Simply Ming: Andre Chiang & Cooking With Our Senses - part 1 - VoiceTube: Learn English through videos!

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>> MING: Hey, this is Ming Tsai
from Simply Ming, coming to you
from Singapore, specifically
Little India, where we're going
to meet Michelin Star Chef Andre
Chiang.
He's going to come here with me,
and we're going to get inspired
by the wonderful produce, the
seafood, the meats, because
we're going to be cooking on the
fly from Singapore next on
Simply Ming.
Funding for Simply Ming is
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>> MING: Andre, Ming Tsai.
>> Hey.
>> MING: Nice to see you.
>> Nice to see you.
>> MING: What a fantastic place.
Is this where you get your
inspiration?
>> Yes.
Well, that's the place that I
buy all my home cookings, and I
come here all the time.
>> MING: And this fish, is this
all local?
>> Yes, it's all local.
>> MING: I mean, I see aji, I
see bass, some mackerel over
there, right?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: Beautiful.
So do you actually cook a lot of
fish at home?
Yes, I do.
>> MING: You do?
>> Even in the restaurant I use
a lot of seafood.
>> MING: Dude, I had a fantastic
meal at your restaurant.
This boy can cook.
Look at this.
I love your prawns.
You call them prawns or shrimp
here?
>> They have big prawns, and
then they have also shrimp, the
little ones.
>> MING: (speaking Chinese)
Out of all the shrimp, what is
the sweetest of the shrimp?
The big... the king prawns?
>> The king prawns.
>> MING: And all these... these
are local, these are farm
raised, these are wild?
>> These are farm.
>> MING: Those are farm, and
this is... all right, I'm going
to... you want to do shrimp or
not?
>> You can do shrimp.
>> MING: Okay, I'm going to do
shrimp.
>> I'll probably do some fish.
>> MING: All right, can I
have... how about can I have
some of these please?
(speaking Chinese)
All right, let's grab a couple
of these.
These are beautiful.
Really smells good, huh?
These are awesome.
All right.
That would be fantastic.
Thank you.
So what kind of dish are you
doing with your needlefish?
I think what I will do, I'll use
a different type of... probably
five, six different type of
lime, citrus, and just to cure
the needlefish that I just
bought.
>> MING: Okay, awesome.
And I think I'm going to do,
like, maybe a sweet and sour,
maybe get some fruit.
So you need some acid, I need
some acid.
So let's get some fruit.
There must be some down here.
All right.
>> Yes.
>> MING: All right, what have
you got there?
>> Well, could I get some lime?
Can I have, like, a handful?
>> The calamansi, right?
>> Yes.
>> MING: I love that.
>> A little bit more.
And then a couple of these as
well.
>> MING: All right.
And I'm going to go... this is
really sour, right, the green
mango?
>> Thank you.
>> MING: Really sour mango.
>> Yes.
>> MING: All right.
>> Want to get some ripe ones?
>> MING: Yeah, I want both.
I want sour and ripe.
Yeah.
>> Probably this one.
>> MING: Yeah, that's all right.
Here we go.
And those too, please.
Awesome.
Thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
>> MING: Ah, we'll get some
lemongrass here.
You like lemongrass, Andre?
>> Yes, a lot.
>> MING: Anything else you need
here?
>> Well, if I get some...
>> MING: What's that, cilantro,
or coriander?
>> Beautiful coriander, yeah.
>> And then get three lemons.
>> MING: I might steal one of
those from you, if that's okay.
(speaking Chinese)
>> So Ming, you want chili?
So now you've got chilis.
These are all different type of
chilis that you can get here.
>> MING: I'm glad.
These are smoking hot, right?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: I call them Thai bird's
eye chili, right?
>> Yes.
>> MING: Maybe some of this,
right?
Ginger flour.
>> Yeah, you can get some of the
fresh ginger flowers.
>> MING: What is this?
>> Well, this one, they call it
krathiam in the Thai cuisine.
>> MING: Yeah.
>> Normally go with the oysters,
or you can just saute like...
>> MING: It's very garlicky,
oniony, huh?
>> It is.
>> MING: It's like (speaking
Chinese), right?
>> Yeah.
But it gets really a mild flavor
once you cook it with omelets or
seafood.
>> MING: I got what I need.
You got what you need?
>> Yes.
>> MING: Let's go cook.
A beautiful restaurant you have
here, Andre.
>> Thank you.
>> MING: So what's the name of
your dish?
What are you actually going to
make?
I think I will sear the
needlefish, because they're
really delicate fish.
I don't want to destroy the
delicacy of the needlefish.
So we're going to do some citrus
dressing.
>> MING: Right.
>> And with a thin slice of the
fennel salad.
>> MING: Okay.
All right, what can I do for
you?
>> First of all we're going to
start with the dressing.
So I'm going to use calamansi,
kaffir lime, and the regular
lime, and the one they imported.
So they all have different
acidity.
>> MING: So three different
limes, different levels acidity.
>> Four different limes.
>> MING: Four different limes.
Right, right, right.
>> MING: And then use some
lemon.
You know, the funny thing is, in
Asia, this is called lemon, this
is called lime.
>> MING: No.
>> Yes, it is.
>> MING: Come on.
>> Yes, yes, it's true.
>> MING: Oh, my god.
We've been calling it wrong in
the States.
Can I cut anything for you, or
do some stuff?
>> Yes.
Maybe start with fennel.
>> MING: So shaved fennel?
>> Yes, I want to get really,
really thin, as thin as
possible, then we're going to
soak it in ice water.
>> MING: And cut it this way.
>> Yes, lengthwise.
>> MING: Okay, perfect.
I can do that for you.
>> So my side, I will start with
the dressings.
>> MING: So Chef, you want it
this way, right?
>> Yes.
>> MING: Okay.
>> Yes.
>> MING: And so that's a funny
looking shallot, right?
We don't really have those in
the States.
>> Yes, that's called banana
shallot.
>> MING: Which I love, because
it's easy to prep, right?
You get a lot more shallot
with...
>> Yes, it's lots easier.
So we're just going to chop it.
>> MING: So all the chefs you
worked for... you've... what,
four?
Four chefs in France?
>> Yeah, yeah.
Four main establishment that I
work.
>> MING: And what were those?
>> In Montpellier, Jacques et
Laurent Pourcel, restaurant Le
Jardin des Sens.
>> MING: Is that okay, Chef?
>> Yes.
You can go thinner.
>> MING: Go thinner?
Okay.
>> Yeah.
And then Michel Troisgros in
Maison Troisgros in Roanne.
>> MING: How long were you
there?
In Roanne?
>> MING: Yep.
>> In Jardin des Sens I stayed
seven years.
>> MING: Wow.
So you started as commis?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: Right, commis meaning
low-ranked chef.
It's not a government or
political distinction.
>> And I finished as Chef de
Cuisine there.
>> MING: There, after seven
years?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: Wow.
That's a pretty quick rise in
France, right?
>> I worked very hard.
>> MING: Yeah, I'm sure.
>> Okay.
>> MING: All right, the
cilantro, come ca?
>> Yes.
>> MING: Okay, perfect.
>> Maybe too much.
>> MING: So you have shallots.
What's all in your... is it a
marinate, or vinaigrette, I
guess?
>> Yes.
I'm first going to keep the
orange zest.
>> MING: Right.
>> Before I segment it.
>> MING: So this is kind of
South of France cooking, right?
>> Yes, it is.
>> MING: Is that what you like
to eat mostly when you cook at
home?
>> Yes.
>> Something light.
A lot of people say, "Well,
Andre, your French cuisine..."
well, especially in Asia.
A lot of people say, "Your
French cuisine is not as heavy
as what we're expected."
>> MING: Right.
>> I say, well, because there
are not a lot of really Southern
French cuisine in Asia.
>> MING: Right.
>> So actually in South of
France we used a lot of
acidities, lemon.
Mainly the ingredients that you
can find in Mediterranean.
>> MING: Yep, which I love.
It's much lighter.
Is that enough, Chef, or do you
want a little bit more?
>> Yeah, a little bit more.
>> MING: Okay.
>> It's for both of us, right?
>> MING: Oui, oui.
And do you cook Chinese?
I mean, you were born in Taiwan,
right?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: And so do you like to
cook Chinese, or you like to go
out to eat Chinese, or...
>> Well, we go out and eat
Chinese.
I don't... I'm not a very good
cook in Chinese.
>> MING: Oh, no?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: And are you... you're a
big lover of wines, I assume, as
well.
>> Yes.
>> MING: That's one thing we
don't have in Chinese, is any
wines, yet.
All right.
>> Yeah.
And here I just have one slice
of each lemon.
>> MING: Lemon.
Why do they do that?
Why is a lemon called a lime and
a lime is called a lemon?
>> Because you have lemon all
the time grow locally, and lime
is imported.
So in... I believe in the States
these are local grown.
>> MING: Right.
>> The green ones is imported.
>> MING: In the States?
Yeah, well, we grow... I mean,
California, they grow limes,
too.
But there are a lot from Mexico
and South America.
>> Yeah.
So now I have the juice of all
different type of lime.
>> MING: All right.
>> A bit of this, of kaffir
lime.
>> MING: All right.
This?
Yeah, that's good.
>> MING: That's enough?
>> Yeah, that's good enough.
We're going to put it in ice
water.
>> MING: Okay, some ice water
here.
All right, so what are you...
you're doing some orange
segments, is it?
>> Yes.
I'm just peeling it.
And if you can make a segment
for me...
>> MING: Yeah, please.
My pleasure.
>> Yeah.
>> MING: I don't know if you can
tell-- I already like this dish.
Nice and light.
And then you have your
needlefish, which... I've never
eaten needlefish.
>> They're really, really good.
>> MING: I certainly have seen
them in the ocean.
>> Yeah.
And you see how fresh they are
when you're in the market.
>> MING: Oh, yeah, that was
beautiful, how fresh they were.
>> There you go.
>> MING: And you... so sashimi's
good, and just parsley lightly
cooked is the way you like it?
>> Yeah, so I just... normally
I, like, just simply grill it.
You can just grill the whole
fish.
>> MING: Right.
>> And it'll taste beautiful.
>> MING: These oranges are
amazingly fresh.
So a lot of stuff is imported in
Singapore, correct?
>> Yes.
I think the advantage of
Singapore is you use the
ingredients from everywhere.
>> MING: Yep.
>> You get some really good
stuff locally, and you can also
get them import, whether it's
from China, from Japan, or from
Europe.
>> MING: Can I do anything else,
Chef?
How about that coriander?
>> Yes, I need to pick some
leaves and then just chop it
off.
>> MING: All right, just rough
chop?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: How much cilantro do
you want, or coriander?
Like, two times that?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: Okay.
And the thing I love that you
may or may not know about Andre
is he's an artist in the
kitchen, but you also... you
have a love of making pottery,
right?
>> Yeah, I decided to make my
own plates.
That... and I can... sometimes
when you have an idea of a dish,
but you cannot find the right
place to present it, right?
>> MING: Right.
>> And so yeah, that's why I
decided to do my own pottery.
>> MING: Is that... do you want
more chopped than that, Chef?
>> That's good, that's good.
Just roughly chopped, and then
just put them all in.
>> MING: Put it in the dressing?
>> In the dressing, yeah.
So now what I do here, I just
kind of make a little mark on
the skin.
>> MING: Right.
And that's to prevent it from
folding up, bending, when you
cook it?
>> Yes.
Also you just want to sear it,
and you get really nice mark on
it.
It's beautiful.
>> MING: It's a beautiful
looking fish.
I mean, that... it's just crazy
color, huh?
>> Yeah.
I'm just going to leave it here.
>> MING: I've eaten at a lot of
fantastic restaurants in the
world.
I'm very lucky.
I'll turn that on for you.
But Chef's... you need to
explain.
Octophilosophy is your eight
ways of presenting food,
correct?
>> Yes.
>> MING: As you cook, let me
know... just explain, because
it's hard to understand, to be
honest.
You know, when you see all the
adjectives, you wonder.
>> Yes.
Well, for me, I think for the
cooking, it's not just about if
you order a seared salmon and we
serve you a seared salmon,
right?
But I think most important that
we feel that what's the most
beautiful things about cooking
is every dish should have one
intention, or a story behind
every dish.
And that's the beautiful part of
it.
So I think that we use eight
different elements to represent
eight different dishes.
>> MING: Right.
And then people want to know
why.
You know, what's the thinking
process of a chef?
>> MING: Philosophy, right.
Brilliant, brilliant food.
So what, a little olive oil?
>> A little olive oil.
Nice and hot.
>> MING: So no salt on the fish.
Interesting.
You just want to... because
you're going to... the seasoning
is going to come from the
vinaigrette?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: That's such beautiful
fish.
>> Yeah.
And it's actually really fast,
so you need to really have a hot
pan.
>> MING: Right.
So what, 30 seconds a side?
>> Yes.
>> MING: Okay.
>> We just need to get one side
done.
>> MING: Right.
>> And then we just flip it
over.
Okay.
Just use the spatula.
>> MING: Right.
>> Lift it over.
>> MING: Oh, okay.
So you don't even need to cook
the other side, because it's so
thin.
That's beautiful.
>> Other side.
>> MING: Right.
It's gorgeous.
>> So you can see they cook
really fast.
>> MING: Yep.
>> Okay, now I'm doing the
plating.
>> MING: Okay.
Love this.
Simple, clean.
>> Yeah, I'm going to put two
filet on it.
>> MING: Okay.
So tell me about your mom.
>> Yeah.
>> MING: You know, I'm lucky.
I have two Chinese parents, and
they fed us well.
But I heard that your mom used
to test you, to, like, identify
what's in the dish.
Is that true?
>> Yes.
>> MING: At what age?
>> Since I have memory.
>> MING: Really?
>> Yeah.
>> MING: So, like, four years
old.
>> Yeah, four or five years old.
>> MING: So she would give you
whatever, a stir-fry dish, or a
piece of fruit or something?
>> Yes.
Well, even we go to the
restaurant, we go to the
restaurant, and then she would
say, "Tell me what's inside."
>> MING: Right.
>> And I'll say, "Okay, garlic,
thyme, or..." and then...
>> MING: Here's your salad.
>> Yes.
And then she would say, "What
else?"
And then she would tell me
what's inside.
>> MING: That's awesome.
>> The funny thing is, after
she'd tell you what is inside,