The term “Chinese food” is an example of the West’s tendency towards oversimplification.
The celebrated and proud methods and styles of Chinese cooking are not easily summed up under a neat and clear label. Broadly speaking, however (and still oversimplifying greatly), cuisine from China can be classified according to eight long-standing regional traditions.
These traditions are: Guangdong, Sichuan, Shandong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Hunan, Anhui, and Zhejiang.
Within each of these eight widely acknowledged Chinese culinary traditions, significant variations still abound based on more precise local geography, available ingredients and microclimates, and evolving preferences.
The first of the traditions named above represents the cuisine of the region of Guangdong, once known as Canton.
In North America, what we typically mean when we use the sweepingly broad term “Chinese food” is actually food from this region, which we still most commonly refer to as Cantonese-style.
The complexity of the conversation is compounded by the widespread adaptation of Cantonese culinary traditions to suit Western palates by chefs who have emigrated from Guangdong.
For those of you who, like me, have never been to China to experience the nation’s various regional cuisines first-hand, it may be difficult to speak intelligently about the authenticity of what is on offer here in Vancouver.
What I can say with confidence is that Vancouver restaurants operating under the handle of Cantonese-style food vary dramatically in their approaches to the cuisine.
For my palate, the best examples employ bold flavours and simple, light-handed preparation techniques; I am not a fan of dishes bogged down by sweet or sticky sauces, rendered insipid through the use of pedestrian, flavourless cuts of meat, or made palatable to the broadest possible audience through timid seasoning.
Of all my Cantonese restaurant experiences here on the North Shore, my recent sampling of dishes at the newly opened KK BBQ House in Central Lonsdale offered the most exciting, satisfying meal.
KK is a specialist in siu mei, the name assigned to the succulent, spit-roasted meats of Cantonese cuisine that are particularly popular in Hong Kong.
I dropped in a bit late on a weeknight to find the small, brightly-lit restaurant close to wrapping up service. Still, I was greeted warmly by the friendly staff and was invited to have a look at the variety of amber-hued, temptingly glistening meats hanging on display in the restaurant’s glass-walled warmer.
Regrettably, the restaurant had sold out of barbecue duck (one of my favourite examples of siu mei) earlier in the evening. However, a nice selection of other meats still remained, including Crispy Roasted Pork, Honey Barbecue Pork and Deeply Glazed Pork Spareribs.
Being mindful of the time, I opted for take-out and ordered all three meats along with shredded mixed vegetable chow mein, special pan-fried squid, and crispy tofu with spicy salt and pepper.
I sipped a complimentary cup of jasmine tea as my meal was prepared and, within 10 minutes, I was on my way home with a weighty bag of exceptionally aromatic, piping-hot food.
With the kids flat out in their rooms upstairs, my wife DJ and I unpacked the overflowing boxes of goods on the dining room table and wasted no time tucking in.
Immediately apparent to both of us was the tremendous depth of colour revealed in KK’s dishes. The chow mein had a wonderful chestnut hue to it that was studded with vibrant green vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage and scallion.
The noodles packed rich flavours of garlic and soy and completely sidestepped the all-too-frequent tendency of chow mein to stick together in clumps bound by glistening, soupy sauce.
The container with the three meats I had selected was astoundingly full.
Each of the moist and tender morsels of roasted pork was capped with a thin layer of crispy, caramelized skin in the fashion of crackling. The meat’s understated seasoning permitted the subtle pork flavours to shine through.
The honey barbecue pork had a more pronounced glaze and I was able to pick up fragrant notes of five-spice and garlic. This selection was comprised of strips of darker, more toothsome meat and was a great addition to forkfulls of chow mein.
The small and pleasantly chewy spare ribs were the most generously sauced of the three meats and had a sweet and tangy flavour that made me long for more when I had finished them.
The pan-fried squid dish was a winner with its long, plump strips of tender, spice-dusted cephalopod topped with deeply browned slivers of garlic and spicy green chili peppers.
A similarly prepared vegetarian dish of spicy tofu revealed surprising depths of flavour. Each triangle of bean curd was coated with a crunchy, salty golden skin that gave way to a soft, spongy interior.
It has now been close to a week since our meal and DJ has consistently told North Shore friends that KK BBQ House supplied the best Cantonese meal she has had since moving to Canada from England some 19 years ago.
Our meal was $55 before gratuity. KK BBQ House is located at 1442 Lonsdale Ave. 778-340-8866
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: [email protected].
