Hong Kong-Style Baked Pork Chop Rice

One of my and lil' sis' favorite dishes is the Hong Kong-Style Baked Pork Chop Rice at Baccali Cafe and Rotisserie - Alhambra. We first ordered it because it was one of the cheaper meat options on the dinner menu, but continue to order the baked pork chop rice because it's just one of those unexpected fusion dishes that make Hong Kong cuisine so great.

My college friend's mom loved Baccali's menu the first time I introduced her parents to the restaurant several years ago. So now, whenever they, and my friend, are in town at the same time, that's often where we meet up. Once, her relatives were visiting from Canada and joined us. They loved everything so much that they ordered more dishes just to try more of the menu. Her uncle proclaimed, "It's like Chinese American food, but good!" Umm, not quite. It's Hong Kong cafe food. Chinese fusion that works.

Such is the case with this pork chop rice. More deliciousness underneath each layer as you dig in. Melty cheese over tomato sauce makes you think of pasta dishes. Vegetables below that for your daily vitamins. Crispy Chinese fried pork further down. And then the rice to balance out all that meat and sauce. A complete meal in one bowl.

Hong Kong-Style Macaroni Soup with Spam

Before I started blogging, my Chinese restaurant visits were pretty much limited to dim sum houses and Hong Kong cafes. The latter is great for late night eats and the odd Chinese/Western fusion dish.

So back in May 2009 when I bought my used-new camera, I drew upon one of those quick fusion recipes to test out some shots. Not that such a simple recipe really needs much direction, but just in case you've never heard of such a dish. You can even top it with a fried egg if you'd like. Needless to say, this is one of those dishes that's more appreciated in the late night hours.

Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage

As I said, the Sichuan Celery Salad is great paired with fatty meats, in this case, Chinese sausage. While I normally put Chinese sausage in fried rice, I was inspired by the claypot rice with frog legs and Chinese sausage that I once ordered at Macau Street - Monterey Park.

Since this is such a simple dish, make sure the lap xuong (Vietnamese/Chinese sausage) that you buy is good quality. My family prefers the Chinese sausage from Quang Tran, Inc. - Rosemead. It's a little pricier than what you find in the supermarket, but it's the best.