Bee Hoon, Anyone?

I had the most fabulous experience today! I took a Cooking Class at Coriander Leaf – “Singapore Classics.” At first, I didn’t know what to expect, as it was a demonstration class, not hands-on. But, it was actually the perfect setting; sitting at a kitchen studio in a renovated Clarke Quay building overlooking the Singapore River.

Samia Ahad is the Chef and Owner of Coriander Leaf. She has been successful in this venture and many others including a Cookbook and TV – she is aptly named a “Food Entrepreneur.” When she first opened (9 years ago) she was only one of three cooking schools in Singapore. She related a funny story about when she started one of her first Asian cooking classes and found out that most of the participants were locals. She was a little taken aback because she would be a Pakistan teaching Asian cuisine to Singaporeans. Quickly, though, the playing field was leveled when she found out that they had only dined out on local food – they had never actually cooked it themselves!
Samia was a fantastic teacher and I’m excited to take at least 3-4 mores classes before I leave. Not only did we learn how to make the below dishes/sides, she also taught us some general cooking techniques, including learning how to tell the gender of a crab. As you can see from the first picture above, the answer lies within his or her underbelly! Female crabs have the “U” shape to help carry the eggs. For that reason, they are usually preferred for Chili Crab and other assorted dishes; their eggs add a richer taste. Additionally, we learned how to properly “kill” and prepare a crab. Sorry PETA!
Today’s Menu (Samia demonstrated all dishes and then we shared the whole menu as a group):

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Black Pepper Crab

Black Pepper Beef

Vegetable Bee Hoon (Rice Vermicelli)

Sautéed Chicken with Dried Chilies (Szechwan Style)

Baby Kai Lan with Garlic Sauce

Black Rice Pudding