Thank God for Peter Kay. I love the Bolton born comic and man-of-a-thousand-faces who loves Chinese food.
Here’s my favourite joke (thanks Peter) ….. So I went to the Chinese restaurant and this duck came up to me with a red rose and says “Your eyes sparkle like diamonds”. I said, “Waiter, I asked for a-ROMATIC duck”.

Finally, Peter has returned to us in Manchester with his tour which has people in stitches as he turns the most trivial of daily nuisances in the world of the working class family, and turns them into comedy gold. Without this man, life would, quite simply, be a bit boring.

I’ll feed Peter and I’ll feed all you lovely people who are going to see Peter Kay’s show at the MEN. We are next door to the Crowne Plaza Hotel which is a short 5-10 minute walk to the MEN Arena. Approximately 40 furry footsteps and you are door to door. Click HERE for the AA Routeplanner and Map.

OK, and I’ll get you revved up with that uber-annoying (because once heard you can’t get it out of your head) ‘Is This The Way To Amarillo’ song that Peter forced upon us, Peter Kay at his exasperated best.

Sweet Mandarin Address: 19 Copperas Street (off High Street), Manchester M4 1HS

I know one day will never make up for all the universal joys and incredible memories of childhood that I’ve shared with my Dad but I wanted to thank you Dad, for being there for me, always, unconditionally and always fighting our corner. Together with the entire world – in celebrations of Dads all over the world on Father’s Day 20th June, I wanted to say I love you Dad.

I remember the midnight jogging sessions to Chaddy park with Dad, my siblings and our dog, Choy Sum as Mum drove the old banger alongside us. Even though we never managed to jog back as we all went home in the car – I loved that sense of adventure you instilled in us.

I remember Mum had gone out to buy the groceries and you decided to be a hairdresser for the day. We all had pudding bowl haircuts……and it was so atrocious you bought us an ice cream to make up for it. I learnt quickly not to let you touch my hair ever again!

I remember the amazing dinners you made us ranging from spare ribs to a whole steamed fish to chicken tomato with an egg in it and your amazing red cooked melt in the mouth chicken. And you allowed me to go on the woks and you taught me how to cook the perfect egg fried rice. Wow – Dad you’re the best.

And now you and the fat baby are partners in crime!

For everyone out there, don’t forget its Father’s Day on Sunday 20th June. We only have a few tables left that evening (5-11pm). If you’d like to tell your Dad you love him by treating him to a delicious Chinese banquet, I’d be honoured to serve you our sumptuous food and ice cold beers. To book your table call 0161 832 8848 or email me lisa@sweetmandarin.com or click here

Breathe. Breathe again. I’ve got some news my friends. I’m going to be starring on Iron Chef UK when it airs on Channel 4 on 12th – 17th 12.30pm – 1.30pm. This is like a dream come true for me. Thank you God. You’ve already given me an amazing blessing when Sweet Mandarin received the most prestigious accolade, winning the Gordon Ramsay F Word Best Local Chinese Restaurant award. Deep breath. My heart is racing because I love Iron Chef. I’ve watched all the American versions and am in love with Chef Morimoto and Bobby Flay. I can’t wait to get to Kitchen Stadium – this is an experience of a lifetime.

I am honoured to be invited to cook on Iron Chef and will dedicate my dishes to Manchester, my followers on Twitter and to all my clients at Sweet Mandarin. I’m gonna tweet throughout the cook off so follow me for more of the action http://twitter.com/sweetmandarin.

PRESS RELEASE: 1st December 2010
Lisa Tse to star on Iron Chef UK

Lisa Tse, CEO and head chef of the award winning Sweet Mandarin is to star on Iron Chef UK when it airs on Channel 4 in December. Lisa has already received one of the most prestigious accolades, winning the Gordon Ramsay F Word Best Local Chinese Restaurant award and her cookery school is now fully booked for months. This latest challenge will see Lisa battle against the Iron Chefs in a specially created Kitchen Stadium.

Iron Chef originated from Japan and its American version has received cult status as well as receiving the blessing of Michelle Obama who invited Iron Chef to the White House. In each episode, a new challenger chef battles one of the resident ‘Iron Chefs’ in a one-hour cooking competition based on a theme ingredient. In April/May, the UK will witness Iron Chef which is like no other cooking show before it. It combines haute cuisine, sports broadcasting and martial arts. It is crazy, zany and addictive.

Chef Lisa said “I am honoured to be invited to cook on Iron Chef. My three passions in life are cooking, people and business, and Iron Chef ignites all three. For everyone in Manchester, for my Twitter friends and my customers at Sweet Mandarin, I will rise to this challenge and try my best. I’ve been told that when the secret ingredient is revealed, we are free to choose what to cook and have an hour to produce something amazing. The Japanese call it omikase. I call it omigod — cooking without a net!”

For more of the action follow Lisa on Twitter http://twitter.com/sweetmandarin as she proposes to tweet throughout her cook-off.

About Chef Lisa Tse

Lisa is the CEO and brainchild behind Sweet Mandarin, an award winning Chinese restaurant, cookery school and corporate team building events organizer in Manchester, which she set up with her two sisters in 2004. Lisa won the prestigious award of Best Local Chinese Restaurant 2009/10 on the F Word and Gordon Ramsay was highly impressed with Lisa’s cooking. Sweet Mandarin has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Times, on BBC Newsnight and on the front cover of the Shanghai Daily. Lisa is the third generation of women in her family in the restaurant business and their story, self titled Sweet Mandarin was published by Random House in 33 countries and covered in a documentary by the BBC and the Chinese Channel. In 2010, Amoy chose Lisa as their chef of the year to celebrate Chinese New Year. Lisa has been cooking from the age of 11 years old and now cooks at Sweet Mandarin and for celebrities.

#981 Sweet Nothing – Pot au chocolat

I have an exceptionally sweet tooth that its embarrasing.
‘How many sugars do you want in your tea?’
‘Four please’ I respond
‘Four!!! Is that enough?’ said sarcastically
‘Oh go on make it five then’.

When I’ve been especially good, I give myself a little bit of Heaven on Earth, a pot au chocolate. Hey I know I’m Chinese but we Chinese can cook a mean dessert and even give the French a run for their money. I buy the real chocolate, the 72% chocolate to make this exceptional dessert. It feels really naughty and indulgent. There have been occasions when I make the batch. Eat the batch. Wash the pots and you didn’t even know a masterpiece was made. Selfish? Totally. Naughty? Oh Yes. But my goodness, or should I say Ooh la la, are they good. And that’s why my pots au chocolat make #981 Sweet Nothing.

Here’s my recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
550g 72% chocolate
6 egg yolks
125g icing sugar
250ml full-cream milk
1 pint double cream
25g blueberries to dress

Method: How to make pot au chocolat
1. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie.

2. Beat the egg yolks with the icing sugar.

3. Boil the milk and cream together and combine with the melted chocolate and sugared egg yolks.

4. Pour the mixture into individual ramekins and cool. Refrigerate until required and add some blueberries to dress.

If you want to try them, I’d be happy to save one for you (since its you)…..so when are you coming to visit me?
Book here for your oh so naughty pot au chocolat.