Meet chef Shing Wei Hixson: Touch of Asia

Shing Wei Hixson cooks Firecracker Chicken.

Robin Tucker

As a child growing up in Taiwan, Shing Wei Hixson was always in the kitchen. Even then, her dream was to own a restaurant.
Her parents wanted her to chose a different career, but her passion was for food. After some culinary training in Taiwan, she went to Australia to study culinary arts and restaurant management. For three years she learned about everything from hospitality to administration and wine and food service.
When Shing Wei met and married James, they started a small, take-out restaurant in Orlando, Fla. But they wanted something different.
James grew up in Versailles, so he was familiar with the Lake area. After talking with friends and looking at other locations across the country, they saw opportunity in Osage Beach.
James says they wanted to bring some restaurant practices normally found in urban areas to Lake of the Ozarks. They introduced the open kitchen concept and decided on a location in a “strip mall”
rather than a stand-alone building. It’s a small and casual place, but expect food quality to be upscale. Shing Wei says most people enjoy popular dishes like sesame chicken and sweet and sour chicken, but she likes to
introduce authentic Asian meals. But, the couple admits, that can be hard.
“People like things they are familiar with,” she said. That’s why you will get a little bit of both—everything from sushi items to traditional teriyaki chicken. But feel free to be daring. They’ll appreciate your sense of adventure.

A conversation with Shing Wei Hixson

What is the best part about the job?
I enjoy people. It’s fun, the aspect of cooking and creating and, James adds, “she has the patience.”
What do you cook at home?
All kinds of things - homemade pasta, more traditional Taiwanese food, but mainly western food.
What food do you crave?
Taiwanese soup. Comfort food, stuff like pork broth.
What foods do you hate?
There is not much I hate. I don’t like greasy food.
What do you always have in your kitchen?
Eggs, ground beef, cheese, milk, chili sauce, soy sauce. It is hard to find some ingredients here.
What do you serve guests?
They mostly ask for something authentic, so we’ll serve stir fry or soup. Small eggrolls, steamed fish, a tofu dish.
What do you eat for breakfast?
Rice soup, or rice with salt or duck eggs.
 

Firecracker chicken

INGREDIENTS
Jalapeno
Cilantro
Salt
White pepper
Egg
Corn starch
Marinated chicken
Dried chili pods (a few)
Green pepper
Onion
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
Sesame oil
Soy sauce
Granulated chicken base
Red pepper

Start by marinating the chicken. Slice 6 ounces of chicken breast.
Combine 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of white pepper, 1/2 beaten egg, 1 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch and 1 tablespoon of water. Coat chicken with mixture. Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and saute the chicken until it is
cooked through. Heat a wok to the smoking point. Turn the flame off. Wet pan with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Turn flame back on and put in chili pod, it will turn black quickly. Add chili oil to the the pan.
Except for the cilantro, add all of the vegetables and meat. Stir fry about one minute, but don’t overcook. Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of chicken base. Stir fry another two minutes. Add one tablespoon
of sesame oil. Add the cilantro to slightly cook it.
Recipe serves two.

Chef tips
• Thinly slice all of the ingredients.
• The wok must be continuously hot.
• You can substitute shrimp or beef for the chicken.