It's the wok of flame

I’ve been in the hospitality industry for about 20 years, travelling around the world and perfecting the art of Chinese cuisine, but I always knew that I wanted to be a chef when I grew older. It was something I was passionate about and even after so many years, I am proud to say that I’ve stuck by my childhood dreams.

But every chef needs to have their own speciality and after a lot of trial and error, I’ve learnt that Chinese cuisine is my forte. Having worked as a chef in some of the top hotels in the country, I’ve gathered a wide amount of knowledge about the cuisine. It may seem simple, using the wok and tossing noodles up in the air, but all of that can be perfected only with practice.

Even if it’s tossing of the noodles or making delicate dim sums, I was given a lot of training to perfect the art. And once I learnt how to make a fine product, my next goal was to ensure that I serve only the best to my guests. Some of the happiest moments in my life are when the customers tell me that they love a dish. It takes a lot of hard work to bring out the kind of dishes I do, and being appreciated for the same is a feeling that I can’t simply put in words.

Each kitchen is different from the other; the style and people of every restaurant are different. But thanks to everyone in the kitchen who love the work they do, everything works out perfectly well. But there are some embarrassing moments as well.

I remember this one incident (several, actually) where the guest ordered a particular dish and asked us not to add one or two ingredients because either he or she don’t like it or was allergic to it. But I guess with the chaos in the kitchen, sometimes we tend to forget that special request. But thankfully, just before it was about to leave the kitchen, I spotted our mistake and remade the dish. That time, the guests were patient enough to wait for the food and they had a great time once the food arrived!

But I think my wife is very happy that I’m a chef. Even on the one day that I’m off, she asks me to take over the kitchen and prepare something delicious for the family. However, there are days when she prepared noodles for the children, but wasn’t like the actual Chinese noodles. I think one of the major factors of cooking like a chef has to do with the professional knifes. I’ve tried teaching my wife to use the knife but in vain.

The ‘Udon noodles’ is one of the signature dishes at Yauatcha. We prepare this with fresh udon noodles that we import, but dry ones are also available in many of the shops in the City. It’s a simple dish to make at home and it’s perfect for any occasion.

Chef Pradeep Gomes Junior sous chef at Yauatcha


Recipe

Stir-fry udon noodles with black pepper sauce

Ingredients
n Udon noodles - 200 gms
n Red onions - 20 gms
n Green capsicum - 10 gms    n Red capsicum - 10 gms
n Yellow capsicum - 10 gms
n Bean sprouts - 60 gms
n Spring onion - 5 gms
n Mock duck - 40 gms
n Udon noodle sauce -
35 ml
n Black pepper - 2 gms

For the sauce
n Minced garlic - 2 cloves
n Fresh minced ginger
- 10 gms
n Soya sauce - 25ml
n Rice vinegar - 30ml
n Peanut oil - 20ml
n Sesame oil - 25ml
Method
For the sauce
n Mix all the ingredients together to make the udon noodle sauce.   

For the noodles
n Heat oil in a wok.
n Toss noodles in the wok and add crushed the black pepper.
n Add coloured capsicum and mock duck.
n Add noodle sauce.
n Add the fresh bean sprouts. Toss on high flame and remove.
n Serve in a noodle bowl and garnish with a
coriander leaf.