Hong Kong comfort food
Dai pai dong at home
We’re a quarter (and a bit) through the year, with Sydney starting to cool down. The past three months have been fast-paced, full-on, and honestly, a bit chaotic - but it’s reminded us of Hong Kong’s clattering woks. With the hiss of soy hitting hot metal and the smoky scent of sizzling, aromatic oil in our mind, we’ve been living like a Dai pai dong. Tiring, a little messy, but a whole lotta fun.
Dai pai dongs are Hong Kong’s iconic open-air food stalls. Tables spill onto the pavement. Dishes come out fast, loud, and full of soul. No-frills and no bullshit - just damn good food, icy-cold 500ml bottles of Blue Girl (a German pilsner), and a vibe that feels gritty, electric and alive. The name literally translates to “big license stall”, which is reflective of the large license permits issued by the government to these street-side food vendors, post WWII.
Inspired by the buzzing backstreets of Sham Shui Po and our New Year’s Eve feast at Oi Man Sang, we thought to bring that energy back into our little kitchen for a humble yet deeply comforting spread. Stir-fried beef and potato, golden and tender. Soy sauce wings, sticky and glossy. Wok-fried bok choy, blistered just enough for some precious home-kitchen wok hei. This is food made to be shared, but look, we both got the appetite of a whole dai pai dong crowd.
Oh, and here is our food map for Hong Kong btw (thanks to those that contributed - you’ve got great taste).
Cook the menu
Soy sauce braised wings
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
7 whole chicken wings
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
2 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
Stems from 2 spring onions (scallions)
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tbsp Neutral oil
5 slices of ginger
2 ½ cups water
Method
Add chicken, Shaoxing wine, soy sauces, sugar, spring onion stems and garlic cloves to a mixing bowl. Mix well and let marinate for 10-15 minutes.
Heat wok over medium heat. Once it begins to smoke add neutral oil. Once oil starts to shimmer, add ginger slices and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the marinated chicken wings and brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Pour in the remaining marinade, including the garlic and spring onion stems. Let simmer for 1 minute.
Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 20-30 minutes.
Remove lid and simmer uncovered until the sauce reduces to a glossy consistency. Serve with white rice.
Beef & Potato Stir-Fry
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
The beef and marinade
250g scotch fillet or rib-eye, cut into 3cm (~1 inch) chunks. We used Angus beef.
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp water
1 tsp light soy sauce
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp sugar
½ tsp oil
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water for a cornstarch slurry
The potatoes
2 red potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into 3cm (~1 inch) chunks
The sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Knorr liquid seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp msg
The rest
Neutral oil, for deep frying, (reserve 1 tbsp for stir-frying)
½ onion, diced
1 long red chilli, sliced
1 long green chilli, sliced (we used green banana pepper since we had that on hand)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 spring onions, cut into 3cm (~1 inch) lengths
½ tsp coarsely crushed black pepper
Method
Marinate the beef with Shaoxing wine, water, soy sauce, salt, pepper and sugar marinade ingredients and set aside for 20 minutes.
Add water to a pot, bring to boil and par-boil potatoes for about 2-3 minutes until slightly soft. Drain well and set aside.
To prepare the beef for frying, drain any excess marinade, then mix in the oil and cornstarch slurry until evenly coated.
In a saucepan, add enough neutral oil to deep-fry the potatoes and beef.
Add neutral oil in a saucepan, enough to deep fry and submerge the potatoes and beef. Heat the oil over medium heat to 180°C, or until bubbles form rapidly around the tip of a wooden chopstick or wooden spoon handle when dipped in.
Deep-fry the potatoes until golden and crisp, about 3-5 minutes, then drain and set aside. In the same oil, deep-fry the beef for about 1-2 minutes until browned, but not fully cooked (don’t overcook it as you’ll finish it in the wok later). Drain and set aside.
Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1 tbsp of the reserved neutral oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the onion, spring onion, garlic, chillies and pepper until fragrant and lightly softened. Return the beef and potatoes to the wok. Pour in the sauce and toss to coat everything evenly. Serve immediately.
Wok-Fried Bok Choy
Serves 2–3
Ingredients
2-3 bunches bok choy, cleaned and trimmed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp neutral oil
1 tsp oyster sauce
Salt, to taste
Method
Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add the neutral oil. Once oil starts to shimmer, add the bok choy and toss quickly for about 1 minute.
Add the garlic and continue stir-frying until fragrant.
Add the salt and oyster sauce. Toss to coat, then remove from heat and serve immediately.
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