Tales From My Kitchen Table with Amy Poon
Make a cup of tea and take five minutes with Poon's London founder Amy Poon (@amy__poon). Amy's deep-rooted connection to Chinese cuisine is evident as she shares cherished memories from her family's rich culinary history. From her father's impromptu zabaglione preparation in a Belsize Park trattoria to the comforting "magic soups" that remind her of home, Amy's stories are filled with warmth and nostalgia. She reflects on the significance of Chinese New Year traditions, the joy of communal meals, and the enduring impact of being cooked for by loved ones. Amy's insights into building confidence in the kitchen are sure to inspire you to embrace cooking with love and intention.
Tell us about your favourite food memory from your childhood...
My father and I were driving home one afternoon, when I was about nine years old, and because I hadn’t had lunch at school, we stopped at an Italian trattoria in Belsize Park which we had driven past on countless occasions. It was the kind of place that had candles in straw-wrapped Chianti bottles and worn, slightly weary Italian waiters in equally worn white jackets. I don’t remember what we ate for mains but for pudding, I asked for a zabaglione. I was a precocious child, foodwise. The maître d’ apologised and said the chef had left already (restaurants used to commonly close between lunch and dinner service). My father spotted a gueridon sitting in the corner and asked the maître d’ if they had eggs, sugar and Marsala, to which the indignant response was, “but of course!” My father asked for the ingredients to be brought to the table, along with the gueridon. He stood, rolled up his sleeves and whipped up the most classic of Italian pudds in front of a group of astonished Italian waiters.
What does Chinese food mean to you, and how does it shape the way you approach cooking today?
Love, Chinese food for me means love. It also means nourishment and nurture and goodness, not morally, but in the sense that it is full of all that is good – grace and gift and endeavour, as well as nutrition.
Can you share a memorable meal someone important in your life has cooked for you?
I am lucky enough to have had many memorable meals, most of them at my parents’ dinner table. When either of my parents cook, it is truly an expression of love, a desire to please and spread joy. Pipah Tofu is a dish that makes me feel indulged and feted. To make it well involves many steps. My 20th birthday banquet was pretty special. My father designed the menu and oversaw the cooking. It was hosted at Poon’s in the City.
What dish always reminds you of home, and what does it mean to you?
Magic soup – Cantonese tonic soups, based on traditional Chinese medicine principles. For me, they are full of wisdom and inherited knowledge, effort and love.
Chinese New Year is a time for family and tradition. What’s one of your cooking rituals during this time?
Reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year is when we all gather en famille. My parents operate an open door / mi casa su casa policy when it comes to meals and CNY is no different. There is always a seat at their table. A whole fish and a whole chicken are always served as they have symbolic meaning. Last year, they passed the baton and I hosted with a steamboat dinner. I love this way of eating, paced and considered, convivial and engaged.
What’s your favourite part of celebrating Chinese New Year with family and friends around the dinner table?
I love the goodwill and the ritual. Like many new year traditions in other culture, I appreciate the reflection on the year past and the expressions of hope for the year ahead. I love the joy and vibrancy. My children think it’s the best holiday – good food, and lots of it and gifts of cash from every Chinese adult they encounter for the two weeks of celebration.
QUICK FIRE
The taste that most reminds you of home? The taste of steamed fish with ginger and spring onions
Dish you always come back to when cooking for comfort? Stir-fried egg and tomato, that and claypot rice
One thing that is always in your fridge? Fermented tofu
Best food destination you’ve visited? Oh, that’s tricky - for execution, Tokyo. For the pure appreciation of produce, Italy. Singapore and Hong Kong are hard to beat for specialist one-dish restaurants, places that are known for one particular thing which they make better than anyone else. For variety, London is hard to beat.
Favourite Chinese vegetable? Dou Miao
Song you love to cook to?Dean Martin’s “That’s Amore” because I’m corny!
Best place for a nourishing meal in London? The Mothership – i.e. my parents’ house.