Mission to China

On March 22, 2025 0 Comments - Commissions, Travel

Let’s Go!

Many years ago I was invited by the Oysterlicious Group to work in Shanghai, China.

I had never traveled to Asia before and my first question was: “WHY? Why would I want to leave my home? Why would I want to go half way around the world to a place that I knew nothing about?” I couldn’t even speak the language.

But, after some time, my thoughts changed to: “actually…WHY NOT? Here I am with an offer of a free flight, accommodation and a job in a place that I would probably never think to visit on my own. This is an opportunity, not a problem”.

So began an adventure that would open doors to an exciting future. I packed my bags and set off on a journey that would change my life forever, a journey that has still not come to an end.

The beauty of Shanghai

Suzhou river in Shanghai China
The Bund in Shanghai China

Before coming to work in China, it seemed like a mysterious place, an unknowable place, maybe an unwelcoming place. But, from the moment I stepped off the plane, I was greeted with kindness and hospitality. I witnessed the beauty of natural landscape blending with space age architecture, ancient culture alongside ultra modern technology. Everywhere I looked there was something new and exciting to experience. Sights, sounds, smells and tastes that were exotic and irresistible. I was hooked on day one.

Work and Play in Shanghai

Work friends in Shanghai China
Chef at work in Shanghai China
Friends in Shanghai China
After work meetings in Shanghai Chian
Visiting the Great Wall of China

I was tasked with training a crew of young Chinese cooks. An exclusive oyster bar and restaurant in Shanghai would be my new workplace. At first, I was anxious about teaching them, especially since we didn’t speak the same language. But, my worries were short lived. These men were dedicated and hard working. They were eager to learn anything I was willing to teach them. With the help of our smart phones and sign language, communication became easy. We taught each other food words in Chinese and English and soon language was no longer an issue.

Outside of the kitchen, I was able to share time with the cooks and Oysterlicious hosts, eating and exploring Shanghai. China is a country where social connections are the greatest currency and it is not difficult to make friends over a good meal.

Street food in Shanghai China
Dumplings and Vitasoy in Shanghai China
Snails for sale in Shanghai China
Oyster promotion at work in Shanghai China

My kitchen mates often took me out to eat and drink at their favourite local places. These were real Anthony Bourdain style food adventures, memories I still hold dear many years later.

As a foreign professional, I was also sought after to promote oyster culture in Chinese media. I was a minor celebrity overnight!

Travel time in China

Guillin China vacation from work
Guillin China travel vacation from work

Being a cook is hard work anywhere in the world and China is no exception. But, it wasn’t all sweating and grinding away. There were also opportunities to relax and travel. The beauty, mystery and cultural richness of China went beyond all my expectations. And the Chinese people I was lucky to meet always treated me with kindness and patience.

This fateful trip was the start of a long and deep relationship with Asian culture. I have traveled back to China may times to see the friends I made on this first journey and I have traveled to Japan and Korea as well. Without the initial offer and encouragement I received from the Oysterlicious Group, I would never have had the opportunity to enrich my life in such a profound way.

Why go to China?? The reasons are endless. Better to ask: “Why not?” And then pack your bags.

Check out the Oysterlicious Instagram for more information.

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Quick and Easy Napa Cabbage Kimchi Recipe

On March 20, 2025 4 Comments - Cooking, Fermentation

It takes 2 hours to brine cabbage. There is no way around this. So, if you are wondering what quick kimchi is, I would say “2 hour kimchi”. If you salt the cabbage first thing, it will take around an hour to produce the kimchi paste and then an hour of waiting for your cabbage to finish brining before you mix everything together. Relative to all the other ways of making cabbage kimchi, this would be the fastest.

I first started making Napa cabbage kimchi in my professional restaurant kitchen, 12-16 heads of whole cabbage at a time. Determined to do everything by hand, I bought fresh garlic and peeled and minced every clove with a knife (2-3 hours just for this). Carrots, onions, radish, ginger: all cut by hand. My goal was to produce the most “hand-made” perfect kimchi I possibly could. Efficiency was not so important. Between shopping for all the ingredients, hauling them to the restaurant and finishing the kimchi, it took me the better part of 2 whole days. Of course, I had prep cooks to help with all the peeling and a dishwasher to clean up after me.

Did all this hand-work make any difference? I am not sure. At the time, as a non-Korean chef, I thought I had better try my hardest to make it as traditional as possible. But after reading lots of recipes and speaking with Korean cooks and friends that I knew, it seemed that most of their moms or grandmas were using food processors to make the process more efficient. Efficiency: this is a Korean tradition as well! The kimchi I make at home these days is just as delicious and makes less of a mess. Making cut kimchi instead of whole cabbage kimchi also makes the whole process a lot faster and saves me the trouble of cutting fermented kimchi every time I want to use it.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 whole Napa cabbage (around 2kg)
  • 80grams (around 1/2 cup) of Diamond Crystal kosher salt ***if you are using another kosher or sea salt, weigh out 80gr. DO NOT use fine table salt in this recipe.***
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup rice flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar or maesil plum syrup
  • 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger sliced
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1/2 korean pear peeled (you can substitute a regular pear or apple)
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon salted shrimp
  • 1 cup mild korean chilli flakes (gochugaru) ***start with much less if your chilli flakes are very spicy. Taste first and add more as you like once the paste is done.
  • 6 green onions
  • 1 cup carrot cut matchsticks
  • 1 cup korean radish matchsticks
  • 1 cup chopped buchu (asian chives) or watercress (minari)
Raw ingredients for Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Whole ingredients

PROCESS:

Nappa cabbage split in to quarters by hand
Quarter the cabbage and remove stems
Example of bite sized cabbage pieces for kimchi
Chop into bite-sized pieces
Shows how to wash cabbage
Rinse cabbage a few times to remove dust and dirt
demonstrates drying cabbage in sieve
Drain it…
shows salt measure for brining cabbage
In a large container or bowl, toss the cabbage with the salt
shows to use big enough vessel for head of cabbage
I don’t have a big enough bowl so I am using a stockpot for now. Once the cabbage wilts, it will shrink dramatically and I will move it into a bowl…stir the cabbage up by hand once every 30 minutes. The cabbage will take 2 hours to brine.
shows measures of raw ingredients for rice flour slurry
Rice flour and water. I am using Mochiko brand but any rice flour will work. These ingredients will combine to make a slurry (juk) that will help feed fermenting bacteria and also hold your ingredients together.
shows finished consistency of rice flour slurry
Whisk water and rice flour over medium heat until it becomes thick and translucent. Set it aside to cool down. Next step…measure out fish sauce and shrimp…
shows example of quality fish sauce
I am using Red Boat fish sauce. I like this one but almost any fish sauce will do…
shows example of Korean salted shrimp in jar
This is tiny salted shrimp from Korea. They add a strong savoury flavour. I keep this jar in the freezer. The shrimp are so salty that they do not freeze but the jar lasts forever.
shows what salted shrimp look like
They even have little eyes πŸ‘€
shows raw ingredients loaded in food processor for kimchi paste
In a food processor, combine salted shrimp, fish sauce, rough chopped onion, peeled garlic cloves, and asian pear and sliced ginger
shows consistency of finished kimchi paste
Process into a puree and stir it into the cooled rice flour slurry (juk)
demonstrates adding of chilli flakes to kimchi paste
Use the best chilli flakes you can find. I recommend buying Korean grown and processed gochugaru. It is about 3 times as expensive as the cheap stuff but it tends to be more fruity and less sharp and spicy. How much you put in is up to you. The amount can be adjusted depending on how spicy you want it.
shows addition of syrup to sweeten kimchi paste
Stir in sugar or syrup. I am using plum syrup (maesil cheong). You can buy maesil syrup already made at any Korean grocer if you want to try it. If not, white or brown sugar work just fine.
shows what green onion and buchu look like
Chop buchu and green onions into 1cm pieces
shows Benriner mandolin for making vegetable matchsticks for kimchi
I use this Benriner slicer for the carrot and radish
shows size of cut carrots and radish
It makes quick work of a perfect matchstick
shows all ingredients prior to mixing into kimchi paste
Mix veggies into the puree
shows finished kimchi sauce
This is the finished sauce. It has an intensely savoury and meaty smell. It always reminds me of a Bolognese sauce for pasta.
shows cabbage wilted after some time
Once the cabbage is done brining, these two parts will get mixed together
demonstrates washing of cabbage
After 2 hours of bring the cabbage will have wilted and released a large amount of water. Wash it a few times and drain it completely.
shows two halves of kimchi coming together
Combine with the finished sauce and mix by hand…
shows the finished kimchi in bowl
Done! You can give it a taste at this point to adjust for sweetness or spiciness.
shows a fully loaded onggi container for fermenting kimchi
I start off the fermentation process in this onggi jar made especially for kimchi fermentation. It is not strictly necessary but I have them around so I use them. You can also age your kimchi in any glass or food safe plastic container. Remember to leave some space in the container for the kimchi to expand as it ferments. Don’t fill it to the top. If you start it on the counter, leave the lid loose and put a tray or towel underneath just in case it overflows a little. The fermentation will slow down in the refrigerator, but it’s still a good idea to keep your container on a dish or tray for a day or two until you are sure the fermentation has settled down.
shows closed onggi container demonstrating finished process
I usually leave it out at room temperature overnight to get the fermentation started and then move it into the fridge in this container. That way I can enjoy it fresh for some time and let it ferment slowly in the fridge. When it is sour enough, I will move it to airtight glass containers. This amount usually lasts me a month or so by which time the kimchi is quite sour. If you like your kimchi more fermented, just leave it out on the counter until it is as sour as you like before moving it to the fridge.

VEGETARIANS/VEGANS

You can find my straightforward recipe for vegan napa cabbage kimchi here.

IF YOU DON”T LIKE SPICY FOOD…

…just leave out the chilli flakes. Your kimchi will still ferment and be delicious.

Enjoy!

That’s it! A very simple kimchi recipe. It is still pretty messy and time consuming but, it will always taste better than anything you will buy in a jar at the grocery store and you will have the satisfaction of handpicking all of the ingredients yourself and making it as spicy as you like. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments.

Here is a link to my favourite kimchi fried rice and kimchi jjigae with tuna recipe. And for more ideas about what to do with your new batch of kimchi, have a look at this post.

If you enjoy the content and would like to contribute towards website maintenance and development, you can make a donation here.

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μ„œμšΈ μ•ˆλ…• / Seoul Annyeong

On March 17, 2025 2 Comments - Korea 2025, Travel

Why do i keep coming back?

I have been to Korea many times and each time I come here, I like it even more. By now, there is nothing really difficult about travel here and it is starting to feel a bit like a second home. I am always happy to arrive and a little sad to leave. Over the years I have gathered up more and more friends with every visit and I always look forward to seeing them. This month long trip was evenly divided between Tokyo and Seoul. My two weeks here felt much too short. There were a few people that I wanted to see that i wasn’t able to connect with this time around. All the more reason to come back soon : )

These are a few images that I like which didn’t really fit anywhere else:

Colourful Buddhist temple in Seoul Korea near Namdaemun
One of my favourite pictures that i took of Seoul. It is a tiny Buddhist Temple (용ꢁ절) on a bridge on Sowol Ro near Sungnyemun (Namdaemun) Gate. The back-turned golden Buddha, the deflated red lantern, the spikey trees and the smiley face on the wall next door, the sunshine on the building and the blue sky above. To me this is perfect.
View of different rooflines stretching across Seoul Korea
The angles and random level changes of a city haphazardly built. Old crushed together with new. Ultra modern and futuristic alongside little islands of ancient wooden gates, stone walls and palaces. 5 star steel and glass hotels with crumbling 100 year old restaurants in the alleys behind them. Seoul is a city that seems to be hiding a secret, a new discovery, around every corner. It is what I like the most about it.
A cute snowman slow down sign walking down from Namsan Tower
천천히: If it rains, or if it snows…slow down, at least to enjoy it for a moment. Good advice.
A flower market in Jongno Seoul Korea
I have walked by here a hundred times and never noticed the Jongno Flower Market. A happy discovery on a sunny weekend morning.
Seoul Station, a major travel hub in Seoul Korea
The massive Seoul Station at night looks like a space colony.
A demonstration on a Saturday night in the streets of Jongno Seoul Korea
This is a photo of a Saturday night demonstration against the impeached President Yoon. I like it because Brad Pitt is chilling with his DeLonghi coffee in the middle of it. He looks like he doesn’t have a care in the world while the shouting protestors march by.
A colourful truck stacked high with boxes at night in Hwanghak-dong Seoul Korea
Sleeping Hwanghak-dong Market late at night
A fruit cart rolling through Hwanghak-dong carrying apples melons and tomatoes
Hwanghak-dong fruit cart passing through the market on a busy Saturday afternoon
An orange cat perched on a temple roof at Beomeosa Temple in Busan Korea
The cutest temple kitten at Beomeosa in Busan
A couple taking photos in Hanbok at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul Korea.
Couple in hanbok doing a photo shoot at Changdeokgung Palace
Red pine tree next to roof detail in Chandeokgung secret garden Seoul Korea
Red pine tree, one of my favourite trees here. They are very common but, to me, the colour of the wood and the shape of the canopy is beautiful. In Gangneung, these trees line the beaches making it one of my favourite landscapes in Korea: red pine, sand and sea.
Overhead coloured light at dusk in a lower area of Itaewon
Itaewon in the evening. I had never been to Itaewon so I went to have a look and take a few pictures. We passed by the Hamilton Hotel where 160 people were crushed to death in the Halloween crowd surge in 2022. It just looked like any little street on a hill, like nothing remarkable had ever happened there. No more memorials remained but I felt sad seeing it.
Man in Hongdae Seoul Korea selling egg bread from his street stall
κ³„λž€λΉ΅: steamed egg breads, great snack to warm you up when it is chilly outside. I think this is Hongdae.
Pair of carp resting near the sandy bottom of Cheonggyecheon stream in Seoul Korea
Carp in Cheonggyecheon stream
We were on the 19th floor in our building so I was forced to watch this advertisement screen to the point where I actually developed a favourite..this was it. I really don’t like elevators but this stupid ad made me laugh every time.
Woman petting kitten near Naksan Park Seoul Korea
Naksan kitten
Up the old city wall near Dongdaemun

Travelling Partner:

Father and daughter travel together and share a meal with friends in Busan Korea
I normally take these long trips alone. There are very few people that I can think of that i would want to spend a month with in planes trains and tiny hotel rooms. But, traveling together with my adult daughter has made this trip so much easier and so much more fun. I am good at traveling solo but this time having someone along to share all the adventures made the time away even more precious. We probably won’t get this opportunity again in the future so I am so grateful that we had this time to share together. I have learned a lot from her and I hope I have passed along some knowledge about how to get along on the other side of the world. Sumi took this picture of us in Busan.

Our trip here was long and exhausting with many many flight delays and bad weather. So far we are starting our trip back with only a 2 hour delay. Hopefully it won’t get any worse! Wish us good luck.

ν•œκ΅­ μ•ˆλ…•! λ‹€μŒμ— 또 λ§Œλ‚˜μš”

If you plan to travel to Korea, check here for ideas.

If you enjoy the content and would like to contribute towards website maintenance and development, you can make a donation here.

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