Wok with Mom : Hokkien-Style Dishes Party Trays
The Chinese cuisine is probably one of the most varied types in the world. We all know about the Cantonese-style dim sum or the fiery hot Szechuan-style dishes but there's also Beijing-style, Shanghai style and the one that's closest to my heart... Hokkien-Style. The reason is simple, my ancestors came from Amoy (Xiamen), China which is the province of the hokkiens. Thus, I can speak Hokkien (our dialect) and grew up eating Hokkien-Style dishes which were lovingly prepared by my mom or my kongkong.
Hokkien-style of cooking makes use of a lot of vegetables and seafood. This is because Xiamen is located at the Southern portion of China where it has direct access not only to its neighboring provinces and countries but to water resource as well. Given that, I feel that each dish gives a very comforting taste and feel or maybe it simply because it's the kind that I would also link childhood or home memories with. Some of my favorites are my Kongkong's Kiam Peng, my mom's traditional Birthday Cha Misua, Mommy's Ma Wan (Pork Meatballs), Kongkong's Pata Tim (with omg, lots of collagen) and more.
One thing also with most of the popular Hokkien-style dishes is that it's not easy to prepare. In fact, some would take hours or a day to stew or to cook in order to bring out the flavor. Take the Amoy Fresh Lumpia for instance. In order to prepare that, one would have to carefully minced/grate every single ingredient -- the carrots, the cabbage, the seaweeds to be tossed with fried beehoon, the peanuts in sugar, the coriander leaves and so on. I am so amazed at how Kongkong can do this so well and if you think about it, one can easily consume this faster than how it was actually made. If you don't have the time to cook your favorite Hokkien-style dishes at home, then Wok with Mom comes to the rescue.
I was able to sample some of their signature dishes and here's what I think:
Pat Po Kwe (Eight Treasure Stuffed Whole Chicken with Glutinous Rice Stuffing and well, 8 delicious ingredients too) Php. 1,380
This was definitely my favorite from Wok with Mom. The chicken was very very tender as the meat falls off the bone. I love how it's stuffed with chestnuts, mushrooms, lotus seeds and more. The rice has a smooth texture and no hard or burnt piece at all. For the price, I really feel it's so worth it. This is definitely one that I would happily order on our next family gathering as I'm pretty sure everyone will love it the same way I do too.
Lo Ti Kha (Braised Pork Knuckle with Chestnuts and Mushroom) Php. 1,380
I tell you. Go to any Hokkein dinner table and this will never go missing. It seems like everyone loves pork knuckles complete with that thick layer of fat or collagen as they would defensively say. Even my 93-year old Angkong would request for this every single year for his birthday. There are two ways to enjoy this. First is with rice. Lots and lots of rice. With the pork simmered for more 48 hours, expect this to be full of flavor thus go ahead and soak your warm rice with the delicious dark sauce.
Another way is to pull the pork meat out and fill it inside a soft warm cuapao bun (Php. 580/12pcs). Top this with cilantro, sugared peanut and kiam tsai (salty veggie) and you're good to go! As for me, I usually go for the rice option BUT I still top it with the same toppings used in the cuapao. That's getting the best of both in my opinion. :)
Summer Vegetable Wrap (Php. 780)
This is a very interesting take of a traditional Hokkien dish which usually makes use of duck or pork meat. Popularly called "Hin Din Tsum Mua", Wok with Mom's version will make all vegetarians rejoice as it has maintained the same texture, the same delicious flavor, the same presentation only minus the presence of meat. It's so good! I can't believe that I was eating 100% veggie as the flavor was really spot on. Be sure to generously add some hoisin sauce on top to give it that perfect kick.
Ma Wan (Lucky Chinese Meatmall) Php. 680
Here's a little story for all of you. Back when I was in high school, we had this religious retreat which required us to stay in school for 3 full days. For one of our meals, our parents/family were tasked to send over our favorite food/dish. So, of course, our school cafeteria table was filled with all sorts of pasta, pizza, fried chicken, baked goodies and more. Typical food that a 16 yr old girl would love to eat. I wasn't sure what my Mom would be sending as I eat pretty much anything (haha!) Alas, came a glass container with my name on it. I opened it to see these tiny handcrafted meatballs which my Mom made herself. I got to admit that back then, it wasn't my favorite dish in the world but after that meal, it sure made it's way to #1 simply because my Mom decided to skip the fast food and opted to take the time out of her busy schedule to prepare it just for me. I was definitely the most GI (genuine Instik) girl with my most GI dish that night but I didn't care as I think my container full of Ma Wan totally trumps those pizza boxes and pasta platters any day. Till this day, my heart skips a beat whenever my Mom tells me that she made some Ma Wan. Even when I was living abroad, she would send over a good amount for me to take back and enjoy.
So, seeing Wok with Mom's Ma Wan totally brought back a lot of warm and happy memories. It may not be exactly like that of my Mom's but it was pretty good too. I like how it was soft and bouncy just how a perfect meatball should be.
Cha Bihon (Wok-fried bihon noodles) Php. 680
Another Hokkien staple. Next to the traditional Cha Misua which is served during birthdays, cha bihon is one comfort food that we all love to have any given day. It's actually the perfect dish to cook if you got left over veggies and meat in the fridge as nothing (yes absolutely nothing) goes to waste. The best way to enjoy this is to drizzle a good amount of Chinese black vinegar and I would always eat it with a spoonful of rice as a precautionary measure against indigestion.
All these dishes are staple when it comes to family gatherings and celebration. In fact, each has its own special meaning such as bringing prosperity, happiness or longevity. If you do not have the time to cook these dishes for your next party, I suggest to just save yourselves from all the hassle and just give Wok with Mom a call.
Order with Wok with Mom by giving them a call at +63917866-3562 (Oi),
One thing also with most of the popular Hokkien-style dishes is that it's not easy to prepare. In fact, some would take hours or a day to stew or to cook in order to bring out the flavor. Take the Amoy Fresh Lumpia for instance. In order to prepare that, one would have to carefully minced/grate every single ingredient -- the carrots, the cabbage, the seaweeds to be tossed with fried beehoon, the peanuts in sugar, the coriander leaves and so on. I am so amazed at how Kongkong can do this so well and if you think about it, one can easily consume this faster than how it was actually made. If you don't have the time to cook your favorite Hokkien-style dishes at home, then Wok with Mom comes to the rescue.
I was able to sample some of their signature dishes and here's what I think:
This was definitely my favorite from Wok with Mom. The chicken was very very tender as the meat falls off the bone. I love how it's stuffed with chestnuts, mushrooms, lotus seeds and more. The rice has a smooth texture and no hard or burnt piece at all. For the price, I really feel it's so worth it. This is definitely one that I would happily order on our next family gathering as I'm pretty sure everyone will love it the same way I do too.
I tell you. Go to any Hokkein dinner table and this will never go missing. It seems like everyone loves pork knuckles complete with that thick layer of fat or collagen as they would defensively say. Even my 93-year old Angkong would request for this every single year for his birthday. There are two ways to enjoy this. First is with rice. Lots and lots of rice. With the pork simmered for more 48 hours, expect this to be full of flavor thus go ahead and soak your warm rice with the delicious dark sauce.
This is a very interesting take of a traditional Hokkien dish which usually makes use of duck or pork meat. Popularly called "Hin Din Tsum Mua", Wok with Mom's version will make all vegetarians rejoice as it has maintained the same texture, the same delicious flavor, the same presentation only minus the presence of meat. It's so good! I can't believe that I was eating 100% veggie as the flavor was really spot on. Be sure to generously add some hoisin sauce on top to give it that perfect kick.
Here's a little story for all of you. Back when I was in high school, we had this religious retreat which required us to stay in school for 3 full days. For one of our meals, our parents/family were tasked to send over our favorite food/dish. So, of course, our school cafeteria table was filled with all sorts of pasta, pizza, fried chicken, baked goodies and more. Typical food that a 16 yr old girl would love to eat. I wasn't sure what my Mom would be sending as I eat pretty much anything (haha!) Alas, came a glass container with my name on it. I opened it to see these tiny handcrafted meatballs which my Mom made herself. I got to admit that back then, it wasn't my favorite dish in the world but after that meal, it sure made it's way to #1 simply because my Mom decided to skip the fast food and opted to take the time out of her busy schedule to prepare it just for me. I was definitely the most GI (genuine Instik) girl with my most GI dish that night but I didn't care as I think my container full of Ma Wan totally trumps those pizza boxes and pasta platters any day. Till this day, my heart skips a beat whenever my Mom tells me that she made some Ma Wan. Even when I was living abroad, she would send over a good amount for me to take back and enjoy.
Another Hokkien staple. Next to the traditional Cha Misua which is served during birthdays, cha bihon is one comfort food that we all love to have any given day. It's actually the perfect dish to cook if you got left over veggies and meat in the fridge as nothing (yes absolutely nothing) goes to waste. The best way to enjoy this is to drizzle a good amount of Chinese black vinegar and I would always eat it with a spoonful of rice as a precautionary measure against indigestion.
All these dishes are staple when it comes to family gatherings and celebration. In fact, each has its own special meaning such as bringing prosperity, happiness or longevity. If you do not have the time to cook these dishes for your next party, I suggest to just save yourselves from all the hassle and just give Wok with Mom a call.
Order with Wok with Mom by giving them a call at +63917866-3562 (Oi),
