Culinaria Kitchen, S1E7: Wok Wey Secrets Behind Takeout Favorites

Culinaria CEO Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge, Wok Wey chef-owner Jaime Gonzalez, and SA Living host Shelly Miles strike a pose at the end of our Culinaria Kitchen segment.

This month on Culinaria Kitchen, Wok Wey Chef Jaime Gonzalez joined our President/CEO Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge to prove that fresh spring rolls are far less intimidating than they look. With a few simple ingredients, a little technique, and the right amount of patience, Chef Jaime walked us through how to build fresh, flavorful spring rolls right at home.

Chef Jaime expertly crafts a Wok Wey signature spring roll.

From deep frying tips to mastering the delicate rice paper wrap, the segment shared approachable info that home cooks can confidently recreate in their own kitchens. Spring rolls may have been the star of this month’s Culinaria Kitchen segment, but Chef Jaime wasn’t about to let us leave without another home-cook essential: fried rice. Equal parts comforting, versatile, and weeknight-friendly, a great fried rice recipe proves that a few humble ingredients — plus the right technique — can go a very long way. 

Here’s how chef Jaime prepares his famous Wok Wey fried rice:

Ingredients 

3 1/4 cup day old rice 

1/2 tablespoon crushed or minced garlic

1/4 tablespoon crushed ginger

1/4 cup protein of your choice (chef uses bits of Cantonese barbecued pork called char siu, known for its sweet, savory flavor and complex, crimson exterior.)

1/2 tablespoon green onion 

1 tablespoon bean sprouts 

2 eggs

2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine 

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

2 tablespoons fish sauce 

1 tablespoon salt 

1 tablespoon MSG 

1/2 tablespoon sugar*

*NOTE: Yes, sugar! Quick food fact detour: Don’t overlook the power of sugar in savory cooking. The sweet receptor on our tongues overlaps the umami receptor. The more receptors we make sing—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami—the more we savor what we’re eating. So, even a tiny, undetectable amount of sweetness can amplify what all the other receptors are sensing. Trust us on this.

Wok Wey's fried rice features chef Jaime's  Cantonese char siu pork.

Method

1. Heat up sauté pan to smoking

2. Add egg, then add garlic and ginger, and fry on high heat until translucent

3. Add your protein

4. Sauté together for 3 minutes, then add dry seasonings, cooking wine, and soy sauce

5. Sauté for 2 more minutes, then add fish sauce, bean sprouts, and green onion. Make sure you sauté for a minimum of 10 minutes total before turning the final product out into a serving dish.