At Home: Hong Kong Wonton Broth

I never thought I’d start writing, let alone publishing, recipes. At least not when I’m under 40. I’m only 21, in my final year of college, writing three essays a week, preparing grad school applications and busy applying for jobs. Who am I to compete with stay-home moms who test out recipes from Rachael Ray magazine, take food styling courses and own mini photo studios for their food blogs?

Cooking has been an imperative since I arrived in Oxford last fall given the lack of decent dining establishments in the area. I may have splurged hundreds of dollars on a meal, but I find paying twenty dollars for a piece of boiled meat and gravy quite objectionable. Majority of university students have accepted this condition matter-of-factly and sustain themselves with microwaveable prepared meals from chain supermarkets. But not me. Not me.

This dire circumstance has forced me to cook at least two times a day to feed myself. But unlike moms who are blessed with the gift of time and can spend four hours to prepare dinner, as a student, I have to cook the simplest, cheapest meals that take less than half an hour to prepare.

Lucky for me, Oxford sells the finest raw material at absurdly low price – a cause for celebration for any cook - which has allowed me to be more playful and experimental in the kitchen.

These past few months have led me to the most unexpected and welcome culinary discoveries. I've shared them with my friends here - hopefully, by publishing the recipes I can share them with others.

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Yesterday, I made a noteworthy attempt to recreate the reputable Hong Kong wonton broth. A lot of people on the Internet can't seem to get it right - their recipes lack the key ingredient for a Hong Kong-style broth. I would never have thought of it myself, if wasn’t for my uncle who told me.

For more than twenty years, my uncle has been eating wonton noodles at Mak's Noodle in Lan Kwai Fong, Central. Mak's Noodle is a family business dating back to the 1960s, and is now run by Mak Chi Ming, whose grandfather Mak Woon Chi once served his wonton noodles to Chiang Kai Shek. It is claimed that the recipe has remain unchanged since the restaurant opened.

I was there just last December for the first time and was very very impressed with their broth. I asked my uncle what could be inside the wonton broth that makes it so distinctive and fragrant.

“Dried shrimps,” he said. 

So below is my precious recipe (click image to enlarge). Please take my measurements with a grain of salt and adjust it to your liking. I toss things around the kitchen without ever properly measuring anything. As for my personal palate, I like my food to be packed with herbs, bursting with organic, complex flavours.

You'll find in my recipes that I rely on fresh ingredients for flavour more than seasoning. This often means that a dish will cost more money, but I hope you agree that the distinction is worth the price.