Teochew food is my comfort food, as this is the region my ancestors came from and the food I grew up with. I will never pass up a chance to have Teochew cuisine wherever I am, and especially when this one is the voted the most popular three years in a row (2018-2020).
(This is a visit when they just opened the first store at CocoPark in 2018.)
The backstory was that there was this gentlemen from Swatow called Yu ZhuangZhong 余壮忠 who started his braised goose stall called RiRiXiang 日日香. It was so popular that Chen Peng Peng 陈鹏鹏 went to try it.
Chen Peng Peng was an executive of Sibei Oat Noodles 西贝莜面 for China South. He saw the business opportunity, went to Yu and asked for the franchising rights to the brand. He started the first RiRiXiang in Shenzhen in 2016. Then Yu saw it was so successful, decided to take back the franchise in 2017. A court case ensued and Chen has to forego the trademark. However, he managed to change all the franchises into Chen Peng Peng Braised Goose overnight on Dec 2017 and continued operations without missing a heartbeat. And as they say, the rest is history.
The open kitchen is a hub of activities. The shop in CoCoPark (a major shopping mall in Shenzhen) is strategically located right after the exit/entrance of the Shenzhen MRT. There’s a constant chopping, poaching, steaming and plating going on regardless of the time of the day, as commuters buy some home to “add dishes” 加送.
As you walk pass the store, you will see stacks of Teochew traditional pastry (kueh). The colourful kueh will entice you come in and try them.
Yellow croaker prepared Teochew style. The fish is steamed with all other kinds of fish without removing the scales. Then they are chilled in an instant and the fats fo the croaker form a layer of jelly under the skin. You have to remove the skin to enjoy the fatty flesh of the croaker. It is eaten together with the yellow bean paste.
And if it is properly done, it will turn out just like the picture. The skin will come off entirely without damaging the flesh. And the naturally occurring fish oil will glisten on the flaky flesh.
This is the prize-winning Teochew foie gras. The goose liver is creamy and moist, and the aromatic spices gently whiff through each bite. Chen Pengpeng made history for being the first and only Chinese restaurant to the be invited to Trophe Masse – the grand prix of foie gras – held every year in France to highlight the best of the best preparations of the delicacy.
The goose intestine is blanched for 7 seconds in boiling braise and the result is a crunchy intestine with flavours of braise stock. The intestine has been cleaned thoroughly so one do not need to worry about the inside of the intestine. Served together with blood tofu.
Kway teow is a Teochew noodles made from rice and looked like fettuccine. It is slippery and soft, and almost tasteless. So it requires the stock or the sauce to be flavourful. The stock is made from anchovy and pork bones with a dash of the braise. The ingredients include gizzard, heart, liver, blood tofu and a generous spoon of fried garlic.
And to cool off at end the meal with a sweet note, everyone is given a complimentary Chinese sweet dessert.
Wearing casual straw hats, white T-shirts and blue jeans as well as blue aprons, the young waiters and waitresses are always energetic and attentive. The restaurant was founded in Shenzhen, so it’s got the innovative and risk taking DNA, very much like this young city. Everyone is optimistic and looking forward the good life they are having in this welcoming city. Look out Singapore, this is the China that you will be competing against.
Chen PengPeng Goose 陈鹏鹏卤鹅饭店(CocoPark店)
深圳市福田区福华三路269号星河COCOParkB1
Tel : 18002585172
Date Visited : Apr 2018
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