Review: Lychee Cafe in Wellington, New Zealand

I recently discovered Lychee Cafe through a friend who claimed the vegetarian menu was interesting and delicious. Personally, I love meat. I eat animals from the rooter to the tooter (although not always at one go). 

I’ve sworn against eating out with vegetarians after a few rather unpleasant veggie restaurants I’ve sampled in the greater Wellington region, and though skeptical I’d enjoy a purely vegetarian meal, I went along with my good friend and we turned to the cafe for dinner. I figure time spent with good company is never a disappointment even if the meal is. I was pleasantly surprised when they rolled out the pan-fried dumplings for our entree. The skin was perfect, the veggies inside were finely chopped and seasoned Asian greens and not the usual array of cabbage, shredded carrot, or worse, a Watties frozen mixed bag of western veggies crammed into store-bought wonton skins (shudder). The dumplings came with a sweet soy and garlic dipping sauce. It was the outstanding dish of the night. 

A few days later, when I had another craving for Chinese food (this time for the specialties with meat), I dragged my husband with me to dinner. Having lived in Asia for many years, my husband knew a few items on the menu and was able to practice his Mandarin with the staff. It was an outstanding meal with the Peking beef rolls (Chinese sesame flatbread with sliced braised beef, scallions and hoisin sauce rolled into what looks like an Asian burrito) and Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup the stars of the evening. The beef they use is perfect: fatty, tendons and some gristle attached for a nice bounce when chewed. It never ceases to amaze me why some people complain about having a little fat and gristle with their meat. If cooked properly, these things add wonderful flavor and texture. We had one rather forgettable dish, the three cups chicken, but we ate everything else with gusto. They have Tsingtao Beer (yay), a limited wine list and a nice selection of Chinese teas. The tea list is very good if you enjoy this kind of stuff.

I recommend going for a casual meal and introduction to Taiwanese cuisine in Wellington. The owners are from Taiwan, I hear, and the staff are very friendly and provide great suggestions if you're one of the uninitiated in this regional style of Chinese cooking.

Shanghai-style Chao Nian Gao (Sauteed Sticky Rice Cakes)

Shanghai-style Sauteed Rice Cakes

Happy Year of the Snake!

I fully expect everyone to be gorging themselves on Chinese food until they're a heaping, lifeless mass on the sofa sipping cautiously on whiskey rocks while the sound of clacking mahjong tiles and the cacophony of elderly Chinese grandmothers gossiping in the background ebb and flow.

If the above doesn't sound very realistic in your household this lunar holiday season, you can at the very least sample one of the delicious dishes that is integral to the feast of any self-respecting Chinese household.

Ingredients

500 grams rice cakes (frozen or dried, soak for 2-3 hours in tap water in a large bowl)
5 whole leaves napa cabbage (aka Chinese cabbage or celery cabbage), sliced into slivers
100 grams pork tenderloin with a little bit of fat, sliced into slivers
6 dried shitake mushrooms (reconstituted in hot water, save the water!), slivers
50 grams pickled cabbage (canned, Ma Ling brand), finely chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, very thin slivers
50 grams bamboo shoots, very thin slivers
1 tsp finely ground white pepper
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp Xiaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4-1/2 cup beef stock
2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil (make sure it's an oil that can stand high, high heat...grapeseed and canola should do fine)

While the rice cakes are soaking in a bowl of tap water, start prepping your other ingredients. I'm sure after reading the ingredients list, you picked up the recurring theme of tiny or thin slivers.
* Cooking Tip 101: When you cut or slice things into similar sizes, they cook at the same rate and thus you end up eliminating having to cook things separately and at varying amounts of times.

Then put...

1 tsp finely ground white pepper
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp Xiaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp cornstarch
Liquid from reconstituted mushrooms

...together in a small bowl until the cornstarch has been mixed thoroughly. Add a few teaspoons of this mixture with the slivered pork and marinate for a few minutes.

Drain the rice cakes in a colander, which should now be somewhat bendable (but still breakable so don't apply too much pressure). Set all prepped items aside and heat oil on HIGH in wok.

Oil should glisten. Toss the pork in and it should sizzle and splatter. The pork should cook through almost immediately. Then, add the...

5 whole leaves napa cabbage (aka Chinese cabbage or celery cabbage), sliced into slivers
100 grams pork tenderloin with a little bit of fat, sliced into slivers
6 dried shitake mushrooms (reconstituted in hot water, save the water!), slivers
50 grams pickled cabbage (canned, Ma Ling brand), finely chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, very thin slivers
50 grams bamboo shoots, very thin slivers

...to the pork in the wok. Toss, stir, make sure it doesn't burn on the high HIGH heat.

Lastly, add the rice cakes and stir frequently. Add the beef broth and watch it sizzle some more while you stir-fry like master Chinese grandmother!

Once the sauce thickens, the rice cakes should soften and have a sticky/chewy consistency; turn off the heat and plate the dish.

I like to garnish with fried shallots, but others have put chopped spring onions or chopped coriander. Garnish to your own taste.

Xing nian quai le, and happy eating!

Hint:
Rice cakes can be found at most Asian grocers, but in Wellington, I found the best frozen rice cakes at the Korean shop Haere Mai, in the deep freezer. The pickled cabbage and the bamboo shoots are sold at Yans and a new grocer on Tennyson Road called Asiana.

Auckland vs. Wellington Restaurants/Food - Who is the Winner?

Auckland. Hands down.