Sunday, January 23, 2011

Portland's Delicious Gem: Thien Huong Chinese Restaurant

During my recent visit to see my relatives in Portland, Oregon, they introduced me to a locally renowned Chinese restaurant, Thien Huong. This culinary institution prides itself for proudly serving authentic Asian food since 1987.

My Uncle Fernando quickly informed me Thein Huong is known for their salt & pepper squid and for someone like me who adores calamari, I couldn't wait to try their world famous dish!

I must say, they make the BEST salt & pepper squid! In my humble opinion, it's all in the batter and they've hit the jackpot. Their calamari is lightly crunchy on the outside, coated with just the right amount of salt and pepper and beautifully tender in the middle.

After admiring and savouring the delicious calamari, we didn't wait long to dive right into the rest of the scrumptious fare including beef and vegetable noodles,

deep fried rock fish,

and another favourites of mine, green beans in black bean sauce.

Here's my Auntie Filipina's recipe for Green Bean in Black Bean Sauce.

Ingredients:
- 1 lb fresh green beans
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp black bean sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Trim the ends of the green beans and rinse them. Blanche them in boiling water until the beans are slightly tender. Place green beans in cold water to cool off.
2. Heat oil in frying pan then add garlic and ginger till lightly browned. Add green beans and cook on high, stirring constantly until they start to brown.
3. Add black bean sauce and mix well. Serve pipping hot over warm white rice, lovely!!
Try this: My recommended brand for Black Bean Sauce is Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Garlic Sauce.

4 comments: