Chef Talk: Executive Chef Chan Kwok

This month Talk speaks to the Executive Chef of the new Jing An Shangri-La’s Summer Palace restaurant, which offers southeastern Chinese cuisine with a Cantonese flair.

Chef Chan Kwok was 17 when he decided that his chosen career path was that of a chef and since 1971 he has been honing his skills in Cantonese cuisine. Chef Kwok has worked in kitchens around the world including Hong Kong, Macau, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. Interestingly enough, Chef Kwok never trained in college and instead learned his trade from daily work. Chef Kwok let Talk into a little secret about his diligent work ethic as a trainee chef, “Sometimes, when the chefs and I went for supper, I would learn by listening to their conversations and practice myself”.

Chef Kwok is well known for his creativity and relentless pursuit for new flavors; each of Chef Chan’s creations are known for being refreshing, yet grounded in tradition. His unique style has won him much recognition from regional and international culinary bodies and his most recent achievement was at the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence 2011, where he won Chef of the Year and Asian Cuisine Chef of the Year awards.

In his role as Executive Chef of the Summer Palace during the pre-opening period, he was able to develop a menu that showcases the diversity of Chinese cuisine. Chef Kwok told Talk that his signature dish at the Summer Palace is Pan-fried Scallops Stuffed with Prawn Meat, Topped with Crab Meat and Roe Gravy and that one of his favorite features of the whole dining concept is the elegant and spectacular décor of the venue with wonderful open kitchens.

If this has whetted your appetite for Chef Kwok’s dishes, why not book a table at the Summer Palace or, if you think you're up to it, try to recreate his Stir-fried Pork Fillet with Bell Peppers recipe. Chef Kwok told Talk, “It's not spicy, but it's a good mix of pork flavors and peppers. The taste of this dish is very light and refreshing, suitable for Talk readers during the hot summer.” Chef Kwok’s top tip is to enjoy this dish with Chinese steamed buns and some spicy sauce. Enjoy!

Stir-fried Pork Fillet with Bell Peppers

Ingredients

·       30g red bell peppers

·       30g green bell peppers

·       200g Pork

·       5g garlic (sliced)

·       10g spring onion

·       ¼ tbsp. sugar

·       ½ tbsp. oyster sauce

·       1/3 tbsp. seasoning powder

·       ¼ tbsp. starch

·       2 tbsp. chicken stock

·       Splash of light soy sauce

Method

Cut the peppers into 5cm long strips. Prepare and cut the meat into 7cm by 3cm pieces. Marinate the meat in the light soy sauce, sugar and starch.

Heat some oil in a wok and when it begins to boil add the pork. Stir-fry the meat until it is cooked thoroughly and then put the cooked pork to the side.

Stir-fry the garlic and spring onion together until almost cooked before adding back in the pork and remaining spices, sauces and seasonings. Stir-fry on a high heat for a few minutes before serving.