Looking for a spicy, warm dish to bring you a combination of excitement and comfort? Make a Hakka-inspired chilli shrimp dish.
We asked Joanna Liu, one half of Yueh Tung — the first Hakka restaurant in Toronto’s Chinatown — to share a recipe that’s reflective of the business and their story.
Joanna and Jeanette, the two sisters, have worked tirelessy on the restaurant after taking it over from their parents and revitalizing the space after the pandemic hit.
Since then, they’ve become a voice for their community through civic participation, but they’ve also provided a warm atmosphere for people to gather.
“We just became a voice for those who don’t have one,” says Joanna.
Watch her video below, download the PDF of her recipe or scroll down for the step-by-step instructions.
Ingredients
To make your chili shrimp:
- Use a cup of shrimp
- 1 tsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp of cooking wine
- starch slurry
- Oyster sauce
- 1 serving of rice
- Use a cup of shrimp
- 1 tsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp of cooking wine
- starch slurry
- Oyster sauce
- 1 serving of rice
Step 1: heat up the wok
In a heated wok, throw in your teaspoon of chopped garlic and half a cup of chopped onions.
Let the onions continue cooking in the wok until they become translucent. Be careful not to let them burn before you throw in your protein.
Then, add in your protein. Joanna says you can use any protein you have — shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, etc.
For this recipe, she uses about a cup of shrimp.
Step 2: Drench the protein
It’s time to start saucing up your protein.
Deglaze with a teaspoon of cooking wine. Alternatively, you can use a broth, apple cider vinegar or even citrus juices.
Add a cup of water then season with a quarter teaspoon salt and a teaspoon of light soy sauce.
Then, make a corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce. This means separately mixing a tablespoon of starch and water to add into the sauce.
And then add one tablespoon of dark soy sauce.
Step 3: Plate your dish
Scoop the warm, rich protein onto a bowl of rice.
Garnish with sesame seeds and other toppings to finish.
Cost breakdown
Grocery prices will vary from one store to the other, so the costs below are just an estimate.
- A bag of shrimp – $10.87
- Light soy sauce – $4.22
- Dark soy sauce – $3.99
- Garlic – $1.00
- An onion – $1.26
- Cooking wine – $3.23
- Corn starch – $4.22
- Bag of rice – $14.05
- A bag of shrimp – $10.87
- Light soy sauce – $4.22
- Dark soy sauce – $3.99
- Garlic – $1.00
- An onion – $1.26
- Cooking wine – $3.23
- Corn starch – $4.22
- Bag of rice – $14.05
About the chef
Joanna Liu is one half of the long-standing, cultural business icon Yueh Tung. The restaurant was the first Hakka restaurant in Chinatown and is still located in what is called Old Chinatown today.
Since taking over their parents’ business, Joanna and Jeanette have become symbols of love and resilience in the fight for keeping Chinatown bright and permanent.
You can read more about Joanna and Jeanette’s story by checking out her website.
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