In Search of Wok-Hay

London's multicultural ethos has made it a great city to eat in. Case in point: Char Kway Teow.

This particular plate of this Chinese flat noodle dish was found in a little stall in Camden Market. Camden Market, particularly on the weekend, is crammed with tourists, more Europeans than Americans, most of whom are not there for a culinary experience. Consequently there are countless of Chinese food stalls selling the exact same things (for all I know, it could all come from the same central kitchen), the food is just like what one would expect at Panda Express.

The stand where I got this was no exception. What was different about this one though is that it had a bigger stall than most, and in the back was a lunch counter filled with people eating off-menu dishes like this one. It was really delicious, some of the best Chinese food I've ever had, but not because of the traditional culinary merits on which one normally judge a dish. Rather, it had wok-hay.

It's hard to define wok-hay precisely, a one word synonym might be freshness, but it isn't quite adequate, sizzle might be another inadequate attempt. Unlike alot of Western dishes, which benefit from a brief rest, like large pieces of meat or pies, wok cooked items like stir-fry's have a quality straight from the wok that they start to lose immediately. (A better explanation of wok-hay can be found here.) In any case, this noodle dish came right from the wok to my plate with all kinds of seafood one doesn't sea alot of in British cooking. Totally delicious.

Some of London's best food is tucked away unostentatiously in side streets and behind signage that looks of an earlier era's earlier era. Case in point, baozi in Chinatown. There are a number of little stands selling "pork buns" along Charing Cross road, an authentic area in the midst of London's otherwise touristy West End. These are all pretty mediocre, if still a good value at £1.20 a piece. The best buns are found down an auto-less side street, and my are they glorious.

Spicy, porkly, and pillowy..all one could want in a bun, not that you could tell from the picture, which makes it look like a small creature from a horror film. In the next post I'll discuss the pinnacle of London street food, Borough Market.