From phoenixnewtimes.com
Working with Local First Arizona's Community Kitchen, a Chinese Australian chef is blending heritage with culinary innovation
Chef Andrew Wong's nickname "Huhu" is inspired by his niece who had trouble pronouncing shūshu ( 叔叔 ) or uncle in Mandarin. “Huhu” stuck. Wong's sister would tell her daughter stories of Huhu’s life growing up in Australia, where he worked in his mom's Chinese restaurant.
"His niece is creative," says Whitney Meilan Yang, who works for Wong. In the tales, everything "in Australia was upside down and the foods were magical."
Wong is a first-generation Chinese Australian who grew up in Melbourne. His childhood memories include fishing with his dad and working at his mom's Chinatown restaurant. As an adult, Wong spent years traveling Asia and Europe. He started as an industrial designer and entrepreneur. Through eating and experimenting, Wong cracked the code for gluten-free cooking. Thus, the idea for HuHu's House of Dumplings was born.
The plant-based frozen food brand is set to launch in November. Wong is working with Local First Arizona's Community Kitchen to make dumplings in small batches. So far, "folks who have tried them — including kids — can't believe that they are plant-based," Yang says.
HuHu's House of Dumplings currently has one flavour and the team is hoping to expand in the future. For the handmade King Oyster Mushroom Dumplings, "the mushrooms go through a three-step process that creates our unique texture and scrumptious taste," Yang says.
We had the opportunity to try the dumplings before they hit the market, and were impressed by the textures. The wrappers are gluten-free, but are every bit as chewy and satisfying as their wheat-filled counterparts. The oyster mushrooms have a crumbly, ground texture very similar to traditional pork-based dumpling fillings.
HuHu's main goal is to share Chinese flavours that are fresh, healthy and available to all. Many traditional Chinese dishes aren't an option to those who are vegan or gluten-free. HuHu's is looking to change that through a blend of heritage and modern innovation.
"We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy authentic Chinese flavours that are fresh, healthy and amenable to all types of dietary restrictions," Yang says. "Huhu's dumplings are magic, just like the bedtime stories, because they are for people who can't always access Chinese food... as well as people who simply enjoy knowing that their dumplings are made with nutritious ingredients."
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