#ChineseFoodiesofIG: Ryan Wong, Needle LA

 

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?

My family is from Hong Kong, but I was born in Los Angeles. I have lived here my whole life.

Rice or noodles?

Rice, most of the time. It’s more versatile and goes well with so many different dishes. You can’t have a complete meal without rice.

What does Chinese food mean to you?

Chinese food is about family and community. Growing up, being present for dinner was the most important event of the day. I was fortunate enough to have a mom who could really cook. Despite working a full-time job, she would always be sure to put out a spread of dishes for the family to gather around. And we would always have rice with it .

Who's your Chinese food legend?

Martin Yan. As a child, I would watch his cooking shows on TV. That laid the ground work for my interest in cooking and the fundamental techniques.

Share a food memory:

A seafood dinner in the fishing village of Sai Kung in the outskirts of Hong Kong. That was the best and freshest seafood meal I’ve ever had prepared in the traditional Cantonese style. Mantis prawns, clams, scallops, grouper, cuttlefish, razor clams, you name it.

Most underrated Chinese ingredient:

Preserved radish. It adds umami, texture, and complexity to dishes when used properly.

Dream dinner party guests:

Martin Yan, Susur Lee, Ming Tsai, and Stephen Chow.

Top three cookbooks:

Fäviken, Astrance, Shunju

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

That it’s a cuisine with a long and rich history filled with technique, complexity, and refinement. It deserves the recognition and respect from the western world as an equal. Chinese food is often stigmatized as cheap and pedestrian, but there’s much more to the narrative that people often miss..

 
#ChineseFoodiesofIGJenny Lauchinese identity, Los Angeles, cantonese, hong kong, seafood, restaurants, chefsComment