Braised beef brisket in chu hou sauce (柱侯蘿蔔炆牛腩) is a popular dish found in many Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong, such as cha chaan teng (HK style cafes) and open-air food stalls (dai pai dong). Brisket is a tough cut of meat and requires cooking over a long period of time to become tender. If you have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can make Chinese braised beef brisket at home in just over an hour! 

The first time I tried pork belly with chili garlic sauce (蒜泥白肉) I was surprised to find that it was not fatty. When I think of pork belly, I usually think it’s greasy and coats your mouth with oil. However, this cold appetizer features moist and tender pork belly slices with a spicy and garlic-y sauce. After trying this dish at the restaurant a few times, I am recreating pork belly with chili garlic sauce at home. 

Mr. Chau and I stumbled upon Qin Ma Grill (秦媽吾家) on our way to Metropolis Comics and Toys on Kingsway across from Metrotown. We’ve never heard of this restaurant before but what caught my eyes were the serving vessels. Since we’re already here, we might as well give them a try right? Here’s what we ate for lunch.

While I love a nice bowl of hot noodle soup, I prefer to eat something cool to beat the summer heat. This is when I’d make a cold ramen noodle dish called Hiyashi Chuka (冷やし中華). This cold ramen dish consists of chilled ingredients, so you can prepare everything ahead of time. Just keep everything chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the noodle bowl.