Dining in the Next Normal: Rich and Authentic Flavors, Packed Frozen and Straight to the Pan by Ya Chou Foods

Do you Ya Chou? Say yes to fresh frozen noodles, dumplings and savory steamed buns by Ya Chou Foods...

Preparing sumptuous meals at home takes away any doubts you may have on the sanitation quality of food deliveries, more so now in the time of a viral pandemic. Frozen foods addresses this concern, packing all the flavors and convenience with each pack for home storage. Ya Chou Foods specializes in a variety of frozen Taiwan delicacies like fresh noodles, dimsum and dumplings, mantho and steamed buns, betso-betso, sausages, scallion pancakes and many more that's easy to prepare and cook at home. You don't even have to thaw the items, just place it on a hot pot, steamer or pan and your hearty meal is ready in minutes. Who knows, this could be the start of your home-based food business. We recently found out just how easy it is to prepare some of Ya Chou Foods specialty Taiwanese products, and even got creative with some of the dishes...

Dining at home will be a part of the new normal, a result of the lingering threat caused by the viral pandemic. Stocking up on tasty frozen Taiwan delicacies by Ya Chou Foods makes a lot of sense in these uncertain times where you can have a satisfying meal or snack straight out of the freezer, from the pack and on to a pan to your plate in minutes.

We opened up a pack of frozen Vegetarian Dumplings and simply placed it on a pan filled with water on high heat. As the water heats up, bubbles surround each dumpling gently warming it up and its savory filling. After a few more minutes, the water on the pan dries out and it's now time to add some oil. The dumplings sizzle on the pan, delicately searing the bottom for a lightly crisp crust and it's ready. Add some fresh spring onions and your Vegetarian Dumplings are ready to serve.

One bite and you'll immediately notice the soft yet firm texture of the dough, followed by a burst of savory notes from the filling. These are vegetarian dumplings, yet the flavors are as intense and flavorful as the usual pork-filled dumplings. Fresh and clean delivering rich notes with every bite, these dumplings are easy to prepare too. Ya Chou Foods also offers a variety of meat-filled dumplings including frozen Xiao Long Bao.  

A pack of frozen Fresh Noodles becomes our next dish and just like the frozen Vegetarian Dumplings, simply place the frozen noodles on a pot. Straight from the freezer and pack to your pot, it only takes minutes to cook the noodles to your preferred doneness. The water turns white from the flour of the noodles but you need to constantly stir to prevent the noodles from sticking. When the noodles are done, drain and transfer to a bowl. Each pack of frozen Fresh Noodles come with sachets filled with dark sauce. Open up the sachets and pour the sauce over the noodles and mix. Make sure you mix the noodles thoroughly so each noodle is draped with the special sauce. Great as is, the noodles are soft with a mildly chewy and springy bite almost like fresh hand-pulled noodles. If you still have a few more Vegetarian Dumplings, top it on the noodles along a fresh spring onions. There's just nothing as comforting as a bowl of fresh noodles at home. And when it's tasty and easy to prepare, that's a bonus...

Pair your noodles with the Vegetarian Siopao (L) and the Bola-Bola Siopao (R) to make it a real meal. Preparing these savory buns are just as easy as the Vegetarian Dumplings and frozen Fresh Noodles by Ya Chou Foods. From the freezer, open up a pack and place it on a steamer. That's it. You'll know it's ready when the top is soft and warm which just takes around ten minutes.

The freshly steamed buns are pillowy-soft and moist with a subtle sweetness that's perfectly balanced by the savory richness of the filling. The flavors of the vegetarian filling are sweet and savory with that "asado" like finish, you won't even miss the meat. The large meat ball inside the Bola-Bola Siopao has more delicate notes, a juicy and savory texture that complements the mild sweetness of the soft buns. As a snack or paired with noodles, you have a complete meal prepared in minutes at home.

Ya Chou Foods also offers Taiwan Sausages, tasty pork links with a smoky sweetness that's perfect when grilled or simply pan-fried. One slice and you'll notice that the sausages are leaner than the usual Asian sausages, delivering an audible snap with every bite. The sausages deliver a flavorful and unctuous richness finished by sweet notes draping the palate with a savory richness. Small bits of fat add a layer of juicy textures and more flavor. 

The Taiwan Sausages are perfect for a hearty breakfast paired with fried rice and eggs or as an ingredient to special homemade dishes. I think the grill gives these sausages richer notes, with smoky hints from the charred outer layer to balance the sweetness. Ya Chou Foods brings a wide selection of Taiwanese delicacies to your table for a hearty and satisfying meal at home (for more on Ya Chou Foods, see my earlier post, Steamed or Fried? Mantho, Betso-Betso, Cheng Pao and More by Ya Chou Foods).

After a few beers at Trellis, an inspired afternoon triggered some tasty and inventive possibilities. We steamed some Mantho Buns by Ya Chou Foods and decided to fill it with the sweet and savory Pork Humba of Trellis. And it worked. The sweet and savory notes of the fork-tender pork with layers of fat draped in a thick and sweet sauce perfectly complemented the soft steamed buns.  

Next, why not kick up the flavors of the already flavorful Scallion Pancakes of Ya Chou Foods by topping it with fried egg, cheese and some of the iconic Sisig of Trellis? Searing the bottom of the Scallion Pancakes on the pan for that delicate and lightly crisp texture, we added an egg directly on the Scallion Pancake before adding the cheese. The egg is cooked right on the pancake as the cheese slowly melts. Finally, top it with the famous Sisig of Trellis before gently flipping over the top half of the pancake. Good friend The Last Don hit it way off the ballpark with this inventive creation.

Each bite brings multiple layers of flavors to the palate, with the subtle sharpness of the scallions followed by the creamy notes of the egg and cheese and perfectly finished by the richness of the Sisig. 

We were told that the Taiwanese actually roll up these Scallion Pancakes filling it with a variety of savory options. This culinary crossover created that afternoon is a perfect example of the versatility of these Scallion Pancakes.

A pack of frozen noodles lit up another spontaneous moment of creativity, a flashing light bulb moment. What if we top it with some of the equally popular Crackling Liempo of Trellis? The contrasting textures and flavors paired perfectly with the equally flavorful and soft noodles. Like the proverbial Hail Mary Pass from a game-winning playbook, these fresh noodles topped with Crackling Liempo was the perfect ending for an inspired afternoon cooking up frozen Taiwanese delicacies by Ya Chou Foods at Trellis (for more on Trellis, see my posts, Dining in the Next Normal: Familiar Flavors Endure in the New Normal at Trellis and Old Favorites. And New Favorites. At Trellis...).

Back home the next day, I fixed up a quick meal with Ya Chou Foods' frozen Fresh Noodles, Meatballs and Vegetarian Siopao...

...a meal that would have taken hours to prepare. This was done in minutes, straight out of the freezer and into a pot or steamer. Using what's available in the pantry like pork stock made from bouillon cubes and fresh spring onions, you have a comforting bowl of Meatball Noodle Soup paired with a freshly steamed bun in minutes without the fuss.

The new normal will bring about massive transformation and change the way we go about our daily routine. It also makes stocking up on a variety of frozen options a smart move. Give Ya Chou Foods a call and make some space in your freezer for these tasty and authentic yet easy-to-prepare Taiwanese delicacies...

For more on Ya Chou Foods, call 362 8223 or DM via their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/yachoufoods/.

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