XO Fried Noodles

Work...

This whole experience so far has just been nothing short of a roller coaster. There are days when I feel like I can conquer anything that I lay my hands on. So liberating and empowering. Then, there are days like today... Especially today... When the obstacles are so insurmountable and the deadlines are so demanding that it seemed like no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I just couldn't get a win.... Not one. It's kinda sad, really. It's times like these when I really do have no choice but to surrender. But is that even a bad thing? At this point, I draw hope and strength by focusing on the grander scheme of things. Today wasn't my day at all but tomorrow is a New Day and I am even more determined to strive till the end.

Hence, the decision to write a blog post today... Blogging and talking about Food just lifts my spirits more than people know, to be honest.

Anyway, apologies for the melancholy of this post. Back to the recipe. This XO Fried Noodle dish uses one of my favourite ingredients to have in my kitchen: The Lin Lin XO Sauce. This is one of those items that you can be sure to find in my fridge 365 days a year. My family loves it so much that Mum even buys it home to Malaysia to use it to cook for the rest of the family back home.

I enjoy that the flavour is deep and rich whilst balancing the sweetness and saltiness perfectly well. Downright delicious to eat. Plus, it's always cheaper than any other XO sauces in the aisle too. 

I've been making this XO Fried Noodle dish in massive batches for a number of years, whether it's for a potluck I'm attending or during exams in university when I wouldn't leave the house for days. Besides using the Lin Lin sauce for this dish, I also use it similarly for fried rice, or Chinese eggplant dishes or even as a dipping sauce when I have hot pots or steamboats.

I hope you give this recipe a go. It's definitely an old favourite of mine. Take care.

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XO Fried Noodles
(serves 5)

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
5 tbsp of Lin Lin XO sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp chilli oil (optional)
3 tbsp water (to help combine)

Other ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
3 eggs
dash of salt
1/2 large onion (diced)
500g minced beef/pork
200g rice vermicilli (soaked for 1hr, then drained)
1 large carrot (shredded)
1 1/2 cup chopped spring onions

Optional: Garnish with fried shallots

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat up a wok with the oil on high heat. Once hot, add the eggs and salt and scramble the eggs with your spatula until cooked. Dish and set aside.

3. In the same wok, fry the onions until fragrant. Stir in the minced meat and fry until almost cooked while breaking up the meat with your spatula continuously (so that it doesn't lump together).

4. Add in the drained noodles/rice vermicilli and carrots. Stir in half of the sauce mixture. Stir everything until evenly coated. Sometimes, doing this with chopsticks might be easier. Stir in remaining sauce until completely even.

5. Add the scrambled eggs and chopped spring onions before giving it a final stir. Serve while hot and garnish with fried shallots, if using. 

Peko Peko, South Melbourne

Peko Sausage -- $8.00

Unique house made Taiwanese sausage

Beef About -- $12.00

Tenderly stewed beef slices, authentic herb & spice stock with broad Taiwanese noodle

Pork Chop Addiction -- $13.00

Traditional Taiwanese deep fried pork cutlet, served with pickled cabbage

Requested Sriracha Mayo (best combo ever) to dip it in... Perfect!!

Custard Pancake

Wasabi Mayo Prawn -- $9.00

Battered prawn tossed in light wasabi mayo

Taiwanese sausage again

Chilli Chicken Peko Box -- $13.00

Tender chicken pieces wok tossed with dried chilli, carrot, broccoli, flaming hot tangy sauce

Crispy Honey Beef -- $13.00

Crispy fried beef strips wok-tossed with onion, capsicum, special honey sauce

Sweet and Sour Chicken Crunch -- $13.00 (my favourite!!!)

Traditional battered chicken cooked with onion, capsicum, sweet and sour sauce

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"Peko Peko?"

"OMG YESSS!!!"

A conversation that I have with various groups of friends. It's just a place that everyone seems to know and love... Including me.

I knew that this was a place that I would love from the moment I walked in the first time I ate there a while ago. The smell of colourful flavours wafting through the air, amidst the buzz and chatter of a full house in a well lit, relaxed and downright fuss free setting. Party of 10 celebrating a birthday... Family dinner of 5... Date night for 2... Groups of friends catching up... You could tell that every one there was having a good time and enjoying their food. It was the instant vibe of the place that struck me the most.

Then, of course... The food. It was one of those places that I had trouble picking what I wanted because they all sounded too good... And then of course my friends and I would agree to each order something different so we could all share dishes to try (so Asian, I know...)

It was all simple, but DAMN tasty. We each had our own favourites here. For some, it was the classic "Taiwanese pork chop", or the "kong bao" chicken, or the "honey beef".... But my absolute favourite HAS got to be those darn-friggidy-good Wasabi Prawns and Sweet & Sour Chicken Box.

Even though I've had more than my fair share of traumatic experiences with Sweet and Sour dishes in Australia, this one really caught me by surprise. It tasted JUST like the one my Mum makes at home. First, it wasn't bright neon pinkish-purplish-red. The chicken was still crispy and juicy, which means it was deep fried TWICE then only tossed at the end ever so quickly (as you should). Sauce had strong wok flavour from the onions and capsicum too... Again, just like home. I could go on and on eating this dish. Sweet and Sour dishes were my absolute favourite growing up, just ask my Mum. It's great. Thankfully, I've got my Mum's handwritten recipe for this too, which I can't wait to share. 

That aside, it's those wasabi prawns, which got me singing for days. Super crunchy, juicy and with just the right amount of wasabi in the mayo. So damn good!! And I've never liked wasabi flavoured dishes until now.

Overall, Peko Peko is fun, relaxed, really affordably priced and IMHO... Value for Money. For me, I can't think of anywhere in Melbourne that is anywhere like Peko Peko. It's one of a kind. And I can't begin to express how badly I want to go back to this place again soon... YUM