AS A CHILD, Brandon Jew looked forward to dinners out, which almost always featured an order of beef chow fun. It’s the sort of Chinese-American classic Mr. Jew celebrates today at his restaurant Mister Jiu’s, in San Francisco. After a brief hiatus, Mister Jiu’s will reopen next month, and the revamped menu will include the beloved beef-noodle stir-fry, which the chef has perfected during lockdown. “It’s my comfort food,” he said.
At the restaurant, the staff will make the rice noodles from scratch and marinate thinly sliced sirloin for two days in Shaoxing wine, sesame oil and oyster sauce. At home Mr. Jew makes this far speedier version, his first Slow Food Fast recipe.
A key step: cooking the noodles over high heat just long enough to brown them in spots. “It adds so much texture and flavor,” Mr. Jew said. Then they get a vigorous tossing with seared beef, chopped broccolini, bean sprouts and scallions until everything is coated in a sweet-savory brown sauce. It’s worth seeking out fresh horseradish root to grate over the dish before serving—a small gesture that really makes this chow fun pop. Mr. Jew’s hankering for it remains as strong as ever. “I just made this for dinner over the weekend,” he said. “I had a craving.”
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