If you’ve ever been to Sum Bar, you might have thought to yourself, “How can I cook like this?”
We spoke to Khailing Neoh, Sum Bar’s owner and subject of the James Beard Award-winning short film “Great Wall.” She gave us a peek into her kitchen, where we discovered the secret to never-ending scallions, her favorite spots to pick up the best ingredients, and which local brands she can’t live without.
4 ingredients currently in Khailing Neoh’s kitchen
Scallions — Neoh keeps hers in water and lets them keep growing. She called it a “never-ending supply, maybe a life hack.” Another life hack for you: Neoh noticed that scallions tend to be more cost-effective at Asian markets like Asia Pacific and Saigon Market.
Eggs — “I’m all about convenience,” Neoh said. “Adding things to eggs is my favorite way to cook a brunch, breakfast, or lunch meal. Leftover Chipotle or Cava, just fry some eggs up and throw it on top.”
Three types of soy sauce — In addition to standard soy sauce, Neoh said dark and light soy sauce can “really up your game.” Use light for that “extra salty hit” and dark for sweetness. “You’d be surprised by how many Publix and Harris Teeters carry dark soy,” she said, as well as “good sesame oil.” Pro tip: Lowes Foods also carries a variety of options including sesame oil and hoisin sauce.
Other aromatics — “With as much Chinese cooking as we do, it’s really hard not to have scallions, garlic, and ginger,” Neoh said. Her tip: keep ginger and garlic around as well as Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks. “Those make for really great chili oils and protein and soup additives.”
Neoh’s crowd-pleasing dishes
When it comes to making dishes for her friends, Neoh considered her congee and red braised pork to be among the most impressive, mostly due to their simplicity. “The goal with those is to get people to love them and then convince them to make it at home.”
If you’re looking to make Neoh’s red braised pork, here’s how she pulls it off:
Pork shoulder — Revival Butchery is Neoh’s “dream come true,” and she recommended this specialty butcher for its quality.
She also said grocery stores are good options for those feeding a group, since they tend to sell pork shoulders in large slabs.
Shaoxing wine, ginger, and rock sugar — “If you can get your hands on rock sugar… it helps with the flavor. The texture of the sugar is harder. It’s easier to burn and takes a little bit longer, but that’s one of the stars of the dish.” Neoh finds Shaoxing wine, ginger, and rock sugar at local Asian grocers like Saigon Market and Asia Pacific.
4 of Neoh’s favorite things at Asia Pacific
Hot pot additions — From sliced meat to fishballs, Neoh said “Asia Pacific has everything you would need for the perfect hotpot.”
Herbs and dried spices — Neoh swore by Asia Pacific’s selection of herbs and dried spices like dried jujubes and mushrooms, as well as tea leaves and different kinds of peppercorn.
Ginger — Neoh’s secret to peeling ginger? Get it at an Asian grocery store. Ginger tends to be “larger and heartier” at these stores, so there’s “less surface area of skin to peel.”
Cookware — “They have a huge selection of bowls and cookware,” Neoh said. “That’s very common with Asian grocery stores, so it’s really cool that we have that in Greenville.”
3 gadgets in Neoh’s kitchen
Rice cooker — ”If I could gift the whole world something, it would be obviously clean water and a simple rice cooker,” Neoh said. She was given a Zojirushi rice cooker as a wedding gift, which she deemed the “cream of the crop, creme de la creme, Audi of rice cookers.”
Steaming utensils — “Steaming is so valuable in the kitchen, for health reasons and versatility and ease.”
Instant water pot — Neoh also has an instant water pot that holds her water at a high temperature. She said it’s perfect for boiling pasta water and making tea or coffee. In case you were wondering, Neoh prefers aeropressed or French press coffee and she uses whole beans.
3 local brands Neoh loves
Swamp Rabbit Cafe — Neoh lauded this local staple for actively sourcing from local farmers, as well as the unique small brands you can find there. Think: quinoa, instant noodles, and soda water.
Revival Butchery — This is Neoh’s go-to for cool, pre-made foods, as well as unique sausages.
Broadwater Shrimp — If you’re looking for fresh seafood from the coast, Neoh said it has the “best, cleanest shrimps and seafood varieties.”
Learn more about the creation of Sum Bar through our previous interview with Neoh. And why not make a reservation at Sum Bar while you’re at it?
