Homepage | Sandy Tang

Hey there!
I’m Sandy.

An inspiring menu developer as seen on the current series of MasterChef 2020 on BBC1

MasterChef: ‘Never seen that!’John and Gregg stunned as chef commits BBC first

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Oddly this is my first post about @journey.to.the.

Oddly this is my first post about @journey.to.the.west.uk!

𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜 𝚍𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚒𝚐 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑.

About 481 days ago, I decided to leave my job at @accenture and go full-time in starting a food business. And I'm gonna skip the BS of "this is the best thing ever as I become one of the corporate drop out". Let's put it this way - just because it's a terrible idea doesn't mean there won't be a good time 😂

I had a wonderful time, I had never been that physically active. I learnt how to use a pallet truck, installing three phase sockets, fixing the solenoid valve of my turbofan combi oven and many more life hacks. Oh I also know how to make a dumpling 🤣 It was a blast.

Fast forward to today, @journey.to.the.west.uk is more than a register on company house. We are making and selling dumplings, a food truck is also underway!

And truth is, I know my limits and by no way the most capable person in the world, but I sure can pick the best team 😉 thank you 🧡🧡🧡🧡 @chefemiltryka @dlcs9 @geoffrey.edmund @stranger_kitchens @liljemima @projecttastelondon @omnifoods.uk @wwave.design

📸:@axjmedia

Weekend trip to @denbies_wine_estate and @alburyvi

Weekend trip to @denbies_wine_estate and @alburyvineyard. Lots of wine! 🍷 Very happy Sandy 🤗

One of my recent favourite eats –
𝐎𝐱𝐞𝐲𝐞, 𝐕𝐚𝐮𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 by @svenhansonchef

Me and my friends found ourselves at the foot of the Embassy Gardens on a clement Wednesday night. Yes – that’s where the heated swimming pool in the sky you must have seen on Instagram.

While waiting for our lost friend to find her way there, mini-snacks were served to us including Cornish yarg churros with Moorhayes cheddar dip.

Before entering the main dining space, the ingredients for the night were presented to us in a still-life style arrangement. (it’s always nice to know the source of the ingredients and what they look like 👏)

You could probably tell this place is a big advocate of English sparkling by seeing their Hambledon and Nyetimer collection at the bar area, so I opted-in for the short wine pairing. Despite my distaste of English sparkling, I knew that was a right choice when they paired my favourite dish Donabe with a dark-chocolaty porter from London.

The dish consisted of Charleston gold rice from South Carolina, a species that has only been recently brought back to commercial cultivation, steamed in sake alongside with peas and smoked eel, served with a chargrilled swede consumme. The creaminess from the rice, sweetness from the peas, earthy tones from the eels and the smokiness from the consommé came together beautifully, and all washed down by the porter.

A sweet tooth like myself was extremely pleased with the mignardise made by @kaeshibata_ and @cartografiechocolate at the end. I think I got this Christmas’s chocolate sourcing sorted 😊

#londonfood

Next week will mark my first year living in London

Next week will mark my first year living in London! 😊
Whilst I met new friends and rekindled with the old ones, we shared new experiences together. I was truly grateful for how our relationships have fostered. They show me the love and support when things have been tough.

And this is my way to show mine 🥰:
- Pao de queijo, charcuterie
- Maldon oysters
- Peixinhos da Horta (green beans tempura)
- King scallops in parsley butter
- Lulas Recheadas (stuffed squid) with Saffron rice
- Batata cake with olive ice cream

Photo credit: @arieldailylife @elyse_li

#dinnerparty

Throwback to my Lisbon trip last month! I had the

Throwback to my Lisbon trip last month!

I had the pleasure to visit Feitoria @restaurantefeitoria 🌟 located on the banks of the River Tagus, nestled between the historic Tower of Belém and the Discoveries Monument.

Chef João Rodrigue @jmgrodrigues nods his hat towards the great Portuguese explorers of the past as he takes diners on a journey across land and sea.

Exotic spices from far-flung places combine with traditional Portuguese ingredients and flavours on the short tasting and à la carte menus. An extensive wine list is expertly paired with dishes like sheep's butter and chives, and Arouquesa beef, pigeons, seasonal mushrooms and truffles.

Baked Radish Cake (Pave) 🧧🥢 #ad Did someone

Baked Radish Cake (Pave) 🧧🥢

#ad Did someone say new year new phone? I was thrilled to experiment this recipe inspired by the traditional radish cake, which commonly served in cha lau (荼樓) and during CNY. Instead of pouring a roux over the dried scallops, shrimps and mushrooms, I thought it might be fun to layer them just like a potato pave. #reinventthewheel

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Filmed on #HONOR50 @ukhonor #WonderInOneTaste

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P.S. I was really impressed with the camera the multi-video vlogging mode, as well as the 60 fps settings in 1080MP which gives that seamless touch in the recordings. 🤳

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INGREDIENTS

75g Lap cheong (Chinese dried sausage), diced

70g Dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and diced

60g Dried scallops and shrimps, rehydrated and diced

400g White radish/ Mooli

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Seasonings:

10g Oyster sauce

1g Ground white pepper

1g Fine salt

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200g (plus excess) Wheat starch

200g (plus excess) Rice Flour

Grate the radish into discs with a japanese mandolin as thin as possible.

Heat oil in a hot frying pan. Add diced lap cheong, shiitake mushrooms, scallops and shrimps, gently fried for 2 minutes, then add seasoning. Give it a good stir then cook for another 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and let it cool down to room temperature.

Put cling film over a brownie tin (with depth between 4-6 cm). Layer radish discs one over another until the tin is covered with radish. Dust the 1:1 wheat starch and rice flour mix over the radish. Repeat this for another layer. Then add fried ingredients, and dust over the top with flour.

Repeat the same process again until you have 3 double-layers of radish and 2 layers of fried ingredients.

Gently press the layers to check how even they are distributed, and feel free to adjust with more discs on the edges.

Covered with cling film and tin foil. Add pebbles/ baking beans to add weight, which aids the compression. Set in the fridge overnight.

Remove pebbles and the top cling film. Steam for 8 minutes. Remove from steamer and cool to room temperature.

Cut into rectangular portions, then bake in the oven at 200°C for 6 minutes until the pave turns golden brown. Feel free to serve with your favourite chilli oil!

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas time and reco

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas time and recovering well from the food coma yesterday! 🎄❤️

Ps I completely forgot about my pigs and blankets in the fridge, guess we can have them with the bubble and squeak later...

#xmas #roastdinner #christmas2021

𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐚

𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐚 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐄𝐠𝐠 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞 🍁🍂🍂

Fourth attempt and I concluded that maybe venison (minced) is overrated, nevertheless I still like a good venison fillet. I added beef dripping, nutmeg, cinnamon and even coffee infused beef stock when emulsifying the filling mix. Still it's too lean to be a dumpling mince! Perhaps I just have this irrational obsession of having my wonton juicy. Just like I found ravioli out there sometimes being too dry, filling being too solid. Well, lessons learnt.

Salted duck egg butternut is a hit. They are destined to be Thermomix companion for life. It's creamy, sweet, a bit savoury. It smells like autumn when yellow leaves of the same colour falling off from the twigs. The bitterness from the cocoa wrappers, winter spices in the filling actually balances wonderfully with the sweetness and creaminess of the sauce.

Maybe a different type of game? Wild boar you reckon?

#dumplings #wontons #venisom #foodies #foodlover

𝐕𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢, 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡, 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦

It's almost an unusual twist of how Russian pelmenis are served. The tomato broth is made from the puree I made the night before for our hotpot, along with beef stock 😂 I was thinking to filter it to make it a clear tomato consomme, only concern is the debris will be a waste, so let's park that idea away.

Needless to say the grilled spring onion adds a really nice touch to the sour cream, a scoop of that balances the acidity from the tomato broth perfectly.

#pelmeni #dumplings #food #foodies #foodlover #f52 #f52gram

Throwback to my corn-fed chicken noodle in a cream

Throwback to my corn-fed chicken noodle in a creamy coconut broth last week 🌽🥥🍜

椰子雞 - it's a dish originated in the Hainan province of China, a tropical place indeed full of palm trees and coconuts. Then, obviously the dish got popularised when it's adapted into the form of hotpot in Guangdong.

The super high level of potassium in coconut water acts perfectly as a hypotonic solution. During cooking, it helps the chicken to stay moist and I personally find it difficult to overcook chicken (even breast cuts) in this lovely broth. You only need minimal seasoning when preping the chicken, pinch of salt and pepper does the job.

#coconutchicken #hotpot #broth #chickennoodles

Sunday lunch 🌞 Lamb Chops in Rosemary Panko wi

Sunday lunch 🌞

Lamb Chops in Rosemary Panko
with a Mustard Honey sauce 🍯

#lambchops #foodies #foodblog

Seems to be the season for crab, so thought I woul

Seems to be the season for crab, so thought I would knock up one of my favs - Curry Crab.

Along with some okras in garlic, chilli sauce, sort of Sichuan style. As well as fried oyster mushrooms Typhoon style (lots of fried shallots, garlic 😋).

Paired with an ice cold bottle of beer. Very happy Sandy ☺️

Corn & Parsley & Sea Salt Ice Cream 🌽🍦 Chic

Corn & Parsley & Sea Salt Ice Cream 🌽🍦

Chicken Cornmeal Taco 🌮

Corn and Butter Crumble 🌽

Inspired by the sweetcorn choux I had last week @daterrarestaurant 🌟🌟

Just love the natural sweetness from corn, and its distinctive flavours that melts into your mouth.

#f52 #f52gram #icecrean #foodies #foodlover #dessert #freitaglover #chicken #freitager #comfortfood #foodblog #nomnom

Wonderful meal at @daterrarestaurant earlier this

Wonderful meal at @daterrarestaurant earlier this week. Walking around the hotel and the restaurant brings back the memory of my MasterChef experience. I still remembered an almost sleepless night in one of their hotel suite the night before our final cook-off. Lots of dreams and also uncertainties that we just couldn't foresee at the time.

Thank you @rafacagali @kooze and the team for taking me onto this splendid sensory journey. ❤️

Still thinking about the weekend Shanghainese feas

Still thinking about the weekend Shanghainese feast by @jason888li 🤤 with great companions who shared the same passion for food ❤️

Starter we had.... And the list shall go on 😋:

四喜五香烤麸
Shanghainese Braised Gluten, Shiitake Mushrooms, Black Ear Fungus
秘制香黄醉鸡
Chicken in Fermented Rice Brine and Goji Berries
凉拌有机木耳
Cold Dressed Organic Black Ear Fungus
桂花糯米莲藕
Lotus Root stuffed with Glutinous Rice in an Osmanthus Flower Glaze
南京盐水卤鸭
Nanjing Brined Duck

Main dishes:
梦上海生煎馒头
Meng Shanghai Shengjian Baos
咸蛋黄烧卖
Salted Duck Egg Siu Mai garnished with Black Truffle
豆腐三文鱼汤
Tofu Salmon Soup
红烧大排煮卤蛋
Red Braised Pork and Egg
酸菜鱼
Fish in Pickled Greens with Bean Sprouts
毛豆炒花蟹
Stir Fried Blue Crab with Edamame Beans
松江有机白米饭
Songjiang Organic White Rice

Dessert:
养生莲心红豆沙
Red Bean Sweet Soup, Lotus Seeds

My heart stays with you, just not my mooncakes thi

My heart stays with you, just not my mooncakes this festival... But perhaps something else?

@journey.to.the.west.uk

Cardamom, Pistachio, Rose Water Gelato [no churn]

Cardamom, Pistachio, Rose Water Gelato [no churn]

To the almost over English summer 🌹☔ Inspired by the gelato I had at @cookingwithmarla, she served it with pink peppercorn shortbread as well...it was a delightful treat

Shrimp Paste Fried Chicken Lollipop with Butter Pa

Shrimp Paste Fried Chicken Lollipop with Butter Parsnip Puree, Fried Shallots
蝦醬雞 | 歐防風蘿蔔泥｜炸蔥頭

Origin: Singapore & Malaysia (if someone can tell me where about exactly much appreciated), parsnips obviously from the UK!

Hmm shrimp paste. Something I loved but worried that if I cook full on with it, the neighbours might call the police thinking that someone dig out a corpse. Literally it is soooo fermented that the smell can be off putting for many. With that being said, it becomes a lot more subtle after cooking. I marinated the deboned wings with shrimp paste, ground coriander, ground turmeric and ground black pepper overnight. Deep fried it with a chili flour coat on, taste bomb👌💥

Blossom Beef in Chicken Consomme 福建牛肉羹

Blossom Beef in Chicken Consomme 福建牛肉羹

Origin: Fujian, China

As ordinary as it seems, this is another interesting technique to prepare beef apart from 'velveting' , by mixing the meat cutlets with lye water (sodium hydroxide) and a mixture of tapioca flour plus water. This gives you a very tender and bouncy texture of beef. Lye water basically breaks down the muscle tissue, while the excessive mixing with tapioca flour (I used my kitchenaid at low speed for 15 minutes) which acts like a roux glue the tissue back together again.

Sneak peak of TikTok House @tiktok_uk at @westfiel

Sneak peak of TikTok House @tiktok_uk at @westfieldlondon today 🏡😍 this is soooo cool. And wonderful recipe shared by @poppy_cooks, what a joy to watch her cook!

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