Adventuresome Dishes in a Secret Hideout – The Dragon Chamber
by Qian Leung
@ 19 Jan 2018
In his youth, Chef Anderson Gan, 33, of
The Dragon Chamber enjoyed playing cards games during Chinese new year with cousins, but once he started working in the kitchen, the desire to learn more and become better at his craft kept him from Sabah, his hometown. “Mom nags at me, saying, ‘Why do you come back only once a year?’, and even when I do, when she sees the scabs on my hands (it’s not always possible to avoid injuries in the kitchen), she’d say, ‘Do these look like hands? What’s so bad about taking an office job, sitting in an air-conditioned room?’” He laughs. “But this is what I want to do.” In his opinion, it didn’t matter what his mom cooked, every dish tasted good. “Mom would usually make a vegetarian dish on the first day of the new year. There is also Hakka-style pork belly, and poached kampong chicken.”
In Singapore and Malaysia, bakkwa (barbecued pork jerky), is commonly seen during Chinese new year. At Dragon Chamber, bacon strips are marinaded with oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, caramel, orange, and five-spice powder overnight, before being grilled till juicy, with a little crisp, and served with greens and lotus root chips. In Sichuan, steamed whole fish with black beans, chilli oil, and fiery peppercorns is eaten during the new year. Here, the original numbing spiciness is toned down, but you’ll still get a kick out of a paste of fermented beans, peanuts, century egg, and dried chillies. Noodles symbolise long life, while cows predict a good harvest, so instead of a simple beef hor fun (rice noodles), Japanese A4 grade wagyu beef is used, along with truffle gravy for a luxurious take. Deep-fried strips of hor fun add a wonderful crunch.
If he could return home for the new year, Chef Gan wants to personally cook an entire spread of dishes for his mom. “When you’re back home, no matter what dish you cook, Mom will still be happy. Even if it’s as simple as braised beancurd with snap peas, if the entire family gets to sit together, and welcome the new year, what more could you ask for?”
Adapted from the Jan Feb 18 issue of Cuisine & Wine Asia.
