love December? ;-)) I decided to take a little break from indulging too much and trying to eat healthy whenever I can. Naturally my mind goes straight to Asian, especially Korean ingredients that I’m familiar with when I plan a healthy meal. And the fermented soybean paste (Doen Jang) is probably the heart and soul of ‘wellbeing food’ in Korea. Continue reading Soybean paste chicken with rice and broccolis

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Miso and ginger poached salmon with warm soba noodles

Salmon is something I cook at least a couple of times a month, especially when I want a light and nutritious meal with lots of flavors. I really enjoy poaching salmon because it keeps its flesh ever so delicate and moist as well as being healthy. For me the best part is to be able to play with poaching liquid with different ingredients. In this post I will be sharing a recipe with classic Asian flavor combination of miso and ginger. No matter what you have in the liquid, the key is not to poach your fish in a boiling hot water. Let’s face it, there is nothing worse than tough and overcooked fish (well, besides overcooked chicken)… Continue reading Miso and ginger poached salmon with warm soba noodles