Pics--The Little Won ton with Chef Shel Lee

Former Member

For the past 30+ years, I have opened my Chinese restaurant, The Little Won Ton, and am lucky to have Chef Shel Lee cook for these occasions.

My 68th birthday was Friday, 2/10, and I invited 5 of my favorite woman friends (6 counting Alice) to a special luncheon. Chef Lee was in rare form as each dish was perfect and, altogether, made for a memorable dining experience. Guests left with their porcelain chopsticks and a laminated menu, as usual.

Here's the menu:

For the meatballs, Pork, shrimp and green onions were ground and seasoned with oyster sauce and toasted sesame oil with beaten egg white and cornstarch completing the dish.

The PG500 set to 250°, 15,75 until the pit reached about 225° and then lowered to 15,35 to maintain the 250° for an hour smoke in Zone 4, then transferred on to the charbroiler to crisp the bottom. At the same time the ribs made yesterday (coming up later) were reheated in Zone 3 for the hour or so.

Lumpia skins were used for the Spring Rolls, using sauteed vegetables and diced Chinese pork from the ribs for the filling. Lumpia skins are flakier and crispier than regular egg roll skins. Deep fried of course.

The Hot & Sour soup used chicken broth seasoned with balsamic vinegar and chili paste with wood (tree) ear mushrooms, fresh Shitaki mushrooms, tofu, diced Chinese pork from the ribs and egg. thickened with cornstarch slurry.

Wood ear or tree ear mushrooms come dried and compressed into a tiny block about 1"x2" and expand in warm water to more than 10x size.

Here's a photo of the finished mushrooms with the compressed block at the top of the bowl.

The ribs were cooked at 250° for 4 1/2 hours in Zone 4 with the controls set to 15,75 until the pit reached about 225° and then lowered to 15,35 to maintain the 250°. then reheated the next day at 250° in Zone 3. Marinade only, no sauce.

The shrimp were grilled in a mesh pan on the charbroiler at 375° controller setting. It took about 10 minutes, shaking the pan a few times to turn them over. They were added to the stove top Cantonese (lobster) sauce witch is made from broth, onion, garlic, ground pork and egg. Of course, thickened with cornstarch slurry.

The tofu was marinated and pan seared then added to the sauce of pineapple chunks and juice, rice vinegar and sweetener. Sauteed bok choy and red pepper add some color and texture. Thickened with cornstarch slurry.