East Meets West With Ming Tsai Season 1 Episode 6 China Goes Hawaiian
- April 29, 2021
- 20 min
In season 1 episode 6 of East Meets West With Ming Tsai, titled "China Goes Hawaiian," Ming Tsai explores the unique blend of Chinese and Hawaiian cuisine. The episode takes place in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Ming meets with local chefs and discovers traditional Chinese dishes with Hawaiian twists.
Ming visits The Pig & The Lady, a Vietnamese-Hawaiian fusion restaurant run by siblings Andrew and Hannah Le. The Le siblings prepare their signature dish, pho French dip banh mi, which combines classic Vietnamese beef pho with a French dip sandwich and Hawaiian bread. They also create a Chinese-Hawaiian dish called "uni-toro dan dan men," which includes fresh sea urchin and toro sashimi on top of spicy dan dan noodles.
Next, Ming visits Helena's Hawaiian Food, a local institution that has been serving traditional Hawaiian food since 1946. Owner Craig Katsuyoshi prepares their most popular dish, pipikaula short ribs, which are marinated in a soy sauce and served with poi, a traditional Hawaiian starch. Craig also shares his family's recipe for Chinese-style roasted pork, which they have been making for over 100 years.
Ming then heads to Chef Chai, a restaurant that combines Pacific Rim cuisine with French and Italian influences. Chef Chai Chaowasaree creates a Chinese-Hawaiian fusion dish called "red wine-braised beef," which includes tender beef short ribs braised in a red wine and hoisin sauce served with taro mash and bok choy.
Finally, Ming meets with chef Roy Yamaguchi at Roy's Waikiki, a restaurant that serves Hawaiian-fusion cuisine. Roy creates a Chinese-inspired dish called "cured pork belly and crispy squid," which is served with pickled vegetables and a spicy black bean sauce. He also prepares a classic Hawaiian dish called poke, which includes fresh ahi tuna marinated in a soy sauce and sesame oil.
Throughout the episode, Ming explores the unique blend of Chinese and Hawaiian cuisine and discovers how local chefs have incorporated traditional Chinese dishes with Hawaiian ingredients and flavors. From pho French dip banh mi to pipikaula short ribs, Ming experiences the best of both worlds in this culinary journey of China Goes Hawaiian.