Michelin-starred TV chef and restaurateur Kwanghi Chan has created three new recipes for Compass Ireland, the leading Irish catering company, in conjunction with their executive chef and Culinary Director, Shay Kendrick, to celebrate Chinese New Year 2022.
Chan, who won RTÉ's Battle of the Food Truck in 2021 thanks to his popular Dublin food truck Bites of Kwanghi, is also the owner of brick and mortar hot-spot, Bowls by Kwanghi.
The concept for his food truck, which he opened during the pandemic, was inspired by his own experience with street food in Hong Kong. He told Hannah Moran: "I go to Hong Kong fairly regularly and the street food scene there is crazy and I always wanted to recreate that style."
"We had done a few festivals before with a pop-up stall and an opportunity came up to buy an old chipper van. We did it up and took it out and it was a hit straight away."
Born in Hong Kong, Kwanghi moved to Ireland where he began cultivating his cooking skills from a young age, learning from his uncle who ran a Chinese takeaway in Buncrana, Donegal.
Years later, having worked as head chef in Michelin-star restaurant Cliff House Hotel, Kwanghi went on to establish his own Asian-style sauce brand, ChanChan, before opening his own restaurant and subsequent food truck.
Speaking on Chinese New Year, the chef said that the day is all about spending time at the dinner table with family.
"The tradition is family gathering," he told RTÉ LifeStyle. "Eating dumplings and traditional meaning full foods like noodles, fish, dumplings, for deep history meanings of health, prosperity, fortune. Which in hope to give you some of the good energy in the new year."
"The year of the tiger symbolises strength, speed and courage and willingness to adapt so hopefully this year will be better for everybody all around the world with the new year of the tiger comes in and out with the Ox ."
His own celebrations will include a steamed fish dish "for health", some noodles "for longevities", and some dumplings "as they look like old coins which symbolise fortune".
For Chinese New Year, Kwanghi is sharing three mouth-watering dishes to help you celebrate at home:
Spiced cauliflower & cashew yuk sung
Irish trout teriyaki rice bowl with greens, avocado & nori seaweed
Tom yum chicken & prawn rice noodle broth
