hello from perth: brunch, biltong, bubble tea, and more!

Greetings from Perth!

Simon and I arrived a few days ago and have been enjoying a very leisurely time out in the Perth Hills. This is the first time I've visited Western Australia, while it's old hat for Simon, this being his hometown and all. For both of us, it has been a very nice holiday so far.

Winter in Perth is, for the most part, quite mild - perhaps almost like autumn in Melbourne. The temperatures are warm enough that there has been some days where I've happily taken off my coat and carried it around instead. Mind you, it's been rainy today and we're expecting even choppier weather over the next day or two, but it's supposed to clear up after that, so it's all good!

To be honest, we haven't been doing much in terms of sight-seeing... yet. However, we've been spending lots of quality time with Simon's family, who are so warm and welcoming. On our first day his mum cooked us a delicious lasagne, and the food has kept coming - as I type this, I am tucking into a gorgeous slice of lemon meringue pie.

Oh, and this is the view I get when I wake up in the morning. Not bad, eh?

The view from our room.

On Sunday, I had brunch with Simon and his family. We went to a place called Toast (Shop 21, 60 Royal St, East Perth). One of the allures of this place is the waterfront location where you can dine al fresco with lake views. The other is, as their namesake suggests, the different types of bread/toast that they offer.

The place is super busy and those waiting for a spot are given a rubber duck as a token. The colour of the rubber duck denotes your place in the queue, apparently. It was cute - gimmicky, but cute.

Once we had sat down and ordered, our drinks and food took a while to arrive, but they did, eventually.

I had the eggs florentine, which came with potato and parmesan toast. It was decent, if a bit pricey for what it was - you can see that the serving isn't very big, and it's not otherwise particularly fancy or elaborate, either. Still, the eggs had deep orange and runny yolks. The bread was soft in the middle, crispy around the edges, and gratifyingly savoury.

Eggs Florentine at Toast, East Perth. $15.90 or $16.90 - can't remember which.

Simon had the vegetarian full breakfast, which he seemed to enjoy. I procured a piece of his corn fritter, which was soft and fluffy and generous with juicy corn kernels.

I don't think Toast is special enough to warrant the weekend queues, and I wouldn't go out of my way for it. Having said that, we still had a fine time there with family.




We went for a stroll in Kings Park and Botanic Garden afterwards. It was very pleasant.

Kings Park and Botanic Garden.

Then we walked from there to the Perth CBD area.

Simon was eager to grab a refreshing beverage from his favourite bubble tea place, Utopia (71 Barrack St, Perth), a local chain which has been around since 2001. He opted for an apple green tea with grape jelly, whilst I selected a YETO peach tea with apple jelly. (YETO is some probiotic thing, similar to Vitagen or Yakult).

My YETO peach tea from Utopia.

We sipped on our teas as we sat at the tables, intermittently watching a screen that was playing Mandarin, Japanese and Korean pop song videos. I have to say I really like the bubble teas here -  tasty, and very generous with the jellies. The only odd thing is that my bubble tea with 25% sugar is about as sweet as Simon's with 50% sugar, and I could go a little less, but fortunately it was still alright for me. (Yes, you can customize your preference for sugar amounts, as well as ice). When all's said and done, I might even say it's quite possibly now my most favourite bubble tea place, too!




We also came across The Biltong Shop (21 Plaza Arcade, Perth) when we were wandering about, and decided to get a bag of assorted biltong (cured dried meat, South African style) in different flavours (peri peri, pepper, chilli and fatty). My favourite is the peri peri - it's not the "extra hot" it claims to be, as far as I'm concerned, but it definitely has a sufficiently spicy kick.

The biltong pieces from The Biltong Shop make a convenient snack.

The Biltong Shop also has droewors (dried sausage) and beef jerky, so if we're in the area again sometime, we might try those as well.




After a few days of settling down, I decided it was finally time to get off the couch and start doing some cooking with Simon, to give his mum a break. Together, we created this vegan soba noodle salad with roasted vegetables for lunch.

Vegan soba salad.

And we ate it while enjoying this view.

View from the Perth Hills - you can just spy Perth City in the distance.

That's all for now, but I've still got about a week to spend in Perth, so any suggestions or recommendations of things to see, do and eat, are welcome!

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mini vegan mandarin muffins / cakes

mini vegan mandarin muffins.

Last month, my workplace participated in Australia's Biggest Morning Tea. Here's the idea: we could choose to contribute by baking some treats to share with the office, or simply make a reasonable donation to partake in the delights. The funds we raise would all go to the Cancer Council.

It's a great cause, and of course, I decided to do both!

Mandarins are in season at the moment, and wonderfully cheap. If you go to the markets at the right time in winter, they can go for as low as 99 cents per kilogram. A total bargain. That, plus my love for all things citrus, soon brought me to the conclusion that mini vegan mandarin muffins were the obvious choice for this baking adventure.

So I whipped up about a dozen mini muffins the night before, and, of course, taste-tested them with Simon to make sure they were okay for feeding my colleagues. Our verdict was: most definitely. In fact, Simon was a little too enthusiastic about the tasting, and I had to shoo him away to protect my remaining muffins.

A few notes (and ramblings):

- I used the peel of one mandarin in this recipe, which suits me well, but if you really love the peel, you can probably use two mandarins' worth.

- The oven I used resulted in some muffins being browner on top than others. In my pictures of these muffins, the mandarin segments on top may look burnt, but they tasted perfectly fine, surprisingly. And I preferred their appearance to the paler ones, but taste-wise it was a much of a muchness.

- These are much lovelier, I feel, when they are still warm from the oven. I tried one the next day, and while it was still decent, it wasn't quite as alluring. They were just so addictive right after baking, with a little aromatic steam still wafting as you take a bite... so, yeah, eat them sooner rather than later, or, if they'd cooled down, perhaps heat them up in the oven again before serving.

- Also, sprinkling sugar to create crunchy tops was a fabulous idea. Because the tops were oh-so-crunchy. However, even though I cooled the muffins before storing them, they weren't quite as crunchy the next day. Any ideas on how I may improve on keeping them fresh? I guess, as per above, I could warm them up in the oven briefly again before serving.

- If you would like to turn these mini mandarin muffins into mini mandarin cakes, simply adjust the amount of sugar. 1/3 cup sugar makes them just mildly sweet, and reasonably healthy as muffins should be. If I am to transform them into mini cakes, I would probably go for 1/2 cup sugar, but it really depends on your personal preferences. I'm more of a not-too-sweet kinda girl.

- Being vegan, these muffins are naturally dairy-free and egg-free. They are also nut-free. You could potentially make them gluten-free, as well, using your favourite gluten-free flour mix substitute.

mini mandarin muffins, best eaten whilst still warm from the oven!

mini vegan mandarin muffins
(makes 12 mini muffins or cakes)

1.5 cups flour
1/3 - 1/2 cup raw sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
4 small mandarins (5cm/2" diameter each, or 300g / 10.6oz total ± 15g / 0.5oz), plus more for decoration
1/3 cup olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 160C fan-forced (180C regular).
Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a big bowl.
Prepare the mandarins. Remove the stem bits on top, and any seeds.
At this point, you want the flesh of 4 mandarins and the peel of 1 mandarin. Using a blender, blitz the mandarin flesh, mandarin peel, olive oil and salt until smooth. Stir through coconut milk.
Stir the mandarin mix into flour mix. Do not over-mix, a bit of lumpiness is fine. The batter will be very thick. This is fine, unless there are still streaks of flour, in which case just carefully add a little bit more coconut milk until it all comes together.
Divide the batter amongst 12 muffin wrappers slotted in a muffin tray. It'll probably only be enough to fill up halfway, hence the mini stature!
Top with a small mandarin segment and sprinkle evenly with a thin layer of sugar all over. (I also added a tiny bit of vanilla salt for kicks.)
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown on top.

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osaka-style okonomiyaki at ura, fitzroy

Okonomiyaki at URA, oh yeah!

I was excited. Very excited. A Japanese pop-up pancake shop, serving homemade okonomiyaki, Osaka-style. It's happening.

I first heard of this venture by URA (28 Johnston St, Fitzroy) through word of mouth, via Simon's housemate, who has some kind of vague acquaintance with Matsu, the owner.

URA is a shop that offers Japanese clothing, toys and other treasures hand-picked from flea markets in Osaka and Kyoto. This pancake thing isn't part of the business - it's an occasional, casual affair, and it feels a bit like you're over at your friend's place on the weekend, while they make pancakes for you.

The okonomiyaki menu at URA, Fitzroy.

It's all very simple. You can get a basic vegetarian okonomiyaki with cabbage, spring onion, okra, and deep fried beancurd. If you want to jazz it up, you can request additional items such as rice cake or cheese.

So. Much. Excitement.

Simon and his housemates ordered the basic okonomiyaki, but I was feeling indulgent, and asked for cheese with mine, because, well, why the hell not?

Tucking into the okonomiyaki.

I'll tell you this. Matsu's okonomiyaki is quite substantial and unabashedly excellent. I am yet to visit Japan, let alone Osaka, so I cannot vouch for its authenticity, but it certainly tastes like it should be the real thing - this stuff is delicious. So much better than the typical ones you get from the dime-a-dozen takeaway shops dotted all over Melbourne. It's made to order, with incredibly fresh, chunky ingredients, cooked till it's just right and served immediately, piping hot.

If this is what Osaka-style okonomiyaki is like, GIVE ME MORE.

While the affable Matsu doesn't put a price on his okonomiyaki, there is a donation jar, so be generous and show your appreciation for his hospitality, and those scrumptious hunks of savoury Japanese pancake goodness. He will surely be delighted if you take the time to browse the store, too - there are some cute, charming, strange and quirky odds and ends worth exploring - we took home some toys (you can see one of the figurines in the first picture up there).

URA's pop-up pancake shop seems to be a semi-regular monthly occurrence. The next one is this very Sunday, 7th of July! Go between 11am to 4pm. If you want to be in the loop, follow URA on Facebook so you don't miss out (last I checked, it seems that he has even started making his own okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise!). Additionally, there isn't much space, and I have no idea how many pancakes Matsu can churn out a day, so depending on how busy it is, you may or may not get lucky. But you can always try, and you probably should.

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recent delights: brazilian banana candy, orangina, cantaloupe jam, havarti cheese

Hello everyone, I hope you've been well.

I knew I was way overdue for a "recent delights" post when some of the delights aren't that recent anymore. So here we go! Another edition of various odds and ends I've encountered lately.

My capoeira instructor came back from a trip to Brazil earlier this year, and he brought back these Brazilian banana confections with him. It's apparently pure banana. That's right, banana is the only ingredient in this sweet, chewy candy called "bananinha". I have no idea how it's made, but I imagine the bananas are cooked down until they're all thick and caramelised, then poured into a tray to set, before being cut up into pieces. How's that for a guess? I've also received a very similar banana candy from a Thai colleague, though I think that one had additional ingredients, and as a result, a slightly more complex flavour profile. Either way, these are pretty nice snacks. Maybe I should try making my own one day.

Bananinha, a Brazilian sweet... basically,  banana candy.

The carbonated citrus drink, Orangina, is quite common back home in Malaysia but I rarely see it here in Melbourne, or anywhere in Australia, really. However, one of my local spots, Le Petit Français Crêperie & Café in South Yarra, serves it. Intrigued, I hopped online to find out more about Orangina's story. Two things: 1) I find out that it's actually Algerian in origin, 2) I'd always assumed that it was just a fizzy orange drink, but I now know that it also contains lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit juices. I'm a bit of a citrus fiend so I guess this explains why I find this beverage so attractive. That plus the nostalgia factor, no doubt.

Orangina, a sparkling citrus beverage.

Simon's housemates went to Daylesford a while ago, and they brought back some lovely fruit preserves. Our favourite one was the homemade cantaloupe and passion fruit jam by Dale's Delights. I don't know if I've ever had a melon-based jam before this, but I'm a total convert - it was fresh, dewy, charming, playful. This is the kind of jam that makes people happy.

Cantaloupe jam. So fragrantly delicious.

I've also recently fallen in love with Havarti cheese. It's mellow and creamy and nutty and almost mushroomy. I can be a bit of a wimp when it comes to cheese, but Havarti strikes a pleasing balance for me with sweet, rounded flavours that don't get too strong and crazy. It's popular as a dessert cheese, with fruit and wine, and I can certainly see why. Obviously I had to pair it up with that exquisite cantaloupe jam, on top of some garlic and herb water crackers. It was a beautiful match all around.

Garlic and herb crackers, Havarti cheese, cantaloupe and passionfruit jam.

What are some of your recent delights?

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brunch at luxbite, south yarra: the savoury edition

I have been increasingly neglectful of my 'hood over the past few years.

There are delightful places to be found in South Yarra, if you know where to go, and for the most part, I know where to go for delicious food in South Yarra, it's just that I usually end up visiting Simon in Fitzroy instead.

And yet - there are rare occasions when I can tempt my lazy boyfriend to visit me. Such as when I won a LuxBite voucher from a giveaway by Ashley from I'm So Hungree (thanks, lady!).

I've been to LuxBite for dessert (38 Toorak Rd, South Yarra) a few times, but it's been a long, long stretch since my last visit. During my absence, they've started serving up more than just desserts. Their savoury brunch menu looked really enticing, and on a cool Saturday afternoon, that was exactly what I was after.

But hey, let's still kick it off with something sweet. For drinks, we got the organic chai, and the salted caramel hot chocolate.

We're picky about our chai, but quite enjoyed the version here. It's probably one of nicer ones we've tried, though as usual, we yearned for just a bit more of a peppery kick.

Luxbite's organic chai, $4.50.

When the waitress served up the hot chocolate, we were instructed to stir before drinking. So I stirred, and I sipped. The cup had a salted rim, but instead of tequila inside, we get - of course - a rich, warm, sweet-and-salty chocolatey goodness with teasing hints of caramel. Oh, and yes, there was a good reason for stirring - the salt is located at the bottom of the cup. Good thing I stirred, which created a balanced overall experience, with only a few stray grains when I got to the end!

Luxbite's salted caramel hot chocolate (with Mörk's chocolate blend), $5.50.

One of LuxBite's greatest strengths, for me, is their playful East-meets-West inspiration, a style that is already well-established in their dessert offerings. Their savoury brunch options continue along this trend - here's what we had.

Satay marinated roast chicken with creamy polenta, caramelised garlic, anchovies, peanut.

Luxbite's satay marinated roast chicken with creamy polenta, caramelised garlic, anchovies, peanut. $15.

The chicken was well-seasoned and tasty, almost more curry-ish than satay-ish to me. I also liked the crispy anchovies and peanuts. I wasn't really watching out for the caramelised garlic but I'm sure they were in there somewhere, adding extra yumminess to the proceedings. This dish definitely reminds me of nasi lemak. The only thing I feel uncertain about was the polenta, the texture just seemed a little odd to me, and I found myself idly wondering if rice, quinoa or couscous would have been preferable instead. Simon didn't seem to mind it, though.

But the best is yet to come.

Slow braised beef with caramelised bacon and spring onion mash, fried egg.

Luxbite's slow-braised beef with caramelised bacon, spring onion mash, and fried egg. $15.

Holy cow, did I adore this. 

The beef was beautifully tender, and the fried egg had a perfectly runny yolk. The caramelised bacon added sweet umami, the spring onion mash was soft and light, and the lovely five-spice broth swirled and hugged everything together.

So hearty, so satisfying. And if you know anything about the Melbourne brunch scene, getting something of this calibre for $15 - a total bargain.

Wait, I think we need another picture.

Another gratuitous, closer-up shot.

We were full by the end of this. But let's face it, you don't leave Luxbite without dessert. I got a couple of things to take away: pre-planned delayed gratification. Let me tell you, making a decision was tough - everything just looked so alluring - but somehow, I survived.

This sour strawberry macaron tasted like a sophisticated strawberry candy. It was light and dainty, with a gentle sourness - yum. Though, given the name, I want it more daringly sour. I throw down this gauntlet!

Luxbite's sour strawberry macaron. $2.75.

This delectably shiny sphere is Home Sweet Home: Taste of the Tropics. Artful strips of pineapple encase a coconut cake with a mango centre. It was exquisitely constructed, and pleasant enough, but didn't knock my socks off. Also, a part of me couldn't help thinking about the chocolate-hazelnut and green-tea-pistachio creations I regretfully left behind. I suppose another trip is in order...

Home Sweet Home: Taste of the Tropics: toasted coconut mousse, mango cream, coconut sponge, burnt pineapple. $8.50.

In conclusion: I already knew from my earlier visits that Luxbite makes some fine macarons (and I still need to try more of the cakes for a more informed opinion, ha!), but after this leisurely Saturday afternoon, I'm happy to report that they do well on the savoury front, too. Go forth and get your beef on, people.



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maple orange yoghurt soda-fizz

maple orange yoghurt soda.

I was recently sent a crate of oranges as an invitation to participate in the Live Well, Go Orange campaign for Citrus Australia, where they're challenging/encouraging Australians to eat an orange everyday for ten days.

I was ever so gleeful when it arrived. Fruits always seem to look extra-wholesome in a wooden crate, don't you think? I'll be keeping the crate, it might work nicely as a mini bench, or as some kind of storage solution.

a dozen oranges in a wooden crate.

So for these past several days I've been eating oranges. I've cut them up and eaten them fresh in all their glory. I've made an orange and olive oil cake, adapted from this recipe. I've also offered one to Simon when he was struck by midnight cravings, and together we concocted a snack by filling up a bowl with a cup of yoghurt, orange segments, a scattering of cacao nibs, and a drizzle of honey and plum coulis.

As you can imagine, we had a lot of fun, and I'm feeling mighty fine. The recipe I'm sharing with you today is that of a pretty healthy soft drink, inspired by oranges and their health benefits. I used not only the flesh of oranges here, which are a juicy source for a variety of nutrients (vitamin A, B, C, as well as fibre, folate, potassium and calcium) but also the zest, which contains an even more concentrated amount of the good stuff. It's all whirled together with yoghurt and maple syrup, then topped with soda water, for something refreshing and a little different.

Are you up for the Go Orange challenge? What's your favourite way to have oranges?

maple orange yoghurt fizz 
(makes 1 big serve or 2 small serves)

1 orange, zested and segmented (peel and seeds removed)
1/4 cup yoghurt
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup soda water / sparkling mineral water / carbonated water
some ice, or vanilla ice cream

Blend orange zest, orange segments, yoghurt and maple syrup together until smooth.
Pour into a large glass, or divide amongst two glasses, depending on whether you're sharing.
Top up with sparkling water and some ice. Stir gently to incorporate.
If you're feeling indulgent, make it a dessert - throw in a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delicious float!

Ingredient amounts can be adjusted to suit personal preferences.
I used plain unsweetened natural yoghurt but feel free to use your favourite, and create interesting combinations!

maple orange yoghurt fizz.

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b'stilla, south yarra: moroccan magic

Hot and sultry harissa, at b'stilla.

"It goes with everything", the waiter narrates as he sets the fiery red harissa down at our table, and my eyes lit up in anticipation of happily sprinkling this famous condiment all over the ensuing savoury dishes to come.

We're having lunch at B'Stilla (30b Bray St, South Yarra) on a Friday, and it is surprisingly quiet. The crowds, no doubt, will push through as the night falls. But for now, we have almost the whole place to ourselves.

We started with the eponymous dish, b'stilla. One of the nice things here is that the menu offers a glossary for those who are unfamiliar with Moroccan food, and I am one of those who could certainly use a helping hand. Here's what they say:

B’stilla pronounced as “bas - stee - ya”
- traditional Moroccan pigeon pie often served as a starter for special occasions and celebrations. Our B’stilla combines pigeon and duck with sweet and salty flavours and a combination of thin, crisp layers of brik pastry.

It sounded intriguing. It looked intriguing, too.

Yes, those are generous lashings of powdered sugar and cinnamon piled upon a pie with savoury fillings.

B’stilla - a traditional Moroccan pigeon pie, $14.

I was a tiny bit skeptical.

The pastry was, indeed, beautifully thin and crisp, shattering ever so pleasingly underneath my cutlery. Then, a spoonful to taste, and lo and behold, it somehow worked, the sweetness, the cinnamon, and the bits of pigeon and duck and egg and almonds. Unfamiliar, to be sure, but in a good way. For some, it may be an acquired taste. We acquired it within seconds.

B’stilla pie with pigeon, duck, almonds, cinnamon, saffron, and egg.

More adventures abound. This here is a lamb medfouna, which, according to the menu, is a Berber style pizza. Meat or lentils, encased in a pastry and usually cooked in the ground. Ours is made with a potato pastry and cooked in an oven.

Lamb medfouna with labne, $6.

We discovered this to be reminiscent of a comforting potato cake, made even more amazing with the lamb and cashew filling, and the minty-green labne served alongside. Simon loved this, ever so much. And so did I.

Gorgeous bits of lamb and cashew, wrapped up in equally gorgeous potato pastry.

We were sad when we finished the medfouna (which Simon later pronounced to be the dish of the day), but there was no time to mourn. On to the next plate: smokey eggplant with crispy garlic, sesame, and coriander. This was categorised under "salads" but it's almost more like a sensual, textural dip that you can enjoy on its own. It was pretty awesome, and probably the kind of salad with which you can win friends.

A lush, smoky eggplant dish, $9.

The cauliflower with pine nut paste, ras el hanout (a Moroccan spice blend) and herbs continue our good run with salads. As with the above, there are some lovely elements working in harmony here, and my only gripe, if I must, is that I would welcome even more of that spice on the cauliflower florets. Give it to me, baby.

Roasted cauliflower florets and friends, $8.

We also ordered this chargrilled duck merguez (basically, a sausage) with lemon, because, quite frankly, it was one of the cheapest things on the menu and we figured we could fit in a little more. Meaty, spicy, and quite perfectly cooked, this one definitely earned its keep.

Chargrlled duck merguez with lemon, $4.5.

Did anyone say dessert?

Rosewater flan, dates, walnut nougatine, $11.

This rosewater flan was just stunning. A smooth custard winks with ephemeral hints of rosewater as it perches prettily on a dense date puree. Dark, syrupy caramelisation. Shards of sweet, crunchy walnut toffee. Beautiful.

Rosewater flan on date puree, scattered with walnut nougatine.

Admittedly, I don't eat out as often or as lavishly as many other food bloggers, but for what it's worth, this is my favourite dining experience so far this year. It has been a long while since I have been so roundly impressed by a meal, and if B'Stilla can keep this up, I sincerely hope that they hang around for many, many years to come.



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pan-grilled hoisin pork steaks (a 3-ingredient recipe)

3-ingredient pan-grilled hoisin pork steak.

Sometimes the rescuer in me wakes up, and seeks out neglected ingredients that have been sitting in a lonely corner for far too long. It makes me happy when I save them from oblivion and find them a good home. On a plate. In my belly.

My recent efforts revolved around a full bottle of hoisin sauce in Simon's fridge. No one really knows who bought it, or how long it has been there. Every time I open the fridge, it niggles at me a little. I started to think about how awful the bottle of hoisin sauce must feel, because surely if you are a bottle of hoisin sauce, all you want to do is mingle with other delicious things, to create even more delicious things.

Because I'm that kind of crazy woman.

It just so happened that I won a competition and received the prize of an incredible meat tray around that time (thanks, The Vegetable Connection and Cherry Tree Organics!) so there were plenty of carnivorous delights to go around. One of the items in the meat tray were some lovely boneless butterflied pork steaks. I thought they would match well with the sweet, rich hoisin sauce, which is often described as a Chinese BBQ sauce.

And thus, these 3-ingredient pan-grilled hoisin pork steaks came into our world.

pan-grilled hoisin pork steaks

1/4 cup hoisin sauce* (more to taste, later, if desired)
1 tablespoon oil with a high smoke point (e.g. rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil)
2 boneless pork butterfly steaks or chops (approx. 300g / 2/3lb total, and 2cm / 3/4" thick)

Combine hoisin sauce and oil. Rub all over the pork steaks and let them marinate for 1 hour, or longer.
Heat a grill pan over a medium high flame. Once the pan is hot, slap the steaks down. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. (If they curve up during the cooking process, you can press them down a little so that they continue to sear well and evenly.)
Remove the steaks from the pan and rest for another 3 minutes before serving.

If you'd like to brush a little more hoisin sauce on your pork, or add other condiments like pepper... go for it!

I served mine with a simple vegetable side dish: steamed bok choy, drizzled with soy sauce and sesame oil. (This is only 3 ingredients, too - yay!)

*Since this recipe has so few ingredients, it is important that you use a hoisin sauce that tastes good to you. The one I rescued from Simon's fridge is Ayam brand, and it also happened to be gluten-free. However, not all hoisin sauces are gluten-free, so if you are that way inclined, do check the label and list of ingredients. I also try to look for sauces that have a fairly natural ingredient list.

easy-as-anything pan-grilled hoisin pork butterfly steak with a simple side of bok choy.

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