Recipe: Pork Buns

For those of you who have tried the famous pork buns at The Blue Breeze Inn, you'll understand why I was overcome with an urge to recreate them at home. After all, what's better than a pork bun? UNLIMITED PORK BUNS.

Making the buns themselves isn't exactly a piece of cake, but if you follow this recipe closely you should be away laughing.

Ingredients:
Steamed buns (see here for recipe)
Pork belly
1 Tbsp 5 Spice powder
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Sushi vinegar
Spring onions
Coriander
Hoisin sauce
Crushed peanuts

The filling is where I start really enjoying myself though- succulent pork belly topped with crunchy peanuts and tangy pickled cucumber. Oh my.

Order of events:

1. Prepare the dough for the buns
2. Slice the cucumber thinly, and then soak in sushi vinegar for at least an hour
3. For the pork belly:
• Heat the over to fan grill 175C
• Score the skin
• Pour boiling water over skin (easiest done on a rack)
• Pat dry
• Rub 5 spice powder, along with salt and pepper on the underside of the belly
• Salt the skin
• Cook for about 50 minutes
• Turn the oven onto grill, and blast the skin for 5 - 10 minutes until it has a good layer of cracking
4. Prepare your condiments, and chop the spring onion and coriander
5. While the pork is resting, steam the buns 
6. As soon as the buns are cooked, pile them high with the hoisin, pork belly, cucumber, coriander, spring onion, and the crushed peanuts.

The last step is easiest of all: eat, eat, and eat some more.

Chop Chop

 

Who knew Ponsonby Central could squeeze in another restaurant? But here it is: Chop Chop, Blue Breeze Inn's younger, and spunkier sister. She serves bourbon cocktails and encourages the patrons to wear cowboy hats, and serves noodle bowls that knock your socks off.

I started off with a pork bun, interested to see how it would fare against the famous ones at Blue Breeze, and while it didn't have the same glorious crispiness, it was delicious in it's own right. A pillow soft bun encasing sticky BBQ pork covered in a tangy and fresh salsa.

We then choose a noodle bowl each- roast pork for James and spicy crispy chicken for myself. I thought these noodles bowls were slightly overpriced (for a noodle bowl) at $18, but in saying that they are incredibly filling, and after that pork bun I couldn't even finish mine. Overpriced or not, they were both delicious- though we agreed the chicken was just slightly better. You can't beat fried chicken.

Aside from the food, Chop Chop really stood out for their service. We were attended to by a couple of extremely friendly and attentive waitresses, who didn't mind us taking about half an hour to make up our minds. Even more impressive was the incredible patience and professionalism they showed to the Worst Customers In The World who were sitting next to us, while I stifled my laughter in my noodle bowl (but that's another story....).

The Blue Breeze Inn

Last night the girls and I ventured into Ponsonby to try out Moo Chow Chow chef Che Barrington's new restaurant The Blue Breeze Inn.

I had pretty high expectations seeing as Moo Chow Chow is one of my favourite restaurants in Auckland and we weren't disappointed. The place was PACKED but the service was great and the waiters were all in Hawaiian shirts- aloha!

With Pacific inspired style decor and a Chinese inspired menu the place is a bit of a mash up, but it's different and it works. 

We had (what feels today like) almost every cocktail on the menu. Like Moo Chow Chow they all had pretty odd ingredients like lemongrass, mace and coriander seeds- unusual but somehow they all taste great. My favourite was La Savage (above) but who can say no to coconuts? 

Every cocktail seemed to come with a rose on top so by the end of the night we pretty much had our own bouquet.

If you wanted pretty photos I'm sorry but Chinese food just ain't that photogenic. Tell you what though it tasted awesome!

We had the sichuan spiced lamb ribs, the twice cooked crispy skinned duck, fried spicy chicken dumplings and some asian greens. Like a lot of Chinese food some of it was a bit greasy, but the flavours made up for it. The duck was a winner for me but the girls preferred the dumplings.

I don't know if it will ever take Moo Chow Chow's place in my heart but The Blue Breeze Inn is a great addition to the Ponsonby strip and I'm sure I'll be back.

An impromptu photoshoot outside the restaurant seemed appropriate. Aren't they beaut?