Culinary Inspiration by Otao Kitchen

Making the Best Asian Stocks: The Secret to Incredible Soups, Stews, and Sauces

In the heart of every memorable bowl of pho, ramen, miso soup, or laksa lies a humble but mighty ingredient: stock. At Otao Kitchen, we believe that mastering the art of Asian stocks is essential for any aspiring home cook or chef. Whether you're whipping up a rich pork tonkotsu, a delicate seafood broth, or a nourishing chicken congee, a well-crafted stock is the foundation on which great flavour is built.

Having a good stock or broth is important in producing the best soups, stews, sauces and other dishes. It’s the foundation, or base layer, where you can begin to build flavour and umami. Obviously, making your own is time-consuming, but a quality homemade stock far surpasses a store-bought one.

In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about making traditional and Asian-style stocks – from choosing the right bones to understanding simmer times, aromatics, and insider tips from our Otao Kitchen masterclasses.

Herbs and Spices in Vietnamese Cooking: The Aromatic Soul of Every Dish

Vietnamese cuisine is renowned for its vibrant flavours, aromatic freshness, and harmonious balance. While many global cuisines rely heavily on fats or heavy sauces, Vietnamese cooking leans into herbs, spices, and aromatics to deliver depth and complexity. Whether you're exploring a warming bowl of pho, a crunchy banh xeo, or a zesty goi salad, you'll find that herbs and spices play a starring role—not just as garnishes, but as essential ingredients.

Why Herbs and Spices Matter in Vietnamese Food

Vietnamese cooking uses salt, sugar, pepper, garlic, and onion like most cuisines, but what sets it apart is its liberal use of fresh herbs. In many dishes, herbs act as vegetables—the base of soups, stir-fries, salads, and stews. The contrast between hot and cold, crunchy and tender, sweet and spicy is built from the ground up with these fresh, flavour-packed ingredients.

Vietnamese cuisine is one of the most diverse and vibrant in the world. It uses an enchanting mix of food from colonial visitors, native ingredients and traditional cooking techniques. Many aspects of climate, trade, history and immigration has influenced the food of Vietnam we know today.

Our Favourite Cooking Oils – How to Choose the Right One for Your Dish

When it comes to cooking, choosing the right oil can make a big difference in both flavour and health. At Otao Kitchen, we love using a variety of oils in our classes and recipes. Whether you're pan frying, stir frying, baking, or finishing a dish with a drizzle, it’s important to choose an oil that suits the method.

One of the most important factors is an oil’s smoke point—the temperature at which it begins to break down and produce smoke. Heating oil past its smoke point not only spoils the flavour, but can degrade nutrients and release harmful compounds known as free radicals.

Here are our favourite cooking oils and how we use them at Otao Kitchen.

Woks

If I had to choose one all-inclusive cooking tool, I would choose a wok. A wok is a traditional Asian pan used for cooking quickly at high temperatures. Typically, it gets used for stir-frying, boiling, braising, deep-frying and steaming. You can also do most of this with a regular pan or skillet, however a wok is thin and large, making it very heat efficient and easier to use when cooking Asian foods.

Food Hygiene and Safety at Home: Your Ultimate Guide to Preventing Food Poisoning

Each year, millions of people fall ill from foodborne illnesses, often mistaking the symptoms for the flu. But food poisoning can be much more severe—causing long-term health complications, especially for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

Practicing good personal hygiene and food safety at home is one of the most effective ways to prevent these illnesses. Bacteria that cause food poisoning can live on your hands, clothing, hair, and even healthy-looking skin. If you touch your nose, mouth, or hair, then prepare food without washing your hands, you're spreading harmful microbes directly into your meals.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll cover the four golden rules of food safety—Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill—plus personal hygiene, storage, and reheating tips to keep you and your family safe and healthy in your kitchen.

Whether you are new to cooking or experienced in your kitchen, mastering knife skills is not only important for keeping you safe but will make your recipes that much better.

Are you struggling to manage a busy lifestyle and eat right? Menu planning may be the answer. You’ll find it easier to eat nutritious meals, save money and become more efficient in the kitchen. Here are some steps to help you plan meals and menus throughout the week.

A well-stocked pantry is the best way to ensure you have everything necessary to make a delicious, filling dinner any day of the week. Classic pantry staples such as tinned tomatoes, canned beans, sugar salt, pasta, varieties of flours, noodles and rice can provide the foundations to make something tasty, when there isn’t much left in the vegetable crisper! Flavour boosting convenience items like spices, dried herbs, sauces, pickles, oils, vinegars and stock are paramount to keeping your home kitchen ready to whip up a yummy meal at short notice.