So next Wednesday, Chef Ryan says it’s likely it’ll be available around then. He’s still tinkering with the instructions. So you guys might be wondering why I go so hard putting on for Needle; I think @JeetKuneBao kind of gets it — I’m definitely concerned for the future of Canto food in America (especially as it comes to Hong Kong), and Chef Ryan is the person I see as most eligible to carry this extremely technical and valuable cuisine into the future.
As you guys might also know, I’ve been on a pretty strict nutrition regimen and I’ve been watching my calories. My appreciation of Needle is to the extent that I am willing to forego/cheat for the sake of bringing more exposure to Cantonese cuisine, especially as it comes to what’s being made at Needle. The food is so carefully prepared and so much thought goes into each of these dishes. It would be a huge shame to me if Chef Ryan’s restaurant were not able to survive the pandemic when his food is not only an example of Cantonese food prepared with technical excellence, but also of significant political implications. Is it weird that the location is in Silverlake? Sure, I definitely get that. However, it is one of the few restaurants on Sunset with a parking lot, and honestly I think food this well-prepared is worth traveling for. Especially if you’re serious about keeping this type of cooking alive, Ryan is a master technician whose thoughtfulness deserves some travel (I drive up from Orange County myself).
So without further ado, let’s keep it going:
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Chasiu Egg Rice
This is a recommended preparation but I’m not sure it will be available on the menu. Notice the high-heat applied to the egg preparation, it’s more akin to a Thai-style fried egg due to the crisp/browned edges. It’s traditional but not, in the sense that different techniques are applied to give diners a new way of looking at the dish, which I find it to be a stylistic metaphor for the restaurant as a whole.
The chasiu is fantastic, great char and I think he might be preparing the chasiu and vacuum sealing it for take-home so that diners can finish it at home. This application of belly is probably best suited to being served over rice (the small batch rice at Needle is exceptionally well-suited for these purposes). Notice the structural integrity of the grains, and the way that fat can neatly drape uniformly around each of the individual grains. There’s more fat that renders from belly for this purpose, so it’s an ideal cut in that regard.
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Duckburger v2
The new version of the duckburger uses a basting method to apply a bit more fatty/rich flavor to the duck patty. This dish is really starting to come along and the addition of the cabbage slaw is actually quite welcome to help balance out the heft. There’s a great soft bun - to toast - to pickle/shrimp chip - to cabbage crunch contrast here that really plays up the duck. My only gripe (which I noted to him) was that the pickles are pretty acidic and so it might be a better idea to eat the burger upside down to let the acid come in in the finish as opposed to letting the duck take center stage at the end, since the acid might overwhelm.
Lettuce Wraps
This is just fun to eat, but a nicely woked “succotash” of sorts of corn, chickpea, carrots, shiitake, green onions that’s totally vegan but still very savory and filling. The hoisin really brings out the character of the constituent vegetables. Few dishes are thought of as “crowd pleasers” but this is one that you can order and everyone can be happy! I would say the gently fried rice noodles did get a little bit messy and in the way, but I don’t think anyone’s going to complain about having fried rice noodles.
Although isn’t that post above from 
