Compliments of the Chef with Alexander Ong

This week, Chefs Feed met up with renowned chef Ong at his restaurant in Cow Hollow.

December 6, 2013 ● 1 min read

CF: I'm best known for my _______ cooking but I can make one hell of a ________________. 
AO: I'm best known for my Pan-Asian cooking, but I can make one hell of a po' boy sandwich, oyster or shrimp. Or sandwich. Since we are talking about it in general, I can make a good sandwich. 

AO: I just got back from Singapore and Malaysia, so a lot of classic Nyonya, Foochow, and Hakka dishes. I'm also creating "healthy" salads that are still sinful, like the baked, crispy chicken "chicharrón" over watercress. 

CF: Which chef would you drop everything to stage with? 
AO: Da Dong. I want to learn how he makes his Beijing Duck. 

CF: Insider tip from the kitchen for diners. 
AO: Sweet is not the only component in Asian cooking. Be adventurous. 

CF: Message to professional food critics. 
AO: Can we be done with food trends and flavors of the year? A great tasting fried chicken, burger, or lasagna will never go out of style. Travel more. Write about regional American and foreign cuisines. Steer food politics and invite dialogue. Anything to get Big Food and Ag to cringe is a good thing. 

CF: One piece of advice for aspiring young chefs. 
AO: Learn to walk correctly for the first 10 years. Travel, travel, eat, eat, stage, stage. And knife skills. 

CF: What's for family meal tonight? 
AO: Not sure, but if the weather is chilly, it could be a big pot of congee with pork, fish, lots of ginger, and cilantro, all finished with a drizzle of fish sauce, raw egg, and white pepper.