#ChineseFoodiesofIG: Brendan Pang of Bumplings Perth

Brendan Pang

This is part of an ongoing series of interviews I’m doing with my favourite Chinese foodies that I follow on Instagram. Come and follow the #ChineseFoodiesofIG hashtag on Instagram and leave a comment showing your support for these talented folk!

Where are you from? Where are you really from?

 I was born in Perth, Western Australia to Chinese-Mauritian parents. Mum was born in Mauritius and parts of her family origin are Cantonese. Dad was also born in Mauritius and his family came from Hakka origins.

What does home taste like?

Home tastes like a big bowl of wonton soup or some punchy Mauritian curry or stew. There are no frills or thrills, just big generous tasty food.

Favourite Chinese vegetable:

Chinese eggplant is my favourite vegetable. I like to braise it with a sweet and salty black bean sauce and serve it wil tofu and rice.

Share a food memory:

My favourite memory was learning how to make wontons and noodles from scratch around the table as a kid. Grandmere (my grandmother) would set a chair for me up against the bench and teach me how to make these during my school holidays. We would then enjoy it all as a family together afterwards.

A Chinese recipe everyone should learn:

Congee! A nice big humble bowl of congee with all the toppings is just the best.

Who's your Chinese food legend?

Kylie Kwong (Australian Chinese food legend) who combines traditional Chinese cooking with Australian native ingredients.

The most important Chinese ingredient is:

Oyster sauce is the most important Chinese ingredient in my pantry. It’s salty, sweet and savoury – the perfect seasoning!

Dream dinner party guests:

Gordon Ramsay, Beyonce, and Morgan Freeman.

What does Chinese food mean to you?

Chinese food is important to me because it celebrates my diverse heritage. It has been central to all of my most fond memories growing up with my family. It can be simple but also rich in history and flavour.