Savoring Taiwanese Cuisine with Chou’s Shrimp Rolls in New York

By Jasmin Justo

In the bustling town of Flushing, Brasserie du Dragon Restaurant is a hosting a sneak peek of Chou’s Shrimp Rolls Restaurant’s popular Taiwanese cuisine! Chou’s Shrimp Roll Restaurant is a popular Tainan City, they are widely known for using fresh ingredients and capturing the authentic taste of Taiwanese cuisine. The press conference was hosted by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, China Airlines, and the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel!

President Chou and Chef Kuo of Chou’s Shrimp Rolls held a special appearance demonstrating their specialty foods. Chef gave a mini demo on how to use the coffin bread. The coffin bread was created in Taiwan during the 1940’s and has remained popular ever since. The bread is a combination of the popular puffy bread from Taiwan and the crispy toast popular in the States. Being both crispy and puffy, the bread becomes an edible platter that is also part of the dinner. It can hold creamy dishes like clam chowder, without breaking or becoming mushy. Chef then proceeded to show how to cut the square in the middle of the bread without breaking the bottom. After the quick demo, there was a competition between Paul Chang (Ambassador of Taiwan), Ed Staniszewski, (the General Manager of Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel), Wei Tuan Chiu (General Manager of China Airlines in New York) and Thomas Chang (Director of Taiwan Tourism Bureau in New York) on who can cut the square the fastest. Mr. Chiu, General Manager of China Airlines’ New York branch was the first to finish. The Taiwan Tourism mascot also attended the conference and cheered for the winner.

After Chef‘s demo, Chef Kuo gave a mini cooking lesson on how to make the popular Chou Shrimp Rolls. The stuffing for the shrimp rolls consists of clean peeled shrimp that has been cut into small pieces, fish paste, rice flour, celery, onion and minced pork.

First, the chef mixed the shrimp with the flour and swivel it around in the bowl. Then he would grab a fist full of shrimp and pound it on the bowl while swiveling it. After the swiveling, he added the condiments and mixed the batch together.

Once the batch is ready, he took a square of a thin egg paper. He suggested that it is better to cut the paper into squares because they are sold in large sheets. He then added a bit of flour to the cutting board and placed the sheet on top to make the rolling process easier. Adding a small fistful of the batch to the center of the egg paper, he began to roll it like a taco. In order to keep the roll tight for frying, the chef folded the edges.

After the demonstration, guests were given samples of Chou’s Shrimp Roll Restaurant’s popular dishes. These dishes will be offered during from October 16-20, 2015.

Welcome Drink
Ancient Plum Juice: The drink is a soft caramel brown color. It is sweet, tart and sour similar to the taste of the tamarind fruit.

Hors d’oeuvres
Preserved Fruit: The preserved fruit was slices of dried mango, jamaica, and prune. Both are sweet treats for before and after dinner.

Chou’s shrimp crisps: With a one big crunch, the crisp dissolves in the mouth and becomes a flavorful snack to enjoy during dinner similar to crispy bread.

Soup
Handmade Milkfish & Shrimp Balls in Bone Soup: The soup is light for the stomach and you can taste the freshness of the soup with lettuce strips. The shrimp balls are white in color and have a tender texture that is both chewy and little bit sweet.

Appetizers
Grilled Mullet Roe served with radish & Great Garlic

Tainan Coffin Toast with Seafood Chowder: The dish looks like a small edible boat, with pieces of shrimp, peas and corn kernel in a soft creamy sauce. The sauce itself is made of rice milk and bits of the seasoning can be tasted as well. After eating the chowder, the pieces of bread can be eaten like breadsticks. Not too salty, not too oily, and not too crispy, it makes a delightful accompaniment to seafood.

EntreesChou’s Shrimp Rolls: The rolls have a crispy exterior with a soft well cooked interior. The rolls can be eaten with either or both a sweet sauce or spicy green sauce. The green sauce is a bitter spice with a radish flavor that goes well with the fresh taste of fire shrimp. Unlike wasabi, the spiciness subsides quickly and blends well with the sweet sauce. You can also taste the fresh scallion and celery.

Stir Fried Shredded Eel: Grilled and sautéed in soy sauce, the eel was cut into thin slices with roasted scallions and onions.

Milkfish Congee- At first it looks like porridge, but it’s actually fish soup with rice, pieces of mackerel fish and oyster garnished with fried garlic. It is a very fulfilling meal all on its own and ideal for the chilly fall.

Danzai Noodles- A delicious bone soup with thin noodles and fire shrimp. It has a tart garlic taste and is easy on the tummy.

Desert
Almond Tofu Pudding- the dish look like a small island surrounded by a milky ocean. The taste however is almond flavored rice milk and the jello-like island is sweet accompanied by red beans.

Fresh Fruit: The fruit consisted of slice of green melon, cantaloupe, and pineapple shaped into trapezoids with a blackberry and blueberry.

Deputy Director General of TECO, Mr. Franklin Chen

The restaurant has a wooden interior consisting of soft sofas and chairs, wooden lattice walls, and gentle lighting, creating a tranquil ambience for an elegant evening. The place never smelled fishy and fresh ingredients and flavors can be captured in every dish. Customers who come to visit will truly be able to experience the authentic flavors of Taiwan in New York City.

Wei Tuan Chiu, General Manager of China Airlines

Brasserie du Dragon Restaurant is located at 135-20 39th Avenue, Flushing, New York 11354. For reservations call 718-670-7400. For an online reservation visit www.sheratonlaguardiaeast.com. Lunch is from 12pm to 3pm. Dinner is from 6pm to 10pm.

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