There’s nothing like cooking up a big meal to elicit fond memories of bonding with mom in the kitchen. While many of us may already know dishes that would do any home cook proud, imagine how far those teachings could go in the hands of a trained culinary professional. For many chefs, these early lessons evolved into dishes that they are proud to put on menus. In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked four Shanghai chefs to tell us a dish that reminds them of home.
Patrick Leano
Executive Chef Coquille and Scarpetta
When we asked Patrick Leano, the new executive chef of neighboring concepts Coquille and Scarpetta, to share a dish inspired by his mother, he immediately landed on the national dish of the Philippines: chicken adobo. Leano explains that men are often the cooks in Filipino families, so his mother didn’t play a big role in the kitchen. This, however, was his mom’s go-to dish. After a few hours of her shuffling loudly around the kitchen, the lovely aroma of the meat would begin floating out into the dining room. When the fork tender chicken hit the table, it would literally be gone in minutes.
Chef Leano has been playing with this recipe, passed down from his grandfather, for years. It has just the right balance of sour and sweet and he has improved on the methods of his forebears by pulling out the white meat, and returning it to the pot to prevent overcooking. We have to say that if his mother’s version is half as tasty as the one he served us, she should open a restaurant herself. While this is not part of the regular menu, go see the changes that Leano has made to the food at Coquille and Scarpetta. You might get lucky and find it available as a special.
See a listing for Coquille and Scarpetta
Blake Thornley
Executive Chef Oha Eatery
Let’s hope Blake Thornley’s mother believes in the old adage, honesty is the best policy, because he’s not holding back. When we ask him why his deconstructed apple crumble reminds him of his mom, Thornley’s reply is as real as it gets: “This was the only good thing my mother could make, she can’t cook to save her life.” We suppose that is why Thornley has turned a dessert that used to appear on his family’s dinner table, on Sundays and special holidays, upside down.
While the crumble is not on Oha’s regular menu, Thornley says it will appear from time to time as a special. That’s perfect, because Oha is the type of place you will want to revisit often to check in on the constantly changing list of small plates, depending on seasonal ingredients and the chef’s whim.
See a listing for Oha Eatery
Simon Sunwoo
Executive Chef Cobra Lily, Liquid Laundry and Lil Laundry
Korean-American chef Simon Sunwoo considers his mother a “phenomenal cook” and goes back to his roots with a family dinnertime staple: kimchi. In the Sunwoo household, not only was it a priority to eat together, but everyone also participated in the preparation of the evening meal. Kimchi, and the process of making it, is something that reminds him of his childhood. “It ferments and develops different flavors for different uses, so we needed to make new batches constantly. The ritual was my special bond with my mom, though she still did most of the work,” he tell us.
At Cobra Lily, kimchi can be found throughout the menu, and Sunwoo sticks with the original recipe that was passed down from his great-grandmother. Packed with a variety of vegetables and a generous portion of kimchi, the Bibim Kale Salad (RMB58) is surely mother-approved.
See a listing for Cobra Lily
Danyi Gao
Co-founder and Head Chef Shake
These days, Danyi Gao is kind of a big deal ‑ she’s just come off a big win on Chinese cooking show, Chef Nic. When looking back on her childhood in Ningbo, where her mother prepared nutritious meals from the family’s garden, Gao was inspired to play with one of her mom’s breakfast recipes.
The sesame rice ball with white chocolate is made from sticky rice, ground black sesame and sugar. At Shake, Gao transforms her mother’s morning meal into a dessert with the addition of ice cream and black sesame panna cotta (RMB68). She’s also upped the wow factor by turning the sesame tangyuan inside out!
See a listing for Shake
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