#ChineseFoodiesofIG: Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu's

Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s and Mamahuhu

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 and raised in San Francisco, in the Sunset district; my dad's side of my family is Toisan and my mom's side is Longdu.

What does home taste like?

My home had a mix of Chinese food (like steamed fish, black bean chicken, dumplings) and American food (like meatloaf, casseroles, salads). We rarely ate out in restaurants, so eating dinner at home with my entire family around the table was something that we did growing up.

Favourite Chinese vegetable:

Skirret. However, I only THINK it would be my favorite because I've never eaten it, I've only just read about it and heard about how it is so special. It sounds like it would maybe be like a sunchoke or salsify.

Share a food memory:

When I lived in Italy, I had some of my first vivid memories of how ingredients that were familiar to those I knew in America, but how differently they could taste. Biting into a perfectly ripe tomato in Tuscany was a revelation. The provenance of an ingredient and its relation to the local cuisine has always stuck with me from then on.

Who's your Chinese food legend?

Martin Yan, Susur Lee, Cecilia Chang, Florence Lin, Irene Kuo, Grace Young, Peter Chang, Jowett Yu, Dan Hong.

Ultimate comfort food:

Mapo tofu, white rice and lots of scallions.

How did you learn to cook?

I'm still learning and there have been many teachers along the way. As a chef, learning how to consider what the farmer finds special about their ingredients and how to make the experience of eating it special for the diner is something I think is important to my role. I am truly fascinated with the history of Chinese cooking techniques and how many small observations must need to happen when you are handling the wok.

Idea for a Chinese fusion dish:

Cheong fun mapo cannelloni.

Perfect stir fry:

I was trained to never assume something will turn out perfect with just a recipe. My favorite dish out of a wok is char siu chow fun, with garlic chives, bean sprouts and onions.

Dream dinner party guests:

My wife, David Hockney, I.M. Pei, Janet Jackson, Jacques Cousteau, Bruce Lee.

What’s a Chinese recipe everyone should learn?

White cut chicken with ginger-scallion.

What would you like to tell the world about Chinese food?

Ingenuity, adaptation, resilience and creativeness has been the tenets of how Chinese food has been able to proliferate all over the world and be loved by so many people. It also continues to evolve, but it takes practice and to be taught to another generation.