10 of us girls decided to organise a cooking night, held by the Chinese Cooking Workshop. It’s a large industrial kitchen with bilingual chefs and assistants – basically catered for expats to get together and learn how to cook Chinese food. IT’S HELLA FUN!
Chef Huang was our star of the evening – a very very sweet guy that joked along with the rest of us. He handled 10 women wanting to marry him for his culinary skills very well 😉 Man, the guy can cook! He makes it all look so easy, though we were struggling and looking so uncoordinated. It made me realise that Chinese cooking isn’t so hard, but it’s all in the preparation – which takes ages chop chop chopping stuff. Other than that, it’s all actually quite straightforward.
We whipped up 10 courses (!!!!!!!!!!!) and got to sample our hard work. The food was all, surprisingly, delicious! Impressive considering we were first-timers, but I chalk it up to Chef Huang’s great instructions and patience.. especially since we were all drinking wine and laughing whilst trying to cook 😉
It was a fabulous evening with girl friends, and a great way to get together and have fun, whilst being productive. The only thing I would suggest to them would be to also serve free-flow cocktails through the night (at an extra flat-rate price), which will make it a lot more fun. And perhaps to have a CD player with some great music. But all in all, it was brilliant fun. Plus, it was only US$20 per person!!!! To learn and eat 10 courses!!!! CRAZINESS. I love China.
Couldn’t recommend it more!
Walking down this lil alleyway in the rain, trying to find the place
And then up a dingy corridor, before I finally found it, totally hidden away!
Perched in the windowsill, with the rainy night sky behind us
The big kitchen classroom
Our mega menu
Ingredients
Us girls get to work chop chop chopping
Delicious beancurd and mushroom dish. Never had it before
but apparently it’s a very common dish here!
Cold cucumber appetiser – marinated in sugar, salt, sesame oil and garlic
The chef shows us how to cook up the pork
Double-fried pork with salt & pepper
Mushrooms and bokchoy in oyster sauce. Sooo easy to make!
Fried rice
Kung Po chicken – a cinch to cook!
Flash fried green beans in garlic, and a bit of salt/sugar
‘Saliva Chicken’ – what a name eh? It’s cold chicken in a spicy chilli oil. Awesome!
Our adorable chef holds up the filleted fish
Amazing, amazing, amazing fried fish with sweet & sour sauce
Tucking in
Making up the sticky dough for the dessert dumplings
Showing us how it’s done
Shaping the bits of dough..
Filling the dough with some red bean, then rolling it up
Our oddly-sized dumplings. ROFL!!!!
Another dessert we made, rice wine dumplings (plain, custard and red bean)
Domestic goddesses… bwahaha
All of us!
glad that you gals all enjoyed
Dear all, this is Aga, the founder of the chinese cooking workshop. chef huang and Celian are my colleagues, I was so touched that I found your article on my regular online research about the cooking program we offer, and it felt so happy that you all enjoyed and my colleagues did a great job. nice photos and you all welcome to get back to us whenever you like.
Aga, from shanghai
http://www.chinesecookingworkshop.com
glad that you gals all enjoyed
Dear all, this is Aga, the founder of the chinese cooking workshop. chef huang and Celian are my colleagues, I was so touched that I found your article on my regular online research about the cooking program we offer, and it felt so happy that you all enjoyed and my colleagues did a great job. nice photos and you all welcome to get back to us whenever you like.
Aga, from shanghai
http://www.chinesecookingworkshop.com
Looks like a fun evening.
Looks like a fun evening.
I love the bean curd dish! I always forget what it’s called so when I go to Shanghai I always struggle explaining what it is that I want to my relatives! I’m extremely picky with it too! It has to have the perfect sweetness!
It was the first time I had it, and I was much impressed! I think it’s healthy too..
yes chinese tofu is so great that you can cook it by any cooking method. if you want to learn chinese tofu cooking just have a look at this website: http://homechineserecipes.com/tofu/
I wish they had this sort of thing in Sydney. I really need to learn how to cook traditional Chinese food!
I know! Weird they don’t have similar in Sydney.. at least not for a similar price too :X
I love the bean curd dish! I always forget what it’s called so when I go to Shanghai I always struggle explaining what it is that I want to my relatives! I’m extremely picky with it too! It has to have the perfect sweetness!
It was the first time I had it, and I was much impressed! I think it’s healthy too..
yes chinese tofu is so great that you can cook it by any cooking method. if you want to learn chinese tofu cooking just have a look at this website: http://homechineserecipes.com/tofu/
I wish they had this sort of thing in Sydney. I really need to learn how to cook traditional Chinese food!
I know! Weird they don’t have similar in Sydney.. at least not for a similar price too :X
If I had that opportunity I’d take a cooking class weekly!!
Hehe they actually do run them weekly, such a bargain huh?!
US20 only?!?!?!?!?! thats CHEAP la!!
I know! we can’t even eat that food for that price in AU!
not even singapore, man!!
what a good price for a 10 courses meal and experience!
Was pretty astounded by the price.. only in China!
What an awesome experience! I would love to learn to cook all that stuff.
I’m SO glad Ijoined.. really opened my eyes to cooking some of the dishes I love . I reckon AU should have em too! 🙂
wow! so many dishes all at once!! and so cheap! i would go too, if they have that sg! =D
I know, the price was just innnnnnsane!
Looks like so much fun! So THAT’s how they put the filling into the sticky dough dumpling *blushes* I was wondering how do they always put that in 🙂
I was pretty fascinated too! You stuff the red bean in the middle and wrap the dough around it, then boil, and voila!
If I had that opportunity I’d take a cooking class weekly!!
Hehe they actually do run them weekly, such a bargain huh?!
Hey no pictures of the Kung Po? I have been trying to perfect the Kung Po but can’t find an ideal recipe!
Here’s the recipe the chef gave us!
gongbaojiding宫保鸡丁chicken with peanuts (kongpao chicken)
Yuanliao 原料 Ingredients
Jixiongrou 鸡胸肉 chicken breast
Shuhuasheng 熟花生 cooked peanuts
Ganlajiao 干辣椒 dry chili
Tiaoliao 调料 seasoning
Congbai 葱白 green onion, white part
Layout 辣油 chili oil
Shengchou 生抽 light soy sauce
Cu 醋 vinegar
Tang 糖 sugar
Danqing 蛋清 egg white
Zhizuo fangfa 制作方法 Cooking methods
1.鸡胸切丁，加盐，蛋清，生粉拌匀，备用．
Chop the chicken breast and marinate with salt, egg white, starch and set aside.
2．干辣椒炸香倒出，炒锅置旺火上，放油烧热，下鸡肉丁炒散，倒出．
Sauté the pepper corn, dry chili and set aside. Heat the wok and add oil, put the chopped chicken into the wok and quickly stir fry and till well cooked and set aside.
3．锅留底油放入姜片、花椒，葱白，干辣椒炒出香味，再放入水，老抽，醋，糖，倒入鸡丁花生，醋，淋上红油即可．
Leave the oil in the wok and add sliced ginger, peppercorn, green onion and dry chili. Sauté all those ingredients. Add water, dark soy sauce, sugar and add chicken and peanuts, vinegar. Add chili oil. Serve.
Bev, thanks!!! No specific amount eh. But I still want to try. It’s so hard to find good Kung Po, you can’t imagine!
gosh it looks like so much fun! 🙂 epecially with your friends around..
It’s an awesome way to hang out, though boy, do we overeat.. 😛
I totally love the set up of the kitchen!!
It was really nice and open, great for big groups!
The beancurd thing is called kao fu I believe. It’s the only Shanghainese cuisine I know 😛
The cooking looks like amazing fun though!! I love those cucumber appetisers and the cold chicken. *drool*
The beancurd dish was yum, didn’t expect to like it but i loved it!
US20 only?!?!?!?!?! thats CHEAP la!!
I know! we can’t even eat that food for that price in AU!
not even singapore, man!!
what a good price for a 10 courses meal and experience!
Was pretty astounded by the price.. only in China!
What an awesome experience! I would love to learn to cook all that stuff.
I’m SO glad Ijoined.. really opened my eyes to cooking some of the dishes I love . I reckon AU should have em too! 🙂
wow! so many dishes all at once!! and so cheap! i would go too, if they have that sg! =D
I know, the price was just innnnnnsane!
Looks like so much fun! So THAT’s how they put the filling into the sticky dough dumpling *blushes* I was wondering how do they always put that in 🙂
I was pretty fascinated too! You stuff the red bean in the middle and wrap the dough around it, then boil, and voila!
Hey no pictures of the Kung Po? I have been trying to perfect the Kung Po but can’t find an ideal recipe!
Here’s the recipe the chef gave us!
gongbaojiding宫保鸡丁chicken with peanuts (kongpao chicken)
Yuanliao 原料 Ingredients
Jixiongrou 鸡胸肉 chicken breast
Shuhuasheng 熟花生 cooked peanuts
Ganlajiao 干辣椒 dry chili
Tiaoliao 调料 seasoning
Congbai 葱白 green onion, white part
Layout 辣油 chili oil
Shengchou 生抽 light soy sauce
Cu 醋 vinegar
Tang 糖 sugar
Danqing 蛋清 egg white
Zhizuo fangfa 制作方法 Cooking methods
1.鸡胸切丁，加盐，蛋清，生粉拌匀，备用．
Chop the chicken breast and marinate with salt, egg white, starch and set aside.
2．干辣椒炸香倒出，炒锅置旺火上，放油烧热，下鸡肉丁炒散，倒出．
Sauté the pepper corn, dry chili and set aside. Heat the wok and add oil, put the chopped chicken into the wok and quickly stir fry and till well cooked and set aside.
3．锅留底油放入姜片、花椒，葱白，干辣椒炒出香味，再放入水，老抽，醋，糖，倒入鸡丁花生，醋，淋上红油即可．
Leave the oil in the wok and add sliced ginger, peppercorn, green onion and dry chili. Sauté all those ingredients. Add water, dark soy sauce, sugar and add chicken and peanuts, vinegar. Add chili oil. Serve.
Bev, thanks!!! No specific amount eh. But I still want to try. It’s so hard to find good Kung Po, you can’t imagine!
gosh it looks like so much fun! 🙂 epecially with your friends around..
It’s an awesome way to hang out, though boy, do we overeat.. 😛
I totally love the set up of the kitchen!!
It was really nice and open, great for big groups!
The beancurd thing is called kao fu I believe. It’s the only Shanghainese cuisine I know 😛
The cooking looks like amazing fun though!! I love those cucumber appetisers and the cold chicken. *drool*
The beancurd dish was yum, didn’t expect to like it but i loved it!