Easy Eats - September 2011

1 In a small bowl, mix together the teriyaki sauce and orange zest. On bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water, thread the chicken, green onion, bell pepper and mushrooms, alternating the chicken and vegetables, leaving a bit of space between each piece. Transfer to a plate. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.

2 Preheat the grill to medium. Put some teriyaki sauce in a small bowl for basting. Oil the grill racks to keep the chicken from sticking. Grill the skewers, turning occasionally and basting with teriyaki sauce, until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve with the teriyaki-orange dipping sauce.

Leo Gong

Adapted with permission from The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen: Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, and More. Copyright © 2011 by Laura B. Russell, Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.

15 easy ESSENTIALS

Where to Eat

Getting good gluten-free Chinese food — or any other Asian
food, for that matter — has never been easier. Here are our
favorite restaurants across the country.

JADE BISTRO TEAHOUSE & PATISSERIE This Portland bistro is famous not only for its tea selection, but for its blend of Vietnamese-Southeast Asian cooking. Don’t miss the fried tapioca flour-dusted salt and pepper squid and the chicken udon soup with handmade rice noodles. (7912 SE 13th Ave., Portland, OR; 503-477-8985; jadeportland.com)

LILLI AND LOO If you love Chinese, this New York City restaurant brings classics like crispy General Tso’s chicken and pork dumplings back to the table. And it doesn’t stop there: You’ll also find your favorite Thai and Japanese dishes, too. (792 Lexington Ave., New York, NY; 212-421-7800; lilliandloo.com)

IMPERIAL CHINESE Rated best Chinese restaurant in Denver by Zagat for 13 years, chef Johnny Hsu now offers a gluten-free menu, made up of naturally gluten-free dishes, including sizzling rice soup and grilled salmon with lemongrass. (431 S. Broadway, Denver, CO; 303-698-2800; imperialchinese.com)

DEL MAR RENDEZVOUS You’ll find wonderfully delicate konnyaku noodles, made from a Japanese root vegetable, in many dishes, like Singapore chow: chicken, shrimp and vegetables in a yellow curry sauce. (1555 Camino Del Mar, #102, Del Mar, CA; 858-755- 2669; delmarrendezvous.com)

BETELNUT

This is Asian street food at its best in San Francisco. Local ingredients take center stage next to Asian regional spices. The show-stopper: sea bass cha ca la vong, which is prepared tableside with rice noodles and fresh herbs. (2030 Union St., San Francisco, CA; 415-929- 8855; betelnutrestaurant.com)

CHIANG MAI THAI One of Minneapolis’ top Thai restaurants, don’t miss the spicy nam prig ong — pork and roasted tomatoes sautéed in red curry paste — and the shredded fresh ginger-coated fried fish. (3001 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN; 612-827-1606; chiangmaithai.com)

P.F. CHANGS From starters to desserts, this restaurant offers the largest gluten-free menu, and details exactly which ingredients are in their sauces. Go for the classic shrimp in lobster sauce, but save room for the flourless chocolate cake. (locations nationwide; pfchangs.com)

PEI WEI ASIAN DINER You’re likely to bump into one of Pei Wei’s 23 locations. Standout: the Vietnamese rolls — rice wrappers stuffed with chicken, rice noodles and vegetables seasoned with sweet chile sauce and lime. (locations nationwide; peiwei.com)