The Association of Chinese Cooking Teachers (ACCT) organized a holiday Christmas lunch today. The host restaurant this time was Chef Chu's in Los Altos, CA. Chef Chu's is conveniently located at the corner of San Antonio and El Camino Real. Today's luncheon was a sold-out event. Joe and I were so glad that we went.
Just like last time at China Stix, there was a presentation and book-signing. This time, the presenters were Lillian Gong-Guy and Gerrye Wong on "Chinese in San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley". After the presentation, several chefs at Chef Chu's performed food carving demonstration. Check out the pictures below! My favorite was the flowers, so pretty and realistic - all made from veggies!
The lunch menu was excellent - specially created by Chef Larry Chu for this particular event. These items are normally not available on their regular menus. With the price we paid for this luncheon, we thought it was a super value.
1) Grilled Boneless Quail with Watercress Lime Fish Sauce Dressing - We were amazed at how tender and tasty the quail was and the fact that the chef took the bones out, with the quail being so tiny. Here is a picture of Chef Larry Chu telling us to check out the recipe in the Splendid Living Magazine.
2) Then came the soup. Chef Chu said he does not like lukewarm soup. Joe and I could not agree with him more. Unless a soup is supposed to be served cold (like some western soups), otherwise, we like our soup to be piping hot. This second dish - Stuffed Cucumber with Shrimp Paste topped with a Whole Dry Scallop - was very good. We don't know how long they cooked the soup but the cucumber was very tender. And the soup temperature? HOT!
3) The third dish was Basil Beef with Roasted Whole Garlic. Basil is not a commonly used ingredient in Cantonese food but it is common in Taiwanese food. The beef was tender, and there was a little bit of spiciness to it. At this point I was craving for some rice... Then the waiter brought out the 4th and 5th items. 4) Chinese Sausage Fried Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf and 5) Fat Choy Purse with Fresh Pea Shoots. There was so much rice in that lotus wrap it was more than enough to feed everyone at our table. And the fat choy purse - another dish that was labor-intensive to make - was exceptional. Then finally, the last entree came. 6) Wok Seared Salmon with Black Bean Sauce. The black bean sauce was just right, not too salty.
Then it was dessert time - Fresh Pineapple Lychee Ravioli paired with Fresh Berries. Chef Chu was telling us a story about the origin of this dessert - the idea came from a 5-star restaurant in Cambodia. And he added some other elements such as candied ginger and walnut crumbs to make it a Chef Chu special dessert. If you just looked at the picture here, you won't believe the "ravioli" was actually very thinly-sliced pineapple (not pasta!). Chef Chu also gave us a tip - to make the pineapple slice soft and flexible, you need to blanch it first.
BTW, if you have not met Chef Chu in person. You should. Not only is he a successful chef and business owner, he is also a very good entertainer. I liked the fact that he was so involved in this whole event - from menu creation to directing his staff to engaging with the audience. By talking to him, you actually feel his excitement and passion for food and his business. He is a "celebrity" in a way because he is a well-known figure in the food industry, but he is also a very down-to-earth person. The ACCT staff was telling the audience that, Chef Chu wanted to raise the standards for this luncheon while keeping the price low.
This was really a great "finale" for the ACCT 2008 program. Joe and I joined their membership today and we look forward to the 2009 events!
