Absolutely LOVED filming with Chef Samuel Lee ! (How sick was that stove btw 🤩 ?) Thanks again to Harry’s for sponsoring this video : Go to harrys.com/french to redeem your Trial Set for just $3. Be safe and stay tuned for the next episode ✌️
It's as much fun seeing some of the restaurant kitchens as it is imagining the smells and tastes! You're fortunate, Alex, so thanks for taking us along! ✌🏼😎
@@tilly3702 What the hell do you consider casual? A pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a sweat jacket is as casual as it gets. The only thing that isn't full casual may be his shoes.
Can we just take a moment appreciate that the Cantonese chef, Samuel Lee Sum, who lives and works in Paris, is speaking English for Alex's audience? Like, not only is he an incredible chef, but he can speak at least three languages. Hell yeah!
Not to diminish his language skills, but he's from Hong Kong so it's quite normal for people there to speak English and Cantonese and sometimes Mandarin
@@Soundaholic92 well yes hong kongers speak english, its actually the older generation thats often more "fluent" or at least use english more often. the younger generation 20-30 year olds dont speak as much english or even know that much, unless theyre working in a field that requires it.
@@123fd3s depends on the secondary school, band 1 schools teach all courses in english except chinese and history class; and according to EF EPI 2020 the age band 26-30 has the best english level in hong kong
Already had respect for the chef based on where he was . Then, he talked about how he applied the cooking technique to locally selected ingredients and I swooned.
The French call it TERROIR , which is basically because you breath, Drink smell, ETC the area where you are at you can taste the natural environment in the food . Like a " one with nature" ideal, except for your taste buds, ALSO FRESH , like seafood ( IN USA) eaten the same day it's caught TASTE WAY WAY better than what you could buy at a SUPER MARKET , I don't care how upscale it is !!! Because , If it's a bi- valve it wont taste as good,because it will have been out of the Water for minimum of 24 hours .
Watching Alex experience cantonese fried rice like that, a dish I don't even think twice about, is eye opening. The moment he said "I must be the luckiest person on the planet at the moment" with such a huge SMILE is unbelieveable.
This series is already a thing of beauty. I can’t wrap my head around how good the cinematography is. Alex is creating art at this point, not just cooking videos.
I’d go as far as saying he’s now creating art exclusively and not cooking videos anymore :) I love those videos for entertainment (as they are amazingly well done!) but I wouldn’t say I follow him for recipes anymore :)
@@Jim-nq9el I wouldn’t go that far. I’d say the substance changed from a « cooking show » to « entertainment about cooking » kinda similar to chef’s table :) luckily there are plenty of other channels purely about cooking and recipes.
I gave up my tv licence this year, after i realised I hardly use live tv at all! it is the ability to choose that makes the difference. TV companies are still making good programmes, just their medium is outdated.
yup. it's a no brainer. you get to pause here too. gave up tv more than 10 years ago... but youtube has gone too powerful...it is censoring important content
I'm Cantonese as well and grew up eating fried rice, always enjoyed it but I never thought of it in the way Alex described it... no joke I was so moved it brought tears to my eyes and I can't believe I learnt so much about cuisine from my own culture with you. Thanks UA-cam for recommending your channel to me, keep up the good work!
6:32 can we please appreciate the professionalism of that support cameraman? Alex swept his camera around and the support cameraman not only kept his shot in frame, but notice Alex was panning and stepped out of frame. That's some baller situational awareness and some great technique trying to avoid the cross shots.
As someone from Hong Kong, it blew my mind to see the stove being so familiar(big hole with a jet engine lol), but here in the local diner (茶餐廳) it’s so rudimentary it’s literally just a tank of fuel next to the chef’s leg hooked up to the stove The fried rice looks so genuine! It’s definitely what you would get in a banquet hall（酒樓)
He's the only one who I don't skip ads for, just for thst reason. The fact that he knows that our time is precious makes me want to give him even more of mine!
It's challenging for me as an Asian to describe fried rice to my non-asian friends. But if I could phrase it, I would say: It's more aroma than it is sauces or seasonings. Different ingredients too can add a differing aroma and tastes to the dish. Usually a splash of soy, a dash of white pepper is all you need. Maybe chicken bouillon for added flavor and umami. But a huge bulk of it comes from the rice itself - from the wok hei. The wok is searing hot and the fire has to be professionally controlled so that you can "toast" every grain of rice during wok tossing - without burning a single grain. By applying consistent strength and motion and keeping the ingredients moving, it prevents stuff from burning should they come into contact with the fires. That way it leaves behind that smoky aroma that fills your room when the dish is served.
The main thing about Cantonese cuisine (and why I think it jives so well with French) is that the freshness of the ingredients remains the star of the dish. Cantonese cuisine is a Southern Chinese cuisine and is often mocked as "bland" by other regions in China, but I find that the delicacy and care and technique put into the food and highlighting natural flavours is unmatched. Good Cantonese cooking does seafood and meat and soups fantastically, in my opinion. Gorgeous, silky sauces and "slippery" eggs. Dim sum and light soy and tea and rice and the breath of the wok. There often aren't many heavy sauces marring the quality of the ingredients. Not a lot of spice. Nothing overdone. Just simple ingredients and finesse and love. It's soul food to me.
I'm Chinese and I have never heard it mocked for being "bland". It's considered one of our main five cuisines and known for its high level of technique and soft, but balanced flavor...
I really like how’s it’s more than just a cooking video. It feels like an adventure, with its own story arc. In the first episode he starts by explaining how much he likes fried rice, and after candidly trying to make his own, he realises that there’s still a lot to learn and that he will need allies in his quest. In the second episode, he travels to the palace of the old master, who shows him the true depth of his (culinary) art... I can’t wait for the third episode. I never thought I’d ever be that invested into rice cooking. That is brilliant storytelling.
Then be sure to check out his other series, the humble croissant and the mundane pizza napolitana. He balances very nicely between brilliance and madness 😁
every single one of Alex's series proceeds like a proper academic paper - literature review, hypothesis, experimentation, synthesis... this is really what you need to get a deeper understanding of how things work when you cook
being Asian and eating as many fried rice in a month, I never really thought of how the chef and Alex expressed fried rice. that some level 10 shit. Good job! Best content ever. I'm glad to be alive
@@DejaVuEXP I mean comparing French and Chinese cuisine is like comparing maths and philosophy, different but both Harvard level. But that's my Chinese-French point of view, I'm attached to both.
You gotta respect a man in charge of such an important restaurant and still keeping that innocent smile on their face, As if the video wasn't inspiring enough already
I just love how Alex connects with food. He makes me feel like the food is alive. He is obsessed about getting it right. I simply like that about him and his outlook on life in general.
Interesting idea that people are usually very willing to pay $20-40 for a plate of pasta but would never expect to pay that for fried rice. Definitely awesome technique and skill in making fried rice and other Chinese foods. Glad this chef is awarded with Michelin and spread appreciation for Asian cooking skills and techniques too!
This episode is extra special for anyone who's had a really good fried rice. Even before you were describing the flavors, or showing the beautifully toasted grains of rice, I was already imagining the sounds and smells of that kitchen. Really hit me with nostalgia, and now I think I need to go order some fried rice here...
Just watching Alex’ face as he immerses himself in the dish. Watching the smile that comes to face in the ultimate pleasure experience. Alex truly savors food. I love this. Everything is an experience. It’s elevated above just eating cause it tastes good, but eating to enjoy. La bella vita
I know i'm late, but its also for a quick alcohol evaporation too. Since soy sauce is a a fermented product there is alcohol in it, so people that dont drink alcohol can also enjoy that dish.
@@curtisthomas2670 Light soy sauce is low in salt. technically all fermentation contains 1% alcohol of some degree. But in the case of light soy sauce it normally means low in sodium.
i dont get why hes making such a fuzz about fried rice, while im sure this michelin chef obviously does it better than me this is still a pretty easy dish to get decent at
My mother recomended me your channel, and I feel so grateful. I simply love how you communicate your impressions on food. It banishes any conception about cooking being anything different than an artform.
I just want to say that I appreciate so much the clarity in the filming of the cooking process. I honestly feel like I learned a lot myself, about how to adjust my own technique, just by watching it happen. A beautiful piece of filmography.
I would love to see the full version of Chef Samuel Lee making fried rice! The YT cut looks great but its difficult to learn from because I cant truely look at his technique and the timings.
do u have the fires of mt doom in your home kitchen? because if not its going to be hard to replicate, even if u magically do have michelin star wok skills
@@blazinboomer likely yes. most make large batches every day that gets used the following day. If you dont want to wait a day, i do 5 minutes in the freezer.
thats why its such a great dish, it can scale up and down from cheap to expensive, left and right for the seasons, if you dont know how to use luncheon meat (spam) dicing them up into small cubes then pan frying them and adding it into fried rice is a perfect way to add meat into a filling cheap meal with that leftover rice, egg and spring onion
Honestly the only thing that is every consistent in fried rice... is in fact the rice & wok hei, everything else is replaceable/interchangeable although I always make sure there is a egg and scallions.... then just look at what is in the cupboard to fill in the rest.
I use it in risotto all the time, so it seems natural to me. I like the idea the chef expressed that he just uses what's local and in season. Makes sense.
Alex, I pretty much NEVER comment on UA-cam videos, but this. This video was something else - the quality, the way you captured the beauty of the palace, the restaurant, of Paris. It was definitely not your average cooking video, but a short documentary that could rank with the best, which takes us, as viewers, into the magical world of cooking. I don't remember enjoying a UA-cam video this much, and I thank you for this! I believe that your quality is only going to get better, and you've definitely earned a lifetime of support from me.
I'm from Hong Kong and am passionate about cooking, especially with Western cuisine, and fried rice is considered a very popular and easy dish here, but to see a Michelin star restaurant's take on it, even though I can't smell or taste it I can tell this is leagues above what I'm used to eating on a regular basis. It's always been one of the hardest things to do for me to get the correct hardness of the rice since if it's too soft it turns into a porridge-like mulch and if it's too hard you're basically just eating roasted grains of rice. (For those who are thinking "just use a rice cooker", that's kinda like just saying "use a screwdriver" for any type of screw, some are good and some are bad, and different brands of rice cookers have saturated the market here due to how everyone here pretty much eats rice every single day) The balance of ingredients although flexible is also kinda awkward if you have a particular kind of food you like that you wanna mix in. Seafood is usually my favorite ingredient to go for since for some reason it just gives the rice a much better texture compared to other things like pork, chicken or even chopped vegetables sometimes. In my opinion the best fried rice has to be one where you can barely feel the texture of other ingredients in the rice, yet the ingredients just bring a greatly enhanced flavor to the rice itself without any awkward "bites" of food within. P.S.: Chef Lee is also not kidding when it comes to how quick and easy the most basic level of fried rice is, you can literally mix in rice with chopped leftovers and have a pretty good batch of fried rice just like that.
Fried rice made from leftover rice and food. Try 1-2 day-old dry rice. Leftover rice is drier and less sticky. Therefore it is easier to fry and will not stick onto the wok.
Fried rice aside, i’m sure i’m not the only one that can see that your production/editing skills have become really good, and all your videos from the past year have been very high quality. Keep it up 👌🏼
Alex has an editor named Josh. They host a podcast together called Food, But We Digress... on Spotify. Would highly recommend giving it a listen if you have the time!
I hope you‘ll explore indonesian fried rice (nasi goreng) as well. My dad’s fried rice is definitely my comfort food and seeing you take this dish so seriously just makes me very happy :)
i know exactly how you feel! im half indonesian and love cooking but somehow can never beat my mom's nasi goreng. theres just something different that makes it soo much better.
After my honeymoon trip to Bali I tried so hard and tried and tried to nail the nasi goreng. I'm pretty close now, but it's still ain't it as I remember it.
I'm half Taiwanese and have lived in Taiwan for over a decade. The best fried rice is all about the "breath of the wok", which is the toasted smell and slight char a scalding hot wok imparts on the rice. You want that slight nutty brown char and toothiness to each individual grain, without any greasiness from too much oil or too low temperature.
My biggest takeaway from this was how little oil and sauce there was for the dish.... obviously not the protein but after that was cooked it didn't look like all that much oil in there for the rice and egg. Then a splash of soy sauce with the veggies. At least 1/4 of what I've been using at home. I've been nervous to scald the rice but it held up fine. I'll give this a shot for sure now.
I'm Cantonese, and my dad is a chef. He makes fried rice and dim sums as part of his job. When I was in Paris, I was surprised how few Cantonese restaurants it has. A French friend of mine told me French food and Cantonese food have many commonalities - for example, they both accentuate the natural flavour of the ingredients rather than using strong sauces to overwhelm the taste. Alex, it's delightful and meaningful to see you made a fried rice series. Fried rice is simple but it carries lots of memories and love for Cantonese people. Making good fried rice definitely shows how sophisticated the skills and experiences of a Cantonese chef. Awesome work on the topic and your dedication to your passion!
Hey I just read your comment. I'm peruvian and here in Perú we love cantonese food. Since my very childhood I loved it. So I just bought a Chinese stove for high temperature and try to learn to replicate the flavors.. You can help me.. Maybe some tips.. !? It is very to communicate with Chinese people here due to language barrier. Thank you
Cantonese fried rice is light, and there's many style in fried rice, I live in indonesia and fried rice in here have that kick and bold flavour. Good luck on your fried rice journey😘❤️
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Today with so much negativity towards us Asians, this series on fried rice brings warmth to my heart. I don’t know if it was intentional by Alex but thank you.
Are you really really going to be disrespectful and call him a generic label like "Asian"... and not actually dignify his heritage.. by labelling him either a "Cantonese" or "from Hong Kong" ??? Is this how people treat others who are not considered as "overseas dispora" ? No wonder, inside the PRC today... they often use the terminology "chinese" or "dispora". That is BS. If your father's hometown is not what you call hometown, then maybe you need to pray in front of your ancestors' graves to recheck this. There are politicians and modernisation, but it does not mean that those in those positions can bulldoze over your family tree !
I am fortunate to have been able to have that exact dish at that exact restaurant. Alex - your smile at 10m11s mirrors the sheer joy I experienced not only at Shang Palace, but also at Restaurant Guy Savoy. I applaud your efforts at trying to cook at this level ... this is orders of magntitude above "normal" cooking and I strongly believe that if all people were given the opportunity to eat foods made on such a level, the world would be a very different place and would appreciate the value of hard work and perserverence all the more. A universe perceiving altering experience.
Growing up, Asian cuisine has been looked down on when being analyzed and has been perceived as “lower” when compared to European cuisine. Alex putting this much effort into a dish that is seen as low effort makes me so happy that people are now starting to acknowledge the beauty of Asian cuisine! Thank you Alex, all the love 🤍
That's interesting - not to be snippy, but I've heard Belgian cuisine described as 'bar food' and everything fried by a native Belgian. And of course there is British food before the Chunnel opened up and people went to French cooking schools. Of course a lot of Asian restaurants were opened by people who were (and are) not chefs. They were just businesses.
I agree. People are starting to get it. It's true Chinese food was kind of looked down on but it's changing. Until very recently Italian food was also perceived as cheap and tasty but lower class, which is kind of ridiculous since it is literally the base of French cuisine. I think now that people are starting to understand how developed and sophisticated Chinese and other asian cuisines are (Thai, Vietnam? c'mon people!!) . Hopefully people will understand how good Mexican food really is too, soon.
??? In America Chinese / Asian food ranks #1. The only decent European food is probably Italians. I don't see to many European restaurants in America. Definitely don't see any British one. lmfao
It all has to do with the perceived prestige the country of origin. Wait a decade or two, and you will see a China mania. There will be sinophiles everywhere.
Alex's voice, the camera-work, & even the music all combine together to really make for a special moment when he takes that first bite. Just watching this put a genuine smile on my face, so I can't even imagine how you felt filming this. Great job on the video.
Samuel's cooking EXUDES wok-hei, the very spirit of fried rice!!! I always recall a minimalized version of fried rice by a chef at my college, who used no fancy ingredients at all, not even eggs. Just sliced cabbage, rice, salt, veg oil and a lot of wok-hei from that jet engine stove, done in a jiffy. Stunningly delicious, blended textures al dente rice and moist veg. Just couldn't help ordering it every now and then during those years, for a purification of mind.
I love how you break all this stuff down to it’s core Alex. They way you capture the emotions food can give you while eating/ experience it through videography is amazing. I’m glad you had a good break and your back! 😇
When Alex made Croissants he made a dough sheeter When he made pizza, he modified his oven to handle higher temperatures This time I expect nothing less than a jet engine in his kitchen/workshop.
Alex I love your passion to recreate the dishes, no matter how simple they appear, you demonstrate just how complex simplicity can be. It’s intoxicating and makes me want to create and truly enjoy these dishes for myself. Keep up the fantastic work. ✌️
As Malaysian,i have Malay,English,Cantonese and Mandarin as default language which i learned from nowhere.I self learning Korean and Japanese in just few years.I dont know why but growing up in multilingual environment do help on learning new language.
Could nearly smell and feal Samuel Lee's fried rice while I was eating my homemade fried rice (capricious plays of destiny). A thing just Alex is able to do with such a mesmerizing and detailed description. Modern poetry to the next level. Keep it up!
Hi Alex, I’m a big fan of your channel, and after watching your fried rice video with Chef Samuel Lee I recommended Shang Palace to my best and dearest friends that were going to Paris. They had the most amazing 3 hour experience. A 9 course meal including Peking duck, blue lobster, salmon starter, and egg drop soup…the can’t stop raving about it. They keep thanking me for recommending Shang Palace, however the credit should go to you. It is because of you and your content I made the recommendation. Keep up the amazing content. Love your channel. Best wishes from Alaska!
That's the hidden part of the iceberg to be honest. Loads of planning, logistics and many fails too, are required to make apparently simple moments like this possible.
@@FrenchGuyCooking Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Can't wait to see your version of a jet engine wok station 😁🔥🚀 Oh and would also love a peek at more of the iceberg🙏
I imagine a lot of it is reputation. Alex has a history of treating dishes with respect and putting the chefs and restaurants in a positive light. Also, I imagine willingness to work with chefs at crazy hours. Notice how there is almost nobody in the restaurant when a kitchen is normally a bustling place at convenient times.
I honestly thought it was cute when I saw Alex was going to learn fried rice. I mean, it will probably take him 3 months just to learn how to wash rice properly. Then he'll suddenly ask, "That 1:1 ratio. Does that include water absorbed by the rice during washing, or no?"
The rice is imagined to be roughly moist while dealing with the steaming water to rice ratio. In many East Asian cultures ( I am Indian) we just boil the rice in an excess of water and drain the excess off. So we don’t have to worry about getting the ratio right. But a cup of each works perfectly if you ask me
some people will never experience .. the fragrance, the fluffy texture, the well balanced saltiness and sweetness of the ingredients with the signature toasted notes of true fried rice
As a Hongkonger growing up with fried rice (now far away from home town), the smell of the Wok Hei of fried rice is unforgettable for sure. Great job finding HK chef Samuel Lee Alex! Thank you for showing me the dish that reminds me of home!
When traveling Asia, I lived of off fried rice. Absolutely LOVED the variation in the dish when you were traveling further. The local ingredients, different styles etc. My favourite was eating a huge portion after diving with freshly squeezed lemon juice.... Fried rice - as humble as it may seem - is an art form of cooking itself.
For those interested in the process, here is what I've learned, simplified: 1. Preheat the wok/pan. 2. Fry seafood in oil, set aside to drain. 3. Melt some pork fat. 4. Fry the eggs. 5. Add rice. Keep stirring all the time. 6. Add salt and/or sugar. Keep stirring. 7. Add seafood from step 2. Keep stirring. 8. Add asparagus (not tops, not bottoms). Keep stirring. 9. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce. Keep stirring. 10. Add scallions (spring/green onions). Keep stirring. 11. Serve in a bowl with some more scallions on top.
Alex, I want to take a moment to congratulate you for how far you have come. It seems not too long ago you were putting together a charcoal starter and a hair dryer in your parents backyard to make this very same dish. Now you have your studio, and are traveling the world to make documentaries about food and technique. your journey has been amazing to watch.
I always cook my rice the day before I make my fried rice, I remember getting the tip from a Chinese cooking show when I was in my late teens, it’s amazing the tips and tricks you can pick up.
Exactly my mom's fried rice. Use what you have and do not over complicate it. My mom often makes it when she wants to get rid of items that are leftover, like rice or frozen meat.
As an asian myself, i can only nail 4 out of 10 times of making decent fried rice. Its hard to get it right. Even harder to get perfect. But my mom, 10/10 she gets it right. And most asian moms will say its the easiest thing to cook, and they do make it look easy though.
Alex, in my opinion you are the best in the game. You make films the way a true chef makes food. Your films articulate my feelings about food in a way that my words fail to. Thank you for sharing with us!
An artist can reveal what paints he uses and can even provide you with a paint by numbers representation of his style but no matter how hard or how long you try you will never be able to create a masterpiece. ... The same can be said when a master chef provides you with the ingredients and techniques he uses to create a stunning dish. The best we can hope for is to create something very good and not dismay that it pales in comparison. On that note, Thanks, Alex, for all you do!
Hey Alex, i just discovered your channel and i want to tell you how amazing you are! The moment you put the first spoon into your mouth, that smile, that pure and honest joy, is what made me subscribe to your channel. Finally someone is looking at food the way i do. Whenever i go out to taste new things, new restaurants, all my friends just say: "Oh yes, it was good!". But i always felt a bit weird, because i am totally different to them. At first i smell the food and just appreciate the presentation as well. Then i start with my first bite and really try to analyze all the different flavours, thinking about the techniques the chefs has been using. When my friends already empty the plate, i'm not halfway through :-)
Man, I don't know who you hired to edit and film but goddam it improved so much it's amazing !!! I love how u suceed to keep the spirit of your series but level up to a whole new level in quality of content !! congrats and thank you
If there is award for best video editor that will be you I guarantee it that music and the tone of your voice just sounds French your videos are just ecstacy to watch such a world class editor
Well Alex, I love how far you respect that bowl of fried rice! And to chef Samuel, it is very humble for you to share your fried rice recipe and philosophy. Thank you Alex and chef Samuel.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Absolutely LOVED filming with Chef Samuel Lee ! (How sick was that stove btw 🤩 ?) Thanks again to Harry’s for sponsoring this video : Go to harrys.com/french to redeem your Trial Set for just $3. Be safe and stay tuned for the next episode ✌️
Jemapelle du fromage
Merci Alex! I’m in culinary school for fun and you are such a joy to watch! From technical mechanics to artistic flair! ❤️👏
when you make fried rice its really really important to wash the rice before you cook it
I MISS PARIS SO MUCH!!!!!
It's as much fun seeing some of the restaurant kitchens as it is imagining the smells and tastes! You're fortunate, Alex, so thanks for taking us along! ✌🏼😎
Fuiyoh! Booking a ticket to Paris to eat at Shang palace now. That guys legit 🔥
Hi señor nigel
nice 🇫🇷
Shat up , ur videos are cringe
@@flipballaz93 its Shut not Shat. Your comment is cringe.
But the fried rice is cooked by HKer , i think CCP will not be happy about your idea
i love how he goes to all these fancy resturants in the most casual clothing ever
@The Pursuit i don't think random is the word lol
If hes dressed casually I must look homeless
@@tilly3702 What the hell do you consider casual? A pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a sweat jacket is as casual as it gets. The only thing that isn't full casual may be his shoes.
@@skilllessbeast7416 can't lie. I wear gym shorts and t shirt pretty much everywhere I go lol. Ive got no fashion sense I know
Casual clothing is the correct dress for fancy places
Can we just take a moment appreciate that the Cantonese chef, Samuel Lee Sum, who lives and works in Paris, is speaking English for Alex's audience? Like, not only is he an incredible chef, but he can speak at least three languages. Hell yeah!
definitely mandarin too, since he worked all over china! that's at least 4!
Not to diminish his language skills, but he's from Hong Kong so it's quite normal for people there to speak English and Cantonese and sometimes Mandarin
@@Soundaholic92 well yes hong kongers speak english, its actually the older generation thats often more "fluent" or at least use english more often. the younger generation 20-30 year olds dont speak as much english or even know that much, unless theyre working in a field that requires it.
Yes appreciated
@@123fd3s depends on the secondary school, band 1 schools teach all courses in english except chinese and history class; and according to EF EPI 2020 the age band 26-30 has the best english level in hong kong
Chef Lee's philosophy on cooking reminds me of something I've heard said: Ingredients are local, technique is universal.
And you can taste a difference when care/love is put into a dish.
Already had respect for the chef based on where he was . Then, he talked about how he applied the cooking technique to locally selected ingredients and I swooned.
The French call it TERROIR , which is basically because you breath, Drink smell, ETC the area where you are at you can taste the natural environment in the food . Like a " one with nature" ideal, except for your taste buds, ALSO FRESH , like seafood ( IN USA) eaten the same day it's caught TASTE WAY WAY better than what you could buy at a SUPER MARKET , I don't care how upscale it is !!! Because , If it's a bi- valve it wont taste as good,because it will have been out of the Water for minimum of 24 hours .
T'as vu la bête de phrase
Watching Alex experience cantonese fried rice like that, a dish I don't even think twice about, is eye opening. The moment he said "I must be the luckiest person on the planet at the moment" with such a huge SMILE is unbelieveable.
that is the exact response of a man seeing his firstborn for the first time lol
I love how you are able to express the nuance and finesse in seemingly simple dishes. Always super insightful.
The french are the absolute masters of talking about food.
It's not
@@grieske and sometimes absolute jackasses about it
@@TheSteam02 that's the Italians
A good simple dish
Isnt simple
I'm so used to hearing Alex speak English that, for a moment, I thought he said 'bonjour' just to sound fancy when entering the palace
"bonjour, je m'appelle Alex. J'aime jouer au football avec mes amis"
@@nathan87 no he's not 8yo XD
@@YungKit I was going more for the learned-french-at-school vibe
@@nathan87 May wee Monsoor. Say tray vrais.
@@professornuke7562 comme ci comme ca
This series is already a thing of beauty. I can’t wrap my head around how good the cinematography is. Alex is creating art at this point, not just cooking videos.
I don't see comments very often that exactly articulate my thoughts but here I definitely made a find.
I’d go as far as saying he’s now creating art exclusively and not cooking videos anymore :)
I love those videos for entertainment (as they are amazingly well done!) but I wouldn’t say I follow him for recipes anymore :)
More style than substance, unfortunately.
@@Jim-nq9el I wouldn’t go that far. I’d say the substance changed from a « cooking show » to « entertainment about cooking » kinda similar to chef’s table :) luckily there are plenty of other channels purely about cooking and recipes.
His videos are art and it makes me appreciate the art of cooking. He inspires me to view my own cooking as an art form that I should master
Imagine still watching TV when this kind of content is around on the internet
I gave up my tv licence this year, after i realised I hardly use live tv at all!
it is the ability to choose that makes the difference. TV companies are still
making good programmes, just their medium is outdated.
yup. it's a no brainer. you get to pause here too. gave up tv more than 10 years ago... but youtube has gone too powerful...it is censoring important content
It's honestly astonishing to me...
@@mykenmoon And we get to pile up hundreds of videos. Somewhere around 400 at the moment ^^ it's going to take a while to watch TV again.
TV is dead. Rest in peace
I'm Cantonese as well and grew up eating fried rice, always enjoyed it but I never thought of it in the way Alex described it... no joke I was so moved it brought tears to my eyes and I can't believe I learnt so much about cuisine from my own culture with you. Thanks UA-cam for recommending your channel to me, keep up the good work!
6:32 can we please appreciate the professionalism of that support cameraman? Alex swept his camera around and the support cameraman not only kept his shot in frame, but notice Alex was panning and stepped out of frame. That's some baller situational awareness and some great technique trying to avoid the cross shots.
Also called "get the hell out of the frame!" but he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, see his pace and backstep. I'm glad I'm an audio guy.
as a compositor wow he rly deprived someone of a whole day of work 😂
Production on this channel is top notch, including camera work
I don't know how
years of avoiding pickpockets in Paris!
As someone from Hong Kong, it blew my mind to see the stove being so familiar(big hole with a jet engine lol), but here in the local diner (茶餐廳) it’s so rudimentary it’s literally just a tank of fuel next to the chef’s leg hooked up to the stove
The fried rice looks so genuine! It’s definitely what you would get in a banquet hall（酒樓)
Yeah in Hong Kong the equipment and look is very ghetto but the flavor is absolute heaven.
As another person from Hong Kong, I completely agree.
Hong Kong pride!
The fact that he puts a bar up to tell you how much time the sponsor advertisement is left puts alex above alot of other food content creators for me.
He's the only one who I don't skip ads for, just for thst reason. The fact that he knows that our time is precious makes me want to give him even more of mine!
in france ads arent allowed on tv in the daytime
It's challenging for me as an Asian to describe fried rice to my non-asian friends. But if I could phrase it, I would say: It's more aroma than it is sauces or seasonings. Different ingredients too can add a differing aroma and tastes to the dish. Usually a splash of soy, a dash of white pepper is all you need. Maybe chicken bouillon for added flavor and umami. But a huge bulk of it comes from the rice itself - from the wok hei. The wok is searing hot and the fire has to be professionally controlled so that you can "toast" every grain of rice during wok tossing - without burning a single grain. By applying consistent strength and motion and keeping the ingredients moving, it prevents stuff from burning should they come into contact with the fires. That way it leaves behind that smoky aroma that fills your room when the dish is served.
The main thing about Cantonese cuisine (and why I think it jives so well with French) is that the freshness of the ingredients remains the star of the dish. Cantonese cuisine is a Southern Chinese cuisine and is often mocked as "bland" by other regions in China, but I find that the delicacy and care and technique put into the food and highlighting natural flavours is unmatched.
Good Cantonese cooking does seafood and meat and soups fantastically, in my opinion. Gorgeous, silky sauces and "slippery" eggs. Dim sum and light soy and tea and rice and the breath of the wok.
There often aren't many heavy sauces marring the quality of the ingredients. Not a lot of spice. Nothing overdone. Just simple ingredients and finesse and love. It's soul food to me.
I'm Chinese and I have never heard it mocked for being "bland". It's considered one of our main five cuisines and known for its high level of technique and soft, but balanced flavor...
I really like how’s it’s more than just a cooking video. It feels like an adventure, with its own story arc. In the first episode he starts by explaining how much he likes fried rice, and after candidly trying to make his own, he realises that there’s still a lot to learn and that he will need allies in his quest. In the second episode, he travels to the palace of the old master, who shows him the true depth of his (culinary) art... I can’t wait for the third episode. I never thought I’d ever be that invested into rice cooking. That is brilliant storytelling.
i think you may like "Chef's Table" on Netflix!
Then be sure to check out his other series, the humble croissant and the mundane pizza napolitana. He balances very nicely between brilliance and madness 😁
Alex: The Fried Rice Arc
Alex: The Meatball Arc
Alex: The Mashed Potato special
every single one of Alex's series proceeds like a proper academic paper - literature review, hypothesis, experimentation, synthesis... this is really what you need to get a deeper understanding of how things work when you cook
He is a genuine academic and so his presentation respects his audience. So good
The editing on these videos is way to good. I don't believe anyone has ever put so much effort in making cooking look good.
Better than your spelling
He makes me feel like I am in the room. Love his edits.
Alex: "It's Alive" ...
Me: I was thinking Brad was going to pop up from the background
Or Janet.
*it's alive theme plays*
« guys!!!! this is an amazing frghbrlghemn fried rice!! »
thats a crossover that I didn't know I needed until now.
Brad, creeping out of a corner: Hey, wanna buy some allicin?
Production quality is next level. Thank you for blessing us with this series Alex!
being Asian and eating as many fried rice in a month, I never really thought of how the chef and Alex expressed fried rice. that some level 10 shit. Good job! Best content ever. I'm glad to be alive
"We'll have to stay in Paris to learn about cooking" is like saying Cambridge was your second choice to learn physics.
But when it comes to Chinese cuisine, Paris is more comparable to a community college with a couple of guest lecturers from Harvard.
@@DejaVuEXP more like a community college that hosts some exclusive seminars because they have a bomb auditorium
@@DejaVuEXP I mean comparing French and Chinese cuisine is like comparing maths and philosophy, different but both Harvard level. But that's my Chinese-French point of view, I'm attached to both.
@@mell4248 that's a clever comparison.
@@mell4248 At the highest levels math and philosophy are more similar than you might think, which lends an interesting air to the comparison.
You made me tear up - thank you for honoring so well this dish and really taking it in. You're such a gem! Thank you for your passion
love it when chef blends excellent execution from his vast experience with the best local produce. this is how cooking should be.
From how the soy sauce rolled down the walls of the wok (leidenfrost ftw), one can see just how hot that wok was. Damn these rocket booster stoves!
You gotta respect a man in charge of such an important restaurant and still keeping that innocent smile on their face, As if the video wasn't inspiring enough already
I just love how Alex connects with food. He makes me feel like the food is alive. He is obsessed about getting it right. I simply like that about him and his outlook on life in general.
Interesting idea that people are usually very willing to pay $20-40 for a plate of pasta but would never expect to pay that for fried rice. Definitely awesome technique and skill in making fried rice and other Chinese foods. Glad this chef is awarded with Michelin and spread appreciation for Asian cooking skills and techniques too!
This episode is extra special for anyone who's had a really good fried rice. Even before you were describing the flavors, or showing the beautifully toasted grains of rice, I was already imagining the sounds and smells of that kitchen. Really hit me with nostalgia, and now I think I need to go order some fried rice here...
Just watching Alex’ face as he immerses himself in the dish. Watching the smile that comes to face in the ultimate pleasure experience. Alex truly savors food. I love this. Everything is an experience. It’s elevated above just eating cause it tastes good, but eating to enjoy. La bella vita
love this too
8:14 tip: Pouring soy sauce at the side of the wok instead of on the ingredients allow the caramelization effect to deepen the flavor.
I just get to scrape off burnt soy sauce from the edge of the wok. Temperature control is unreal here.
@@ImperatorZed if the soy sauce stick to the wok instead of the ingredient, the cooking oil wasn't coated at the right temperature from the beginning
I know i'm late, but its also for a quick alcohol evaporation too. Since soy sauce is a a fermented product there is alcohol in it, so people that dont drink alcohol can also enjoy that dish.
That's why he specified light soy sauce
@@curtisthomas2670 Light soy sauce is low in salt. technically all fermentation contains 1% alcohol of some degree. But in the case of light soy sauce it normally means low in sodium.
Alex is taking being intimidated by Uncle Roger to a new level.
Would love Uncle Roger to review épisode 1 and 2... even the Michelin star would get roasted... No MSG...
i dont get why hes making such a fuzz about fried rice, while im sure this michelin chef obviously does it better than me this is still a pretty easy dish to get decent at
@@tobiash04 dunning krueger effect.
Haiya! No MSG. No rice cooker. At least there is no chili jam. Fuiyoh!
@@tobiash04 because the average person is actually shit at cooking.
It has made cry to see you tasting an authentic fried rice. I couldn’t be more proud as a Hongkonger.
My mother recomended me your channel, and I feel so grateful. I simply love how you communicate your impressions on food. It banishes any conception about cooking being anything different than an artform.
I just want to say that I appreciate so much the clarity in the filming of the cooking process. I honestly feel like I learned a lot myself, about how to adjust my own technique, just by watching it happen. A beautiful piece of filmography.
I would love to see the full version of Chef Samuel Lee making fried rice! The YT cut looks great but its difficult to learn from because I cant truely look at his technique and the timings.
Yes, maybe even at half speed!
do u have the fires of mt doom in your home kitchen? because if not its going to be hard to replicate, even if u magically do have michelin star wok skills
yeah like was the rice overnight or not?
You can use fresh cooked rice, just make sure that you cooked it with slightly less amount of water than normal.
@@blazinboomer likely yes. most make large batches every day that gets used the following day. If you dont want to wait a day, i do 5 minutes in the freezer.
I love how the cheff emphasizes how the ingredients can be flexible. I haven't thought of using asperagus in fried rice before!
thats why its such a great dish, it can scale up and down from cheap to expensive, left and right for the seasons, if you dont know how to use luncheon meat (spam) dicing them up into small cubes then pan frying them and adding it into fried rice is a perfect way to add meat into a filling cheap meal with that leftover rice, egg and spring onion
Asparagus in fried rice is fairly common in Hong Kong too! Nice texture and sweetness to balance out the soy sauce
Yup I use whatever I can find in my fried rice. Bacon is a personal favorite!
Honestly the only thing that is every consistent in fried rice... is in fact the rice & wok hei, everything else is replaceable/interchangeable although I always make sure there is a egg and scallions.... then just look at what is in the cupboard to fill in the rest.
I use it in risotto all the time, so it seems natural to me. I like the idea the chef expressed that he just uses what's local and in season. Makes sense.
Alex, I pretty much NEVER comment on UA-cam videos, but this. This video was something else - the quality, the way you captured the beauty of the palace, the restaurant, of Paris. It was definitely not your average cooking video, but a short documentary that could rank with the best, which takes us, as viewers, into the magical world of cooking. I don't remember enjoying a UA-cam video this much, and I thank you for this! I believe that your quality is only going to get better, and you've definitely earned a lifetime of support from me.
I'm from Hong Kong and am passionate about cooking, especially with Western cuisine, and fried rice is considered a very popular and easy dish here, but to see a Michelin star restaurant's take on it, even though I can't smell or taste it I can tell this is leagues above what I'm used to eating on a regular basis. It's always been one of the hardest things to do for me to get the correct hardness of the rice since if it's too soft it turns into a porridge-like mulch and if it's too hard you're basically just eating roasted grains of rice. (For those who are thinking "just use a rice cooker", that's kinda like just saying "use a screwdriver" for any type of screw, some are good and some are bad, and different brands of rice cookers have saturated the market here due to how everyone here pretty much eats rice every single day)
The balance of ingredients although flexible is also kinda awkward if you have a particular kind of food you like that you wanna mix in. Seafood is usually my favorite ingredient to go for since for some reason it just gives the rice a much better texture compared to other things like pork, chicken or even chopped vegetables sometimes. In my opinion the best fried rice has to be one where you can barely feel the texture of other ingredients in the rice, yet the ingredients just bring a greatly enhanced flavor to the rice itself without any awkward "bites" of food within.
P.S.: Chef Lee is also not kidding when it comes to how quick and easy the most basic level of fried rice is, you can literally mix in rice with chopped leftovers and have a pretty good batch of fried rice just like that.
Fried rice made from leftover rice and food. Try 1-2 day-old dry rice. Leftover rice is drier and less sticky. Therefore it is easier to fry and will not stick onto the wok.
Fried rice aside, i’m sure i’m not the only one that can see that your production/editing skills have become really good, and all your videos from the past year have been very high quality. Keep it up 👌🏼
bet skillshare had something to do with it. i think he was taking some video classes when they became a sponsor.
Alex has an editor named Josh. They host a podcast together called Food, But We Digress... on Spotify. Would highly recommend giving it a listen if you have the time!
@@MrGaysonPhire I was going to say the same thing. Love that podcast 👏
I hope you‘ll explore indonesian fried rice (nasi goreng) as well. My dad’s fried rice is definitely my comfort food and seeing you take this dish so seriously just makes me very happy :)
Nasi goreng is great! the kecap manis gives it its own unique taste. it was one of my favorite things I ate when I travelled to KL.
i know exactly how you feel! im half indonesian and love cooking but somehow can never beat my mom's nasi goreng. theres just something different that makes it soo much better.
Nasi goreng is a completely different dish than any fried rice and has a very unique taste. And this needs to be explored at some point!
Recipe?
After my honeymoon trip to Bali I tried so hard and tried and tried to nail the nasi goreng. I'm pretty close now, but it's still ain't it as I remember it.
I'm half Taiwanese and have lived in Taiwan for over a decade. The best fried rice is all about the "breath of the wok", which is the toasted smell and slight char a scalding hot wok imparts on the rice. You want that slight nutty brown char and toothiness to each individual grain, without any greasiness from too much oil or too low temperature.
My biggest takeaway from this was how little oil and sauce there was for the dish.... obviously not the protein but after that was cooked it didn't look like all that much oil in there for the rice and egg. Then a splash of soy sauce with the veggies. At least 1/4 of what I've been using at home. I've been nervous to scald the rice but it held up fine. I'll give this a shot for sure now.
Wok Hei.
yea, thats exactly the wok hei that the chef was talking about.
This
Cantonese cuisine is really one of the best cuisines in the world!
I'm Cantonese, and my dad is a chef. He makes fried rice and dim sums as part of his job. When I was in Paris, I was surprised how few Cantonese restaurants it has. A French friend of mine told me French food and Cantonese food have many commonalities - for example, they both accentuate the natural flavour of the ingredients rather than using strong sauces to overwhelm the taste.
Alex, it's delightful and meaningful to see you made a fried rice series. Fried rice is simple but it carries lots of memories and love for Cantonese people. Making good fried rice definitely shows how sophisticated the skills and experiences of a Cantonese chef. Awesome work on the topic and your dedication to your passion!
Hey I just read your comment. I'm peruvian and here in Perú we love cantonese food. Since my very childhood I loved it. So I just bought a Chinese stove for high temperature and try to learn to replicate the flavors..
You can help me.. Maybe some tips.. !? It is very to communicate with Chinese people here due to language barrier.
Thank you
It's always the simplest dishes that have the most room for the chef to express themselves
yes fried rice ingredients are quite liberal but still follows strict cooking method
Cantonese fried rice is light, and there's many style in fried rice, I live in indonesia and fried rice in here have that kick and bold flavour. Good luck on your fried rice journey😘❤️
Handsoap. This aspiring cooking genius uses handsoap to shave. Now I don't feel so bad about messing up my eggs.
Since 30 years I'm very, very satisfied with one shampoo and one bodylotion in my bathroom. No hitch in the morning.
hand soap is good
Isnt that going to dry out your skin?
@@Nyahnator you can buy less dry soaps, it probably won't matter that much. If your skin is very fragile maybe you should care.
Try Kiss My Face fragrance free moisture shave. I found it while researching low hormone disruptor toiletries. Just make sure you mix it with a little bit of water in your hands. The right amount of water takes a few weeks to master. After I rinse I use straight emu oil for a post shave moisturizer. I find the two product provide a high quality moist shave.
Today with so much negativity towards us Asians, this series on fried rice brings warmth to my heart. I don’t know if it was intentional by Alex but thank you.
This is a lie. What negativity?
@@DeltaAssaultGaming Is it a lie? Prove it.
@@PersonaN007Grata just negativity to the evil CCP, leave us Asian alone!
Are you really really going to be disrespectful and call him a generic label like "Asian"... and not actually dignify his heritage.. by labelling him either a "Cantonese" or "from Hong Kong" ??? Is this how people treat others who are not considered as "overseas dispora" ? No wonder, inside the PRC today... they often use the terminology "chinese" or "dispora". That is BS. If your father's hometown is not what you call hometown, then maybe you need to pray in front of your ancestors' graves to recheck this. There are politicians and modernisation, but it does not mean that those in those positions can bulldoze over your family tree !
I am fortunate to have been able to have that exact dish at that exact restaurant. Alex - your smile at 10m11s mirrors the sheer joy I experienced not only at Shang Palace, but also at Restaurant Guy Savoy. I applaud your efforts at trying to cook at this level ... this is orders of magntitude above "normal" cooking and I strongly believe that if all people were given the opportunity to eat foods made on such a level, the world would be a very different place and would appreciate the value of hard work and perserverence all the more. A universe perceiving altering experience.
Growing up, Asian cuisine has been looked down on when being analyzed and has been perceived as “lower” when compared to European cuisine. Alex putting this much effort into a dish that is seen as low effort makes me so happy that people are now starting to acknowledge the beauty of Asian cuisine! Thank you Alex, all the love 🤍
That's interesting - not to be snippy, but I've heard Belgian cuisine described as 'bar food' and everything fried by a native Belgian. And of course there is British food before the Chunnel opened up and people went to French cooking schools.
Of course a lot of Asian restaurants were opened by people who were (and are) not chefs. They were just businesses.
I agree. People are starting to get it. It's true Chinese food was kind of looked down on but it's changing. Until very recently Italian food was also perceived as cheap and tasty but lower class, which is kind of ridiculous since it is literally the base of French cuisine. I think now that people are starting to understand how developed and sophisticated Chinese and other asian cuisines are (Thai, Vietnam? c'mon people!!) . Hopefully people will understand how good Mexican food really is too, soon.
??? In America Chinese / Asian food ranks #1. The only decent European food is probably Italians. I don't see to many European restaurants in America. Definitely don't see any British one. lmfao
Until they learn the process of making gluten, which in the past was made by hand in Asia. Lazy? Nah, efficient.
It all has to do with the perceived prestige the country of origin. Wait a decade or two, and you will see a China mania. There will be sinophiles everywhere.
Alex's voice, the camera-work, & even the music all combine together to really make for a special moment when he takes that first bite. Just watching this put a genuine smile on my face, so I can't even imagine how you felt filming this. Great job on the video.
Can you do a “behind the screen” episode that you explain how you get all of this excellent chefs in your episodes? Thx ahead 🥰
Or maybe a bloopers. Bloopers will be amazing
I wonder that too 😂
Samuel's cooking EXUDES wok-hei, the very spirit of fried rice!!! I always recall a minimalized version of fried rice by a chef at my college, who used no fancy ingredients at all, not even eggs. Just sliced cabbage, rice, salt, veg oil and a lot of wok-hei from that jet engine stove, done in a jiffy. Stunningly delicious, blended textures al dente rice and moist veg. Just couldn't help ordering it every now and then during those years, for a purification of mind.
I love how you break all this stuff down to it’s core Alex. They way you capture the emotions food can give you while eating/ experience it through videography is amazing. I’m glad you had a good break and your back! 😇
I thought he was going to cry with those first few bites. Not that I would blame him. A good fried rice is such a comfort food.
Cantonese cuisine has been underappreciated for a while now. Thanks for showing some love.
When Alex made Croissants he made a dough sheeter
When he made pizza, he modified his oven to handle higher temperatures
This time I expect nothing less than a jet engine in his kitchen/workshop.
Fantastic video, as usual. This channel has the best musical scores on UA-cam, hands down. It makes such a difference. Keep up the amazing work, Alex!
Alex I love your passion to recreate the dishes, no matter how simple they appear, you demonstrate just how complex simplicity can be. It’s intoxicating and makes me want to create and truly enjoy these dishes for myself. Keep up the fantastic work. ✌️
This is impressive. He speaks French, English, and since he is from Hong Kong as well as Cantonese and Mandarin
Well it's really just French he learned in 6 years. Most educated Hong Kongers speak Cantonese, Mandarin and English by default as they grow up.
Many Asians can comprehend a few languages due to the diversity of the place they were
As Malaysian,i have Malay,English,Cantonese and Mandarin as default language which i learned from nowhere.I self learning Korean and Japanese in just few years.I dont know why but growing up in multilingual environment do help on learning new language.
Alex really be his own Shokugeki protagonist being able to travel the world and be tutored by the best chefs
Shinomiya when he went on that journey after graduation.
@@etheriousrebi YES EXACTLY
Could nearly smell and feal Samuel Lee's fried rice while I was eating my homemade fried rice (capricious plays of destiny). A thing just Alex is able to do with such a mesmerizing and detailed description. Modern poetry to the next level. Keep it up!
Hi Alex, I’m a big fan of your channel, and after watching your fried rice video with Chef Samuel Lee I recommended Shang Palace to my best and dearest friends that were going to Paris. They had the most amazing 3 hour experience. A 9 course meal including Peking duck, blue lobster, salmon starter, and egg drop soup…the can’t stop raving about it. They keep thanking me for recommending Shang Palace, however the credit should go to you. It is because of you and your content I made the recommendation. Keep up the amazing content. Love your channel. Best wishes from Alaska!
Thank you for promoting Cantonese cuisine
This man's passion for learning is amazing. It is not easy to replicate the best of the best but he seams to pull it off every time. Hats off to you.
How the hell do you get into these establishments ?? I’m stunned ! You are the only guy on UA-cam (maybe in the world) who does this ❤️
With a sizable UA-cam audience and genuine enthusiasm, you probably just have to ask.
His previous series on cooking is enough to convince restaurants.
That's the hidden part of the iceberg to be honest. Loads of planning, logistics and many fails too, are required to make apparently simple moments like this possible.
@@FrenchGuyCooking Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Can't wait to see your version of a jet engine wok station 😁🔥🚀 Oh and would also love a peek at more of the iceberg🙏
I imagine a lot of it is reputation. Alex has a history of treating dishes with respect and putting the chefs and restaurants in a positive light. Also, I imagine willingness to work with chefs at crazy hours. Notice how there is almost nobody in the restaurant when a kitchen is normally a bustling place at convenient times.
I honestly thought it was cute when I saw Alex was going to learn fried rice. I mean, it will probably take him 3 months just to learn how to wash rice properly.
Then he'll suddenly ask, "That 1:1 ratio. Does that include water absorbed by the rice during washing, or no?"
so true lol
Well?? Does it???
@@Maranna95
Yeah! Does it?!!?!?!
1:1 after thorough washing. Changed my rice game. It's also easier to bake it and more consistent too.
The rice is imagined to be roughly moist while dealing with the steaming water to rice ratio. In many East Asian cultures ( I am Indian) we just boil the rice in an excess of water and drain the excess off. So we don’t have to worry about getting the ratio right. But a cup of each works perfectly if you ask me
For the chinese, fried rice is actually not considered gourmet food, rather it is a comfort food.
Alex, I like your approach to life: so humble, so serious, so full of childlike wonder...
some people will never experience .. the fragrance, the fluffy texture, the well balanced saltiness and sweetness of the ingredients with the signature toasted notes of true fried rice
The cinematography just keeps getting better and better, Alex. It's almost like watching Chef's Table.
Next project: Making a proper stove top to make fried rice
EDITED: 1 month later and he did it!! Yay!!
Gas stove and wok? Never underestimate the shape of your pan. Wok shape is very important
As a Hongkonger growing up with fried rice (now far away from home town), the smell of the Wok Hei of fried rice is unforgettable for sure.
Great job finding HK chef Samuel Lee Alex! Thank you for showing me the dish that reminds me of home!
This chef has now given me one more reason to go to Paris, I never thought I would go specifically to try Chinese food
When traveling Asia, I lived of off fried rice. Absolutely LOVED the variation in the dish when you were traveling further. The local ingredients, different styles etc.
My favourite was eating a huge portion after diving with freshly squeezed lemon juice....
Fried rice - as humble as it may seem - is an art form of cooking itself.
For those interested in the process, here is what I've learned, simplified:
1. Preheat the wok/pan.
2. Fry seafood in oil, set aside to drain.
3. Melt some pork fat.
4. Fry the eggs.
5. Add rice. Keep stirring all the time.
6. Add salt and/or sugar. Keep stirring.
7. Add seafood from step 2. Keep stirring.
8. Add asparagus (not tops, not bottoms). Keep stirring.
9. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce. Keep stirring.
10. Add scallions (spring/green onions). Keep stirring.
11. Serve in a bowl with some more scallions on top.
Thank you! I know what I am cooking tonight
thank you for this
2A. Boil asparagus in water for later
It's salflower oil not pork fat
Is the rice pre cooked?
Elevating the fried rice to the absolute perfection and that is Alex..
Absolute appreciation of the cinematography and background music. Beautiful content beautifully delivered ! thanks
Alex, I want to take a moment to congratulate you for how far you have come. It seems not too long ago you were putting together a charcoal starter and a hair dryer in your parents backyard to make this very same dish. Now you have your studio, and are traveling the world to make documentaries about food and technique. your journey has been amazing to watch.
In Chinese households, they would use leftover rice left overnight in the fridge. The rice becomes drier. Goodluck.
I always cook my rice the day before I make my fried rice, I remember getting the tip from a Chinese cooking show when I was in my late teens, it’s amazing the tips and tricks you can pick up.
in the restaurants they use steamed.
Exactly my mom's fried rice. Use what you have and do not over complicate it. My mom often makes it when she wants to get rid of items that are leftover, like rice or frozen meat.
As an asian myself, i can only nail 4 out of 10 times of making decent fried rice. Its hard to get it right. Even harder to get perfect. But my mom, 10/10 she gets it right. And most asian moms will say its the easiest thing to cook, and they do make it look easy though.
Same lol
What kind of stove tops do they have at home? Mini rocket engines?
Alex, in my opinion you are the best in the game. You make films the way a true chef makes food. Your films articulate my feelings about food in a way that my words fail to. Thank you for sharing with us!
An artist can reveal what paints he uses and can even provide you with a paint by numbers representation of his style but no matter how hard or how long you try you will never be able to create a masterpiece. ... The same can be said when a master chef provides you with the ingredients and techniques he uses to create a stunning dish.
The best we can hope for is to create something very good and not dismay that it pales in comparison. On that note, Thanks, Alex, for all you do!
i’m from hong kong and have never had fried rice with asparagus, but as he said, in season vegetables
It complements the seafood and definitely helps to justify the price too. Regular HK fried rice isn't super expensive, haha
Same
My mom like to put french bean to fried
Love the cinematography!
For a second after Alex's first bite, I thought I was watching a wedding video. The bride was probably the rice.
I would forgo having a wedding to eat here
@@mimimosa259 or for the Chinese, have the wedding banquet there. The fried rice dish would usually be just before dessert. 😁
Hey Alex, i just discovered your channel and i want to tell you how amazing you are! The moment you put the first spoon into your mouth, that smile, that pure and honest joy, is what made me subscribe to your channel. Finally someone is looking at food the way i do. Whenever i go out to taste new things, new restaurants, all my friends just say: "Oh yes, it was good!". But i always felt a bit weird, because i am totally different to them. At first i smell the food and just appreciate the presentation as well. Then i start with my first bite and really try to analyze all the different flavours, thinking about the techniques the chefs has been using. When my friends already empty the plate, i'm not halfway through :-)
Man, I don't know who you hired to edit and film but goddam it improved so much it's amazing !!! I love how u suceed to keep the spirit of your series but level up to a whole new level in quality of content !! congrats and thank you
I typically don’t like drama, It’s usually a recipe for disaster. But Alex serves it up tastefully with an entertaining presentation.
The SOUND of that wok burner is awesome. And a little terrifying.
The secret to fried rice is not to overcook the rice with too much water. Remember, you are NOT making risotto, you want a minimal amount of water
This is the most emotional fried rice video I've ever seen. The best!
If there is award for best video editor that will be you I guarantee it that music and the tone of your voice just sounds French your videos are just ecstacy to watch such a world class editor
That slomo smile after the first byte was everything... Almost got emotional over fried rice.
100% It was a genuine Ratatouille moment
Was it just me or did anyone else want to cry when the rice was brought to the table? Like seriously I was nearly brought to tears.
It's just you, mate. Take it easy, maybe you should talk to someone.
Video: Fried Rice
Uncle Roger Fans: Allow us to introduce ourselves
you bet XD
He will not be happy - no garlic, no msg. This better be good, the menu lists fried rice as 44 dollars US.
I'm a fan of both of them and it's a crossover I need to see.
Well Alex, I love how far you respect that bowl of fried rice! And to chef Samuel, it is very humble for you to share your fried rice recipe and philosophy. Thank you Alex and chef Samuel.
A good fried rice is one of the best things on Earth. There’s such a huge variety in quality out there based on the chef’s technique