Ep 8. Chef: The Wong Brothers - Restaurant: Trey Yuen

In season 1 episode 8 of Great Chefs of New Orleans, viewers get an inside look at the cuisine of Trey Yuen, a Chinese restaurant run by the Wong brothers. The episode begins with a scene of the restaurant's dining room, where elegant lanterns hang from the ceiling and diners enjoy dishes like crispy duck and sizzling platters of steak.

We then meet the Wong brothers themselves- Joe, Tommy, and Jimmy- who share some background on their family's history in the restaurant industry. They note that their father opened the first Chinese restaurant in Louisiana in 1929, paving the way for their own culinary successes.

From there, the episode dives into the dishes themselves, starting with a segment on Trey Yuen's dim sum. The Wong brothers explain that dim sum is traditionally a Cantonese meal of small plates, and we see a variety of dishes being prepared and served, including shumai (a type of dumpling), har gow (a shrimp dumpling), and cha siu bao (a pork bun). The dim sum trays are a key feature of Trey Yuen's dining room, with diners able to choose from a rotating selection of plates as they are pushed by on carts.

Next up is a dish called Volcano Beef, which the Wong brothers describe as one of their signature dishes. Chef Tommy Wong prepares the dish, which involves marinating flank steak in a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic and then grilling it to perfection. Once the steak is cooked, it's placed on a bed of onions and peppers and topped with a special sauce made from oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and other ingredients. The result is a dish that's both sweet and savory, with a bit of heat from some chili flakes.

The episode also explores Trey Yuen's seafood offerings, including dishes like Shrimp with Lobster Sauce and a Szechuan-style whole fish. Chef Joe Wong demonstrates the latter dish, which involves deep-frying a whole tilapia and then topping it with a mixture of chili oil, Szechuan peppercorns, and other spices. It's a dish that packs a punch, with the Wong brothers noting that some diners find it too spicy for their tastes.

One of the standout dishes featured in the episode is Trey Yuen's Peking Duck. Chef Jimmy Wong takes us through the multi-step process of preparing the duck, which involves inflating it with air and then blanching it in boiling water to remove any excess fat. The duck is then covered in a mixture of honey and maltose and hung up to dry for several hours before being roasted in a special oven. Once it's ready, the duck is carved tableside and served with thin pancakes, scallions, and hoisin sauce. It's a dish that's both visually impressive and delicious, with the Wong brothers noting that it's popular for both special occasions and everyday dining.

Throughout the episode, we see glimpses of the Wong brothers interacting with their staff and bantering with each other. They seem genuinely passionate about their restaurant and its cuisine, with Chef Tommy Wong noting that their goal is to showcase Chinese cooking in a way that's both authentic and accessible. Overall, the episode is a fascinating look at a New Orleans institution and the family behind it, with plenty of mouth-watering dishes to inspire home cooks and restaurant-goers alike.