Dry Run, Dry Pork :(
3 Dishes was built around the format we eat at home. Our first menu proteins took inspiration from summer nights on the rooftop. We swapped soy glazed chicken wings for chicken thighs and Chinese BBQ spare ribs for pork chops. But cooking for two to enjoy didn’t quite translate to cooking for many—especially when the food would be eaten hours later.
For me, cooking has always meant measuring from the heart. Recipes in our families were passed down not by written instructions, but by helping in the kitchen and learning through trial and error. Questions like “how much salt?” or “is this enough vinegar?” were answered with “this much” or “try it—maybe a little more.” That intuition lets me throw together a midnight snack from a sparse pantry. But it also made it tricky to recreate a recipe with precision. I found myself trying to remember I usually put in the marinade…while keeping the ingredient list short and writing precise measurements down.
To make our proteins easier for lunch, we went with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and pork chops. We marinated and cooked them, just like we always do. But as soon as they were done, I knew something was off. Still, we had promised food and needed to deliver. We cut, boxed, and served. By the end of the night, we were relieved to have gotten something out—but also knew we had a lot to improve.
During our retrospective, a few things stood out:
While boneless cuts are easier to eat, they’re leaner than their counterparts and cooking techniques should be adjusted accordingly.
Sauces can tie a dish together—and the lack of one highlighted the gaps.
We need to be intentional about whether a dish reflects true Chinese or Taiwanese homestyle cooking, or if it’s an adaptation shaped by our American experiences.
It was tough to admit that this didn’t work. The proteins fell short on texture, and worse, the choices felt inauthentic to our ethos.
3 Dishes is about highlighting Chinese and Taiwanese food through a fast casual lens. That means going back to themes and techniques central in Chinese and Taiwanese cooking—braises and sides that not only carry flavor but embody our roots. More on that in next week’s entry.
