Main Course

Moo goo gai pan (chicken and mushroom stir fry)

Thin slices of chicken are velveted and stir fried with shiitake, snow peas and carrot. A simple sauce made with chicken stock, oyster sauce and starch completes the dish.

Cook time: 5

Servings: 2 people

Thai-style dry beef curry

It’s curry with no sauce and it’s one of the most famous dishes in southern Thailand. Called khua kling in the local language, dry curry is cooked with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and chili.

Cook time: 10

Servings: 4 people

Japanese katsu meets Italian piccata in this dish of fried salmon tossed in calamansi butter sauce. Coating the fish with panko instead of flour gives it better texture and the crust soaks up the sauce better.

Cook time: 10

Servings: 4 people

Cheesy gyudon

A heap of shredded cheese on top of gyudon is torched until melted. It’s our home version of a beef rice bowl preparation popularized by Japanese gyudon chain Sukiya.

Cook time: 10

Servings: 4 people

Pork menudo

A stew of pork, liver, potatoes, raisins, carrots, bell peppers and peas, Filipino menudo is cooked in tomato sauce with lots of onion, garlic, oregano and bay leaves.

Cook time: 1 20

Servings: 6 people

Crispy pork belly in coconut cream sauce

A spin on the Filipino dish Bicol Express, the meat is not simmered in spicy coconut cream sauce in this recipe. Sauce is ladled in serving bowls, cubes of crispy pork belly are dropped in, more sauce is drizzled over the pork and chili slices are sprinkled in to garnish.

Cook time: 20

Servings: 3 people

Arroz a la Cubana

A dish with four components: rice, fried egg, fried saba bananas and beef picadillo. It’s comfort food for my generation.

Cook time: 30

Servings: 6 people

Beef udon soup

Udon, thick noodles made from wheat, are served in umami-rich broth made with dashi and soy sauce, then topped with sweet-salty thinly sliced braised beef.

Cook time: 20

Servings: 3 people