Originally Posted by
FlyerEC
You obviously have not visited the right places in Singapore ‼️
Do pm me
Lol. I get decent enough char siu here so it's not a big high up on my list of things to get. I'm usually looking for stuff I can't make, find or buy over here... So orh-luack as an example. (mainly because I have failed at making it so many times)... or rojak (can't find hae ko here). I've got a list of places I want to visit when I'm over there next time. Tempted with the VTL, but I have commitments and need to wait for the SG numbers to go down first.
Originally Posted by
gaobest
bitter melon is definitely acquired ala foie gras, drunken live shrimp, snake, matcha soft serve, horse… it’s not usually available just anywhere and it’s not a typical dish. I still haven’t had cheval or Chow. Zero desire and interest. Anyway bitter melon is something I would have at restaurants, cooked with black bean sauce.
I also still haven’t had Goose anywhere And I would like it at a Chinese bbq place. One day. Still zero rush.
Bitter melon is quite common in canto-cuisine dishes. As you mentioned, usually with black bean sauce, but helpful with soups and anything "heaty" (bitter melon is considered a "cooling" ingredient in chinese medicine). Steaming them is often nice as well (segment them, hollow them out, put in a mix of pork and fish meat)
I wouldn't expect snake to be common in SFO, but you're likely to find it further north as a soup or ingredient in congee. Just be careful as some places mix it in with lots of chicken meat as it's cheaper (at least before the supply crunch)
Originally Posted by
gaobest
Now why would we want to wash out the bitter? :-) that’s the whole joy of bitter melon. it’s like letting ice cream melt so that it isn’t so cold. :-)
It depends on how bitter the eaters can handle. Not everyone likes the bitterness so they temper it down by drawing some of it out. The salt also enhances the flavour a bit. They also freeze better IME. If you stick a bitter melon in the refrigerator for too long they start to spoil rapidly (turn yellow). My parents used to grow bitter melon and often we've have way too much (even after gifting lots)...