Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Noodles

Cold Soba (Zaru Soba)

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Prearing the mentsuyu (dipping sauce)
Prepare mentsuyu according to this recipe. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for 1 hr.

To cook
Cook the soba only right before serving. Drain the soba in a colander and rinse the noodles under cold, running water until the noodles are cooled. Transfer to a bowl filled with cold water.
To serve, divide the soba among 4 plates and sprinkle nori on top. Pour the dipping sauce into 4 small cups with the 1 tbsp spring onions and a dab of wasabi paste (optional) on the side of each plate. Reserve the remaining mentsuyu for top-ups.
To eat, add the spring onions to the mentsuyu. Dip the soba into the mentsuyu and make sure to slurp when enjoying the noodles!

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad (Bun Bo Nam Bo)

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To Prep
Combine the sliced beef with oyster sauce, salt, pepper, lemongrass, chicken stock granules, half the minced garlic and 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
Mix well and let the beef marinate for about 30 mins
Heat the rest of the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic and stir fry until fragrant.
Add the beef and stir fry it. Set the beef aside when it’s done.

To Cook
Cook the rice vermicelli according to packet instructions.
Mix all the vegetables together in a large mixing bowl. Then, place some of the vegetables in a serving bowl.
Add some cooked rice vermicelli on top of the vegetables, followed by the beef and pickled daikon and carrot.
Garnish with the deep fried shallots and crushed peanuts.
Drizzle over with some dipping fish sauce. Ready to serve.

Hoi An Style Noodles (Cao Lau)

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To Cook
Begin by preparing the pork broth. In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add in soup pork meat, onion, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil again. Remove any scum floating on the water’s surface. Once it is boiling again, bring the heat down to a low and simmer the broth for at least 2 hrs.
Meanwhile, place the pork bellies into a bowl and mix in all other marinade ingredients. Combine well until meat is evenly coated. Set aside in the refrigerator until the pork broth is ready.
Heat up some oil in a large frying pan. Lightly shake the pork bellies to remove garlic pieces. Put them into the pan, reserve the marinade. Sear the pork belly pieces until browned. Set aside. Pour in reserved marinade and add 2 ladles of pork broth. Allow to boil and bring the pork bellies back into the pan. Simmer on low heat for 1½ hrs, turning the meat constantly.
Transfer pork bellies to a cutting board then, pour in 500ml of pork broth into the pan with the marinade. Bring to a boil and season accordingly. Slice the pork bellies into smaller strips.
Cook noodles according to packet instructions without any salt. Drain and set aside. Using the same water, blanch bean sprouts if desired.
Portion out the noodles into individual serving bowls. Top with bean sprouts, lettuce, spring onions and fresh herbs. Arrange a few slices of the barbecue pork belly on top of the noodles and ladle in a scoop of Xa Xiu broth.
Serve with sambal oelek, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and crackers.

Shio Ramen

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Preparing the Chicken stock
Place all the chicken bones, onions, carrots, and onions in a large stock pot and cover with water You want at least 3cms of water covering all the ingredients.
Start to boil the water and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Skim until no more scum rises to the top.
Add the sake and mirin to the stock.
Lower the heat to the point right before the stock boils. If you have a thermometer, this should be 80°C. Maintain at this temperature for at least 6 hours.
Strain the stock and set aside for later use.

Preparing the Dashi
Add the water and kombu to a pot and let it soak for 30 minutes.
Next, place the pot onto medium heat and let it slowly come to a boil.
Just before the water boils, remove it from the heat and add in the bonito flakes.
Return to the heat and let it simmer for a minute or two. Take care not to let it boil over.
Strain the dashi stock into another pot.
Add the salt, soy sauce, mirin, and sake to the dashi stock. Let the soup boil for a minute or two and remove from the heat.

Preparing the Tare
Soak the kombu in the mirin and sake overnight.
When done soaking, place all the contents into a small pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Take care to not let the liquids boil over.
Remove the kombu and add the chicken stock and ground chicken meat.
Allow the stock to boil until the meat is cooked. Turn off the heat and then let the ingredients soak for at least 30 minutes.
Strain the liquid into another pot. Begin seasoning with salt by adding at least 50gms of salt to the tare. Keep tasting and adding salt until the tare is salty, but not unbearably salty. Let it cool and store for later use.

Preparing the Ramen
Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. Then add them to boiling water for 6 minutes.
At the end of 6 minutes, remove the eggs from the boiling water and immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water.
Once the eggs have cooled, peel the shells off.
Cook the corn kernels by boiling in water for 5-10 minutes
Then, in a pot, add 150 ml of dashi and 150 ml of chicken stock and heat up over medium heat. This is soup for 1 serving or Shio ramen.
Start off by mixing in 1 tbsp of the tare to the soup, and add more to adjust the saltiness and flavor.
Cook the ramen noodles as per packet instructions and place in a bowl.
Add the corn kernels, and 6-minute eggs to the bowl of ramen noodles and pour the soup over.
Garnish with nori seaweed and serve.

Tsukemen

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Preparing the pork broth
To make the pork broth, it is recommended you use a pressure cooker, otherwise it will take a whole day just to make the broth.
Boil the pork leg bones in water over high heat for 30 minutes.
Remove the bones from the pot and discard the cooking water. Clean the bones of any remaining blood.
Cut the bones in two, and place in a pressure cooker pot along with 3L of water.
Pressure cook for 30 mins. Once the pressure of the pot has returned to normal, take off the cover and remove any scum.
Boil it on high heat for about an hour, turning the bones occasionally. Once the liquid has reduced significantly (you’re looking for about 1L of liquid left) filter the broth through a sieve.
Remove the bones from the sieve, and using a wooden spoon push through whats left of the bones (collagen, tendon etc) into the broth. This will give broth a rich umami flavor.
Leave overnight in the fridge.

Preparing the Cha Shu
Sear the pork on all sides in a pan. Then transfer into a pot of boiling water on low heat and cook for 30 minutes.
In a frying pan, add the sake and mirin and turn on the heat to burn off the alcohol.
Then add the soy sauce and sugar, and bring to a boil.
When the pork is done, remove it from the boiling water into the soy sauce marinade and let it cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Make sure to turn it over so that all sides have a chance to cook in the marinade.
Next, cover the pork in the pan with the marinade with a paper towel. Spoon the marinade over the paper towel to allow it to soak up the marinade. This is to let the marinade soak into the pork.
Let the pork marinade this way over night.

Preparing the tsukemen
You will notice that the broth has congealed due to the gelatin. Lightly break up the broth, and place in a pot and begin to boil on medium high heat. Turn the heat to low once it has liquefied and started boiling.
Separately, finely mince onion and some garlic and chopped some spring onions
Sear the outside of the cha shu pork with a blow torch. Then slice into ½ cm slices.
Boil the ramen noodles according to packet instructions.
Place the ramen on a plate with the sha chu pork.
In a small bowl, add minced garlic, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1⁄4 salt or adjust to your taste, 1 tsp dashi powder, 200ml of the pork broth, minced onion, chopped spring onions and seaweed.
Serve the ramen noodles with the soup and enjoy!

Chinese Hot Pot

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For Soup
Prepare a big pot and bring water to a boil. Boil the chicken carcass and pork bones for 5 mins and discard the water. This is to remove scum.
Fill in 2.5L of water into the pot and bring it to boil. Add in goji berries and red dates, simmer for 2 hrs. Season with salt according to taste.

To Enjoy
Once ready, transfer broth into a steamboat pot / hot pot, about half full. Place it on a portable electric stove. Add in your own combination of meat, veggies and fish. Let it boil and cook. When ready, dish out into individual serving bowls with small wire strainer or ladle. Dip cooked food into condiments and enjoy.
Repeat the same process by adding in meat, veggies and fish into the hot pot and allow to boil and cook once the first batch of cooked food have been distributed. Top up with broth when needed.
Noodles and eggs are usually added towards the end when broth is most flavourful after cooking all the ingredients.

Singapore White Bee Hoon

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To Prep
Marinade the squid and prawns with the marinade ingredients for 10 mins.

To Cook
In a stock pot, add the chicken carcasses, chicken feet, soybeans, rock sugar and water, bring to simmer. Add the stir-fried prawn heads and shells, bring to boil then simmer covered for 4 hrs, removing floating scum from time to time. Set aside.
In a wok, heat 1 tbsp oil and sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Add the rice vermicelli and fry for 1-2 mins. Remove and set aside.
Clean the wok, heat 2 tbsp oil and scramble the eggs. Add 800ml of the stock then the clams, prawns and squid. Cook covered until clams open partially, about 2 mins.
Add in the fish sauce, salt and white pepper, then add in the rice vermicelli and mix well. Let simmer for 3 mins.
Add the choy sum and simmer for 1 min. Add seasonings to taste, serve hot.

Vietnamese Style Tom Yum Hot Pot (Lau Thai)

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To Cook
Start by preparing the soup. Place all the ingredients of the soup into the hot pot, mix well and bring to a boil. Turn heat off and set aside.
Next, combine all the dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Place hot pot on the dining table and turn heat on to bring to a boil. Prepare and arrange all the other ingredients around the hot pot. One hot pot starts to boil, place a little of every ingredient in to the cook. Cover pot with lid and allow to boil, this is to ensure all ingredients are cooked.
Remove lid, turn heat down and eat fresh from the hot pot with some soup base and the dipping sauce.

Vietnamese Seafood Hot Pot (Lau Do Bien)

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To Cook
Prepare all fresh ingredients on separate platters around the dining table. Place electric hot pot or hot pot over induction hob in the middle of the dining table.
Prepare dipping sauce by adding sliced chillies into light soy sauce in a small platter.
Combine the stock, salt, sugar and fish sauce in a large pot and bring to boil for about 10 minutes. Transfer half of the stock into the electric hot pot or a hot pot over induction hob. Turn heat on and allow stock to boil again. Once boiling, add in fresh ingredients according to preference, in batches to avoid overflowing. Place lid back on and allow to simmer.
More stock may be added as and when needed.

Mala Sichuan Spicy Hot Pot

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To Cook
Gather all dried spices ingredients and cook with butter on low heat in a pan for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with lid and allow to cook for another 15 minutes. Strain butter into a mixing bowl and set aside.
Return the strained spices back to the pan. Add in Shaoxing wine and bring to boil over medium heat, then cover with lid and turn heat down to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. to the saucepan and add the wine. Turn heat off and set the pan aside, leaving the spices and wine in the pan.
In a separate pan, heat the strained spiced butter, add in minced ginger. Saute for about 5 minutes before adding in the chopped spring onions and minced garlic. Saute until fragrant then add in the cut dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes and add the chilli bean paste. Allow to cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes. Then gently strain the pan of Shaoxing wine into this chilli bean pot and discard the cooked dried spices. Add the rock sugar and allow the pot to cook for a further 30 minutes. The Sichuan spicy hot pot paste is completed here.
Prepare all of the fresh ingredients and plate them around the dining table.
Prepare the an electric hot pot or a hot pot over induction cook top, and place in the middle of the dining table. Turn heat on and add in the chicken stock. Scoop out half of the prepared Sichuan spicy hot pot paste and add to the chicken stock. Then add in the dried shitake mushrooms and dried chillies. Cover with lid and allow to boil. Once boiling, turn heat down, remove lid and add in any of the fresh ingredients, in batches. Cover the pot again with lid and bring it to a boil again. The ingredients should be cooked now and ready to be served. Add water when required as the hot pot will evaporate from cooking overtime.

Filipino Stir Fried Noodles (Pancit Bam-I)

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To Cook
Boil 2 cups of water with pinches of salt and cook chicken breast. Dish out once cooked through and reserve the pot of water. Allow chicken breast to cool then, shred the chicken into thin slices.
Put pork into a small bowl and marinate with soy sauce and vinegar for 15 mins. Heat some oil in a wok and stir fry the pork for 3 mins. Dish out, allow to cool and slice the pork thinly.
Slice Chinese sausage into small pieces and stir fry in the same wok at medium heat until cooked through in its own oil. Dish out and set aside.
Add about 1 tsp oil into the wok and stir fry shrimp until pink. Remove the shrimp, leaving the remaining oil in the wok. Chop the shrimp into smaller pieces and set aside.
Now in the same wok, saute garlic and onions in the leftover shrimp oil over medium heat until soft and fragrant. Put in shredded chicken and sliced pork and stir fry for 1 min. Then, add in bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, snow peas and cabbage, cooking and stirring for about 5 mins. Add about 1 cup of chicken broth saved earlier, soy sauce and brown sugar. Mix well and simmer for 10 mins.
Meanwhile, soak rice noodles in cold water and cut them into half. Also soak mushrooms in warm water for 2 mins before slicing them. Then, mix in rice noodles and mushrooms into the boiling broth and allow to cook for 5 mins. Finally add the canton noodles, stirring constantly and allow to cook for 10 mins until softened. Throw in chinese sausage, ground black pepper and soy sauce to taste. Simmer for 5 mins.
Serve the stir-fried noodles with calamansi or lemon and sprinkle with some spring onions.

Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut-Ginger Sauce

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To Prepare
Process all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

To Cook
Stir rice wine vinegar and salt into boiled water. Add noodles and let stand until softened, about 5 mins. Drain noodles.
Divide noodles, chicken, cabbage, cucumber, carrots and capsicum among 6 bowls.
Top each bowl with 1 tbsp peanuts and 2 tbsp of Peanut-Ginger Sauce. Serve remaining sauce on the side.