Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Review: Wanchai Ferry Chinese Dinner Kits
I ran across these dinner kits in a press release and asked for some review samples. Apparently they've been available for years in Hong Kong and seem to be the Chinese equivalent - in underlying concept, at least - of Hamburger Helper. However, these are better and made by General Mills, so I'm assuming that the ingredient control is better than in China, where food quality problems have been rampant.
As I write this, my family just finished sampling the Cashew Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken versions. The consensus (except for my teenage daughter, who didn't care for the sweet and sour) was that they rate about a 6 out of 10 for something you'd cook at home, but 10 out of 10 compared to bad Chinese take-out. (That is a problem out here in rural western Massachusetts, where good Asian restaurants are a bit harder to find than in and around Boston.)
The kits all follow a similar approach: you cut up the chicken (or pork or shrimp or tofu, at least according to the sweet & sour box) and coat it in the seasoned corn starch that comes in a packet. You heat 2 TBS. vegetable oil in a pan, cook the protein, add a packet of sauce with half a cup of hot water, add an accent ingredient such as the nuts or a mix of pineapple and water chestnuts, and then let it simmer for a couple of minutes. You've presumably already started the jasmine rice, as suggested by the directions, which means your entree is ready.
A few peccadilloes. They say use a non-stick pan over medium heat. Having tried two of the regular variety, I'd endorse that suggestion, or use a bit more oil (maybe 3 TBS.) and high heat so the chicken doesn't bond to the pan surface. Then turn the heat back down to medium. Otherwise, it took about the 30 minutes the package claimed. They say that this will serve up to 6 people, the "up to" being the operative phrase. I'd say closer to four, or make sure you serve something in addition. The retail price is $4.79. When you add the pound of boneless skinned chicken breast (I boned and skinned a couple we had on hand), you're looking at maybe $8 for the dish. But you don't have to drive or wait until the delivery person drops off a once-hot dinner.
If you want to try one of these, go to this web site and print out a dollar off coupon while it is available.
As I write this, my family just finished sampling the Cashew Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken versions. The consensus (except for my teenage daughter, who didn't care for the sweet and sour) was that they rate about a 6 out of 10 for something you'd cook at home, but 10 out of 10 compared to bad Chinese take-out. (That is a problem out here in rural western Massachusetts, where good Asian restaurants are a bit harder to find than in and around Boston.)
The kits all follow a similar approach: you cut up the chicken (or pork or shrimp or tofu, at least according to the sweet & sour box) and coat it in the seasoned corn starch that comes in a packet. You heat 2 TBS. vegetable oil in a pan, cook the protein, add a packet of sauce with half a cup of hot water, add an accent ingredient such as the nuts or a mix of pineapple and water chestnuts, and then let it simmer for a couple of minutes. You've presumably already started the jasmine rice, as suggested by the directions, which means your entree is ready.
A few peccadilloes. They say use a non-stick pan over medium heat. Having tried two of the regular variety, I'd endorse that suggestion, or use a bit more oil (maybe 3 TBS.) and high heat so the chicken doesn't bond to the pan surface. Then turn the heat back down to medium. Otherwise, it took about the 30 minutes the package claimed. They say that this will serve up to 6 people, the "up to" being the operative phrase. I'd say closer to four, or make sure you serve something in addition. The retail price is $4.79. When you add the pound of boneless skinned chicken breast (I boned and skinned a couple we had on hand), you're looking at maybe $8 for the dish. But you don't have to drive or wait until the delivery person drops off a once-hot dinner.
If you want to try one of these, go to this web site and print out a dollar off coupon while it is available.
Labels: Chinese, dinner, General Mills, kit, Wanchai Ferry
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Thirty minutes for Chinese-style "convenience" food. Several brands of bottled and/or packaged sauces are on the market for anyone who doesn't have the time or inclination to make their own. Also, it doesn't take 30 minutes to chop up stuff for a stir fry, and either coat meat chunks with cornstarch or mix cornstarch and water, and then stir fry in a real wok. What's the supposed advantage of this line?
The bottled sauces are actually staples, like oyster sauce, and not the finished sauces for these dishes. Also, it does take longer to do the prep work for a stir fry and to actually heat the pan and cook it. You could spend 10 to 20 minutes easily on prepping one dish, and in this case, the 30 minutes includes the time to cook the rice. Overall, I think there's a definite time advantage.
I will leave the Chinese food to "takeout!" After trying Wanchai Ferry Kung Pao Chicken, I guess the deal is, they provide almost nothing for $4, and you provide the rest! The package contained, some sauce, peanuts, a small portion of rice, and a few dried peppers. I provided 1 pound of chicken breasts. I try to be impartial, and extermely fair in my assessment of prepackaged foods, writing only if they are very good, or very bad. This may have been the worst ever! No water chestnuts, no celery? Save your cash, and run down to the local Chinese joint, and get a real meal! This one went out with the trash.
Posted by 
: 6:30 PM Permalink
: 6:30 PM Permalink
I found this to be an interesting quick meal option. It didn't taste bad, and was very simple and easy. There aren't any vegetables in it, and that is a pro for me. My husband doesn't like them, and usually when I cook, I need to pick them out. This was definately a time saver for busy family.
This was a real time-saver for me, as I'm terrible at chopping things up, though if you have the extra time, you can always add as much or little to it as you like. I loathe water chestnuts, but would love tiny corn cobs or pea pods. The BASE ingredients for a tasty, quick meal are right in the box. The rice gets a bit sticky, I'd cut the water to 1 1/4 cup instead of 1 1/3. The peppers can be crushed in the plastic bag they come in for extra heat or tossed aside whole once cooked, as we do for our young children. I like the taste, convenience and flexibility. The Kung Pao sauce was delicious and fragrant.
The price may be a bit high, but the result is better than the best takeout we can get in Minneapolis.
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The price may be a bit high, but the result is better than the best takeout we can get in Minneapolis.
Posted by : 11:10 PM Permalink
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