Private Kitchen

Braised green vegetables with crab meat and conpoy; steamed summer squash stuffed with scallop and shrimp; deep-fried sliced beef and taro, and prawn balls; double-boiled dried duck gizzard and pork shank with brassica and almonds; braised goose webs with black mushrooms and green vegetables.

A private kitchen (Germany)

A private Kitchen, Germany

Schweinebraten, with aromatic crackling and a sweet beer reduction sauce, and bread dumpling.

A private kitchen (Germany)

A private kitchen, Germany

A stunning Träubleskuchen, with fresh red currants from personal farm. The sharp tartness of the redcurrants cuts into the sweet meringue and savory tart base. Heavenly.

A private kitchen (München)

A private kitchen, München

Wonderful tafelspitz and summer berries, under the gentle kisses of the Bavarian sun.

Farmer's food

A private kitchen, Guangzhou.

Pig's blood, shrimp, fish with pickled vegetables.

Steamed chicken with cloud ear fungus and daylily filament

A private kitchen, Hong Kong.

Steamed chicken with cloud ear fungus and daylily filament (金針雲耳蒸雞).

A private kitchen

A private kitchen, Hong Kong

Baked veggies.

A private kitchen

A private kitchen

Spinach salad, grilled pork chop, risotto with mushrooms.

A private kitchen

A private kitchen. Hong Kong

Grilled fish, washed down with a bottle of fine Scotch.

A private kitchen

Steamed freshwater ling cod head (about 1kg), with Chinese miso.

Purim meal at a private kitchen

Challah (braided bread), Lubiya (pea soup), Sephardi spiced chicken
rice, stuffed onions, minced lamb skewers, sweet and sour brisket,
stuffed onions and zucchini, Hamentashen (pocket pastry) with prunes
and caramel.

A private vegetarian kitchen

Zucchini puree, topped with crotons and
cream drizzles; spinach quiche with a wholegrain crust.

The puree, served hot, was delicate but not runny. Red chili flakes
added a subtle layer of zest and heat. Amazingly, the crust
of the quiche was made without a single dab of butter. After
three pieces of quiche, I was barely able to move. But with a great
ambiance and all the great company, why should I?

Home: an international feast

Place: the best private kitchen in the world. Hong Kong.

Crab cakes, vegetarian curry, pomello salad with grilled scallops,
herb-infused focaccia bread, Thai-style Tom Yum Kung, braised goose
palm with fish maw, inaniwa noodles in abalone sauce and rib-braised
abalone, sauteed veal with caper cream sauce, roasted spring chicken
roll with asparagus and parma ham, potato gratin, risotto with porcini
mushroom and massive amounts of parmigiano, apple and berry crumble,
thousand-layer cake.

Needless to say, a meal like this is frequently dreamt of and rarely
savored. The execution speaks for itself.

Home: pork knuckle, Chinese style

Place: A private kitchen, Beijing.
Chinese-style pork knuckle braised in dark soy sauce and rice wine.

A Chinese private kitchen

Place: A private kitchen, Beijing.
Chinese ham with bun and honey, white cabbage with a ridiculous amount
of chilis and spicy oil, fish braised in wine sauce, smoked duck
(樟茶鴨).

I was introduced to this private kitchen, located near Yonghegong
(Lama Temple) in Beijing, by a friend who lives nearby and who, upon
discovering the place, has been treating it as her kitchen away from
home. Knowing her epicurean standards, I was quite certain that, if
she could be a repeat visitor, I was up for a good treat. To be sure,
the food was not jaw-breaking spectacular, but I was impressed by how
a restaurant with a non-descript and minimally-equipped kitchen could
serve up some of the trickiest dishes in Chinese cuisine. For example,
the smoked duck, if properly made (and, in my opinion, it was), had to
be first smoked using a specialized blend of tea leaves, tree barks
and tree stems. Then, it had to be re-marinated with Chinese wine and
vinegar and steamed in order to cook through the meat, and then deep
fried to yield a phenomenally shiny skin. The result was a sumptuous
offering with plenty of delicate smoky flavors, hints of a sweet
floral wine, and a robustly crisp shell.

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Home-made fish cutlets

Place: a private home. Sri Lanka.

Nip's mom makes the world's best fish cutlets. The Maldive fish is
first chopped (not ground) and then mixed with potatoes, chopped
onions, ground pepper, curry, and held together by egged breadcrumbs.
It is then fried in flavored hot oil. Upon plating, the fish cutlets
are already inviting, with a shiny surface and a plump shape. Upon
mastication, the cutlets burst with flavors of the sea and of an
accomplished kitchen. Most importantly, each bite effuses warmth and
hospitality -- which makes visitors like me feel instantly at home.
Thank you, Nip and mom!