In popular imagination, Asian cuisine is exotic; accordingly, its cookbooks tend to have a passionate, proprietary view about regionality or spice tolerance.
The foods of both of her parents were important to honour while recreating them with ‘whole-food’ ingredients that she felt good feeding her family. Today, Sophia shows our group how to create a nourishing pho, excerpted in her book Nourishing Asian Kitchen, something she makes at home quite frequently.
Bamboo
Asian food is characterised by its use of flavours that create harmony with the salty, sweet, spicy and umami to make your taste buds dance. This can be done using fresh ingredients which allow the best flavours of the foods to shine through in the sauces and marinations, while also using different textures to make the dish feel balanced in the mouth.
Bamboo shoots are the young, fresh shoots of a wide range of bamboo species such as Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis that are used in soups, stir-fries and salads. Their taste is lightly earthy and nutty, with a hint of asparagus or water chestnut, and a crunchy texture that goes well as an accompaniment to other vegetables or meats.
Bamboo shoots are quite low in calorie, rich in vitamins and minerals, and have anti-inflammatory properties. Either fresh bamboo shoots during spring or canned ones throughout the year can be eaten in a variety of ways whether through stir frying, steaming or boiling.
Clean Lines
Clean lines with minimal a contemporary or traditional look can emerge from an ‘organic’, natural aesthetic common in Asian kitchens. Plank wood in lighter and darker colour tones can be used on the floor, with stone less commonly used but bringing emphasis and interest to certain areas.
As a rule, furniture meant for sitting close to the ground will be square or rectangular in shape while floor cushions are a common feature. Asian calligraphy prints can also be included to provide a hint of decorative charm.
Sink selection tan fit in accordance with design as well. Stainless steel undermount sink work well in the house due to they clean lines will not compete with the design of kitchen; singe basin sink is also popular among those who follow Asian minimalist aesthetic. Wall decorations could be tapestry planned to bring about change of pace and create comfort as well.
Natural Tones
Subtle and low-key: An Asian-themed kitchen is always natural and organic in feel. Lending it an air of organic authenticity are the use of materials with deep ties to nature, like bamboo flooring and butchers block; subdued stone and exotic wood. Countertop options are many: concrete blends in beautifully, while butchers block, bamboo and really, anything that adds organic appeal works great. Adding natural elements, like long bundles of bamboo stalks or wheatgrass motifs, set on topside shelves of counters or a cluster of potted plants on a counter, is always an Asian touch.
A typical Asian kitchen design will also embrace the views of Feng Shui, a Chinese philosophical system revolving around achieving balance and harmony. Using warm neutral tones as well as more vibrant colours will help to create a perfect-looking Asian kitchen.
(ACTUAL QUOTE RETAINED) Asian-inspired kitchens combine sleek forms and comfortable ergonomics. If you’re keen on remaking your kitchen to match this style, contact Jack Rosen today.
Elegant Ergonomics
An ergonomic design should take health, comfort and efficiency into consideration for its users. It minimises physical stress (which can result in postural syndromes and aches) and maximises efficiency and staff morale – in a commercial kitchen setting, an ergonomic working space leads to better profitability and lower staff turnover rates.
Unfortunately, current research on physical kitchen ergonomics, which strives to propose optimum dimensions that are applicable to the entire population in terms of how we move in space to fulfil kitchen tasks through correlating anthropometry data with layout and appliance dimensions, and by subjectively determining preferences from fitting trials with selected users with predefined demographics, have limited generalisability to guide design of physical kitchens.
It’s wise to invest in a kitchen that’s ergonomically designed and takes into account how your team will work for long hours. Simple things, such as raising the height of countertops to the right level or making sure small appliances are placed so they are easily reachable will make a huge difference to their lives working in your kitchen.
The Asian Kitchen
