Any Chinese restaurant, anywhere in the world, is probably going to serve something called Kung Pao Chicken. And every single one of them is going to be different. Chef Zhang at the Black Sesame Kitchen in Beijing uses the thigh of the chicken to give his dish a richer flavor. He also uses cashews instead of the traditional peanuts, and adds an extra kick of dark rice vinegar to give his version of this Chinese classic its distinctive taste.
Let's join him in the kitchen to see how it's done.
Kung Pao Chicken [photo: cribeyondbeijing.com]
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Black Sesame Kitchen (http://www.blacksesamekitchen.com/) developed out of founder Jen Lin-Liu¡±?s passion for Chinese food, starting with her own adventures in a local cooking school in 2005. After becoming a nationally certified Chinese chef, interning in several restaurants in Beijing and Shanghai, and writing a book entitled Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China, she began holding cooking classes in friends¡±? homes along with the seasoned chefs she met during her cooking experiences. To expand her reach, she found a cozy space in a courtyard residence in central Beijing in the spring of 2008 and renovated it into an open kitchen and dining room, where she invites you to cook, socialize, dine, and wine.
Chef Zhang and Candice [Photo: cribeyondbeijing.com]
Chef Zhang has run his own noodle shop and previously worked at Yushan, a Chinese banquet restaurant in Beijing. Though noodles are a specialty of Chef Zhang¡±?s, he has a broad knowledge of Chinese cooking techniques ranging from Sichuanese to Imperial Beijing cuisine. He is from Shanxi province.
Candice Lee grew up in Massachusetts and attended university at Fordham University. Despite not attending school for culinary arts, she has been eating and cooking her way through China these past three years. She has been working at Black Sesame Kitchen for 1 year and has, without too many cuts and bruises, survived attending and teaching cooking classes. Her passion for culture and food has culminated the longer she has spent in China. She makes a delicious spiced banana ice cream and enjoys her long bike rides to work.
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