Cathay Pacific Airways Crowns Winner of Noodles of Asia Recipe Contest
May 22, 2013 (San Francisco, CA) – Following a month-long quest to find the best noodle recipe in its first-ever Noodles of Asia campaign to mark National Noodle Month, Cathay Pacific Airways, the home carrier of Hong Kong and renowned purveyor of noodles in-flight and at select airport lounges worldwide, has crowned a winner.
During two hours of intense tasting at San Francisco’s new M.Y. China restaurant located in the Westfield Centre, Level 4, as part of the Restaurant Collection, the judges – Peter Ho, Cathay Pacific’s Regional Catering Manager, North America, and Satomi Aoki, Senior Flight Purser; together with distinguished guest judges, Mijune Pak, creator of Follow me Foodie, one of Canada’s most recognized food and travel blogs; chef-restaurateurs Martin Yan of “Yan Can Cook” television fame and M.Y. China; and Sang Yoon, chef and proprietor of Father's Office gastropubs and Lukshon Restaurant in Culver City, CA – judged the top five dishes based on presentation, appeal, taste, and ease of transportation / practicality for an in-flight entrée.
Soy Grilled Chicken with Blackened Jantaboon Noodles Served with Rice Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below) submitted by Don Hoang of San Francisco, CA, grabbed the top honor of best noodle recipe and will soon be served to customers onboard select flights from Cathay Pacific’s six North American gateways (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver) to Hong Kong.
Hoang – who has been watching Yan on TV since age eight – has no formal culinary training, but credits his mom for teaching him everything he knows in the kitchen. He will receive two round-trip Premium Economy tickets from San Francisco to Hong Kong onboard Cathay Pacific – plus a tour of Asia’s World City, sponsored by the Hong Kong Tourism Board – where a culinary cornucopia awaits.
“When my girlfriend, Lauren, and I were developing recipes for the contest, we thought it would be a fun way to spend time together and a great excuse to visit Asian supermarkets,” said Hoang. “We cooked a number of noodle dishes, submitted our best as contest entries, and kept our fingers crossed. In the weeks between the contest entry and the judging panel, I proposed to Lauren (she said yes!). We thought that if we won the noodle contest we could use the trip for our honeymoon ... Hong Kong here we come!”
“Lauren and I love dining out and creating our own versions of our favorite dishes. The inspiration for this dish came from a Vietnamese soup called "hu tieu." We thought it would translate well into an in-flight meal. We chose to use wide jantaboon noodles for the texture, chicken for its simplicity, herbs to add freshness, and a fragrant dipping sauce to add acid, moisture, and heat.”
“The excellence of Cathay Pacific’s in-flight cuisine is one of the hallmarks of our customers’ experience,” said Peter Ho, Cathay Pacific’s Regional Catering Manager, North America “I commend Don Hoang for creating a dish that is both delicious and versatile for air travel. Soy Grilled Chicken with Blackened Jantaboon Noodles Served with Rice Wine Vinaigrette will also pair well with our award-winning in-flight wine selections. We look forward to serving this dish to our customers – and to welcoming the newlyweds onboard to help them celebrate this momentous occasion.”
The four runner-up recipes were:
- Zesty Tilapia and Vegetables with Lemon Noodles; submitted by Maryalice Wood of Langley, BC, Canada
- Salt and Pepper Shrimp with Asian Pesto, submitted by Jennifer Regan of Secaucus, NJ, USA
- Stir Fried Sweet Potato Noodles; submitted by Jeffrey Ngo of Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cold Sesame Noodles; Submitted by Lian Chan of Scarborough, ON, Canada
Cathay Pacific flies to over 70 destinations in Asia and over 22 in Mainland China – home to a multitude of noodles in different shapes, sizes and styles.
About Mijune Pak:
Mijune Pak is the creator of Follow me Foodie, one of the most recognized food and travel blogs in Vancouver, with international recognition. Her infectious excitement and passion for food makes her one of Vancouver’s most influential food bloggers. After establishing a credible reputation in Vancouver, Follow me Foodie has gained recognition on a global scale. This has led to invitations by various countries and companies to explore food internationally. Follow me Foodie is known for its bold, detailed, and honest approach. From recommendations, restaurant experiences, events, culinary competitions, tours and recipes, readers will find anything food related in this blog.
About Martin Yan:
As he has done for over 30 years, Celebrity Chef Martin Yan shares the best of what he loves from traveling, cooking, and eating in China through a unique, multi-sensory dining experience. Chef Yan aspires to excite American palates and ignite a passion for Chinese culture and tradition, integrating elements from his extensive travels through China into his newest restaurant, M.Y. China. His culinary vision, shaped by over 3,500 culinary TV shows, 30 cookbooks, and the founding of a professional culinary academy in China, makes the appreciation of modern Chinese food an interactive experience. He brings the same engaging, charismatic qualities that make him a global icon to life at M.Y China.
About Sang Yoon:
Sang Yoon is the chef and proprietor of Father’s Office gastropubs and Lukshon Restaurant in Culver City. Yoon worked with celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck at Chinois on Main before landing his first executive chef position at Michael's, Santa Monica's famous dining destination for contemporary California cuisine where he was tasked with simultaneously running the New York kitchen and updating the 18-year old menu for the first time in the restaurant's history. In 2000, Yoon took a departure from fine dining and struck out on his own by renovating his favorite local dive bar in Santa Monica, Father's Office, where he sought to reinterpret the simple, flavorful dishes found in the European bars he enjoyed and where the food menu would be designed to complement the drink menu. Father's Office trailblazed the gastropub movement in L.A. and beyond and has been nationally praised for its signature craft brew selection of over 55 local and small-batch varieties. The proprietary "Office Burger" has been hailed as the country's best burger by the TODAY show and Esquire magazine and Yoon has been profiled as a craft beer expert in USA Today, Food + Wine magazine, and National Public Radio.
Yoon opened a second location in 2008 entitled Father's Office 2.0 on the landmark Helms Avenue Walk in Culver City where he expanded the beer program including an updated draft system and pioneered the wine-on-tap trend. February 2011 marked Yoon's return to fine dining with the debut of Lukshon, a modern restaurant dedicated to traditional and creative Southeast Asian flavors, located adjacent to Father's Office 2.0.
About M.Y. China
M.Y. China offers authentic Chinese cuisine in a playfully modern experience. Inspired by Chef Martin Yan and his years of teaching the art of Chinese cuisine to everyday people, a full exhibition kitchen brings the ancient arts of the wok, hand-pulled noodles and dim sum to light. M.Y. China is located in San Francisco at the Westfield Centre, Level 4, as part of the Restaurant Collection. More information is available at mychinasf.com.
About Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific Airways flies daily to Hong Kong and beyond from Los Angeles, New York JFK, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver and Toronto. More information, including current fares and availability, may be found by visiting the airline’s website at cathaypacific.com/us, Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cathaypacificus, or Twitter handle @CathayPacificUS.
RECIPE:
Soy grilled chicken with blackened jantaboon noodles served with rice wine vinaigrette Soy Marinade: 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp sugar 1 tbsp garlic, minced 4 tbsp sesame oil 1/2 lb chicken breasts, cut in half on the diagonal Rice Wine Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup Chinese rice wine 1/4 cup soy sauce 3 tbsp fish sauce 3 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp scallions, sliced 6 oz jantaboon noodles, cooked until just tender in boiling water, keep warm 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped, plus extra for garnish 2 tbsp scallions, sliced into 1/2 inch lengths 1 tbsp fried shallots 2 Thai chili peppers, seeded (optional) 1 tbsp garlic, minced 2 tbsp oil
DIRECTIONS:
1) Mix all ingredients in soy marinade. Set aside 2 tbsp of marinade. Add chicken to remaining and allow to marinate (optimal 2 hours).
2) Combine all ingredients of rice wine vinaigrette and set aside.
3) Heat wok over high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 2 Thai chili peppers, 2 tbsp scallions sliced into 1/2 inch pieces. Reduce heat to medium and cook until scallions and garlic are translucent and oil is fragrant. Remove scallions, garlic, and chili peppers from wok with a slotted spoon or strainer. Add chicken to oil and stir-fry until fully cooked and surface takes on a dark glaze. Remove from wok and set aside.
4) Heat wok on high with seasoned oil used to cook chicken. Add noodles and cook just until noodles show some blackening color. Add scallions, garlic, and chili peppers and 2 tbsp of reserved soy marinade, toss to combine, and remove from heat immediately.
5) Transfer noodles to serving plate, drizzling cooking sauce and scallions, garlic, and chilies over top. Slice wok-grilled chicken on the diagonal and arrange over noodles. Serve with rice wine vinaigrette as tossing sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro and fried shallots.
