Top Tips

Here at Tao Tao Ju, we want everyone to be able to enjoy and appreciate the multitude of flavours within Chinese cuisine. While you’re not always able to visit us, with the right ingredients, equipment and tips from our chefs, we hope you'll be able to enjoy Chinese food from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Get Comfortable with Stir Frying

Stir frying is a technique in Chinese cooking which essentially means cooking ingredients on high heat and tossing the ingredients in the wok. This sears the ingredients giving you better flavour. Cooking at such high heat, requires you to chop the ingredients into similar sized pieces for fast and even cooking.

Preparation is Key

In classical French cooking, chefs practise ‘mise en place’ which translates to ‘everything in its place’. It’s the practice of having all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. You don’t want to be caught out chopping your spring onions when your garlic and ginger start to burn in the pan!

Stock Up

A good, basic pantry is also a great tip. Soy sauce for saltiness and umami, oyster sauce adds richness, Shaoxing wine gives you depth of flavour, acidity and adds complexity to a dish. Having salt, sugar, white pepper to complete your dish is necessary!

Make it Thick

To thicken the braising liquid after cooking your vegetables or meat, use a cornstarch slurry. This is a simple 1:1 mixture of cornstarch and water and is useful to have to hand to finish dishes and achieve the smooth, viscous sauce that you find in Chinese dishes.

The Way of the Wok

Woks are incredibly versatile. You can boil, sauté, steam and stir fry in a wok. The high walls of a wok allows you to toss the ingredients better - something that is essential in stir frying. Get a wok!

Get the Tech

A rice cooker is also essential. Not only does it free up space on your stove if cooking via the boil in a pan method, but it also keeps your rice warm while you finish the rest of your cooking.  Rice cookers are pretty much foolproof and also a super versatile tool in the kitchen. You can use it to make a variety of dishes including congee, risotto and soups!

And that’s it!

We hope that you found this guide useful and hopefully, leads you to cooking your own fresh Chinese food at home.

However, if you fancy making an occasion of it, why not stop by and see us in Chinatown or order through one of our delivery kitchens on Deliveroo!